Pablo J. Boczkowski, Member (2023–24) in the School of Social Science, came to IAS to take part in the School’s theme year, “PLATFORM.” Boczkowski has since returned to his home institution of Northwestern University—there, he serves as the Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the School of Communication—but he carried back with him the enduring experiences, and especially relationships, formed during his time at the Institute. This Founders Day, Boczkowski will return to campus to give a book talk on his recent work The Patina of Distrust: Misinformation in a Context of Generalized Skepticism, published in October 2025.
Describe your favorite walk on campus.
The trail from the apartment I stayed at (211 von Neumann Drive, I think) until its very end, passing through the campus and continuing.
What surprised you most about the Institute?
The unwavering commitment to the pursuit of knowledge in the most profound and passionate ways.
When taking your tea at IAS: inside or outside?
Outside, whenever possible!
What was the most interesting conversation you had at lunch or at teatime?
I had many such conversations; IAS is the ideal place for that. But if I had to choose one, I’d say a chat about the “ills of deregulation” with Wendy Brown [UPS Foundation Professor in the School of Social Science].
What’s the best question another scholar asked you about your work?
The book project I worked on during my year at the Institute was entitled “Digital Freud.” Technology is central to it, to the point that it moved to the background in some parts of the account. One day, I was telling Didier Fassin [James D. Wolfensohn Professor in the School of Social Science] about the book and he asked me: “Where’s technology in your story?” An invaluable reminder that what the author might take for granted, the reader will not!
Have you continued any of the relationships you established while you were at the Institute?
Yes, several of them. I have a few local colleagues that I continue seeing, and with one of them, Natacha Nsabimana [Wolfensohn Family Member (2023–24) in the School of Social Science], we read each other’s book manuscripts in-progress and give feedback. Joan Scott [Professor Emerita in the School] has been truly generous by offering to read my manuscript and providing her always-superb advice. A couple of soccer fans and I have a WhatsApp group where we talk about the “beautiful game” on weekends. And there is an active email list for the theme year I was part of, led by Alondra Nelson [Harold F. Linder Professor in the School].
If you could bottle one “IAS condition” that helped your thinking (e.g., time, quiet, community, resources), what would it be?
Aspiration to greatness, hands down. It really empowers you and challenges you to do your very best.
You serve on the Board of AMIAS,1 which works to sustain the Institute’s mission of supporting discovery. What motivated you to get involved?
To stay connected with this gem of an institution and add my two cents in helping it grow and evolve.
If you could be on a Founders Day panel with any IAS scholar past or present, who would you choose?
Clifford Geertz [Professor (1970–2006) in the School of Social Science]. His work was incredibly inspirational for me when I was a student back in Argentina.
There’s no sweeter Founders Day tradition than soft-serve ice cream! But which flavor: chocolate, vanilla, or swirl?
Dulce de leche, always, as a dutiful Argentine!
In returning for Founders Day, what are you most excited to do once you’re back on campus?
Everything!
[1] The Association of Members of the Institute for Advanced Study (AMIAS) counts all accepted, current, and former IAS scholars—more than 8,000 individuals worldwide—among its membership.
