Weekend Seminar

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 28–30, 2022
Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT

Drawing Machine: Can Computers Make Art?

Computer and machine learning have penetrated almost every facet of human life: from information access to decision making, from contract tracing in disease outbreak to e-commerce. One less explored area is the role of computing machines in the creative process of art forms. The interplay between the computer algorithm and artists' thought process is fascinating yet rarely studied. Will the artificial intelligence take over and replace humans for good? In this weekend seminar, we will have a candid conversation with scholars from art and quantitative science.

Faculty and Alumni Co-Leaders

• Meng Xu, PhD, Mathematics, NYC
• Jillian McDonald, MFA, Art, NYC
• R. Emilio Fernandez, PhD, Mathematics, Westchester
• Jiajia Wu '22, Art, NYC

Guest Speakers

• Sarah Cunningham, MFA
• Lisa Fastenberg, PhD
• Betsy Gorelik '22
• Daniel Hill, MFA
• Judi Pajo, PhD
• Will Pappenheimer, MFA
• James Reich, PhD

View the 2022 Weekend Seminar Program (PDF)

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 15–16, 2021
Pace University, NYC Campus

Getting Back to Work: Reimagining the Future of Employment

Work takes up a significant part of our lives and, since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our everyday patterns, including the way we work. During this challenging time questions have emerged about the way we work and the value of work. This seminar will consider the changing nature of employment and the question of how we can work more effectively whether together or apart. It will also consider the larger context in which work takes place by asking some fundamental questions: What—or, perhaps more pointedly, who—gives value to work? Why are some kinds of work valued more than others? How do established modes of value-giving generate disparities, and how might we think of different modes of value-giving to bring about greater social justice in work? Many decisions that we make in our lives are centered around work: apartment configurations, locations to live in, how far to commute, education to pursue, and skills to build. Larger questions are determined as a society—what boundaries do we place between work and life, what are our human rights in the workplace, how has this changed with generational and cultural shifts, and how do we collaborate in an increasingly globalized world?

Faculty Leader

• Mary Kaltenberg, PhD, Economics, NYC

Guest Speakers

• Daniel Barber, PhD, Philosophy and Religious Studies, NYC
• Emily Bent, PhD, Women's and Gender Studies, NYC
• Zafir Buraei, PhD, Biology, NYC
• Sarah Cunningham, MFA, Art Gallery, NYC
• R. Emilio Fernandez, PhD, Mathematics, Pleasantville
• Eric Osborne-Christenson, PhD, Economics, NYC
• Anne Toomey, Environmental Studies and Sciences, PhD, NYC

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
January 15-16, 2021
Virtual

The Psychology of Stress: Research and Application

Faculty Co-leaders:

• Sally Dickerson, PhD, Psychology, NYC
• Guler Boyraz, PhD, Psychology, NYC
• Anthony Mancini, PhD, Psychology, Pleasantville

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 11-13, 2019
Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT

THIS IS FUN!
How Art and Play Create Well-being in Communities, Families, and Individuals

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Christopher Godfrey, PhD, Psychology, NYC
• Brenna Hassinger-Das, PhD, Psychology, NYC
• Adrienne Kapstein, MFA, Pace School of Performing Arts, NYC
• Sonia Suchday, PhD, Psychology, NYC
• Michele Zaccario, PhD, Psychology, NYC

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 12-14, 2018
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

Addressing Inequality and Leveraging Diversity

We will be considering the practical and theoretical aspects of inequality and diversity, and drawing on a variety of disciplines to think together about paths towards equality.

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Daniel Barber, PhD, Philosophy and Religious Studies, NY
• R. Emilio Fernandez, PhD, Mathematics, Pleasantville
• Sally Marik, PhD, Biology, Pleasantville
• Judith Pajo, PhD, Anthropology and Sociology, NY
• Maren Westphal, PhD, Psychology, Pleasantville

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 6-8, 2017
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

Ways to Seek Truth

The life of the University is grounded in the life of the mind. It is a life that in rich multidimensional ways seeks truth in its diverse approaches to reality. We will be considering not only what's involved in the knowledge of what is, but in essence, how to think clearly.

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Zafir Buraei, PhD, Biology, NY
• Katherine Fink, PhD, Media, Communications, and Visual Arts, Pleasantville
• Lawrence Hundersmarck, PhD, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Pleasantville
• Angela Legg, PhD, Psychology, Pleasantville
• Jared Manasek, PhD, Economics, History, and Political Science, Pleasantville
• Mark Weinstock, CBE, Economics, NY

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 14-16, 2016
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

The 2016 Presidential Election
Understanding Democracy, Power, & How We Got Here

Who is elected president is extremely important in determining the direction of our country, our role in the global community, and the treatment of citizens and non-citizens on American soil. Too often it seems that our presidential choice becomes one of determining who is “the lessor of two evils,” rather than having the opportunity to be excited about the person we elect in to office. Many people who are dismayed with their options choose to abstain from voting; others believe that their vote has little to no impact on the outcome also choose to abstain. Others believe their best option is to vote for a third-party candidate who better reflects their values, even though that candidate has little to no chance of winning. Such decisions are influenced by the congruency between the priorities of voters and the issues highlighted by the candidates and their campaigns, as well as the feelings of efficacy and access to the political system.

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Jessica Lavariega Monforti, PhD, Professor and Chair of Political Science Department, NY
• Kiku Huckle, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science Department, NY

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 9-11, 2015
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

Connections: Art & Ecology!

How artistic and scientific collaborations can enlighten people and sustain our world

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Bill Eaton, PhD, Professor and Chair of Biology Department, NY
• Eve Andrée Laramée, MFA, Professor and Chair of Art Department, NY

Guest Speakers:

• Erika Crispo, PhD
• Sean Domingo
• Joshua Schwartz, PhD
• Aviva Rahmani, PhD

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 10-12, 2014
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

Everything you always wanted to know about Cognitive Science but didn't think about asking: Cognitive Science and the Meaning of Life

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Harold Brown, PhD
• Paul Griffin, PhD
• Ross Robak, PhD

Guest Speakers:

• Tara Tammy-Young, PhD
• Bob Keegan, PhD
• Michal Klincewicz, PhD
• Paul Benjamin, PhD

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
November 8-10, 2013
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

Privacy versus Security: the loss of individualism?

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Joseph Ryan, PhD
• Hasan Arslan, PhD

Guest Speakers:

• Michael Dougherty
• Joseph I. Bird

Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
October 26-28, 2012
The Warwick Center, Warwick, N.Y.

P(e)ace and Justice: An Interdisciplinary Conversation

Faculty Co-Leaders:

• Emily Welty, PhD, Peace and Justice Studies/Political Science, NYC
• Dr. Matthew Bolton, PhD, Political Science, NYC

Guest Speakers:

• Frances Delahanty, PhD
• Eddis Miller, PhD
• Joan Roland, PhD
• Sarah Blackwood, PhD
• Susan Herman, PhD