2023 Lecture Schedule
WORDS AT PLAY
Week 1 Schedule – September 26
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Einstein and Modern Poetry
When Einstein became a celebrity in the early twentieth century, poets responded with awe, envy, and ambivalence. “Einstein the great,” T.S. Eliot grumbled wryly, even as he explored Einstein’s findings in his poetry. Polish-Lithuanian poet Czeslaw Milosz idolized Einstein but lamented, after his postwar defection from Poland, “Einstein could not have saved me.” Other poets have enacted Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity in poetic form to reach new insights about love, perspective, knowledge, and even motherhood. In this presentation, we will consider how poets have turned to Einstein and some of the mind-blowing discoveries in modern physics to imagine new directions for their poetry. Audience members will also be invited to engage in a creative metaphor-making activity.
Maggie Greaves, Associate Professor of English
Maggie Greaves’ research focuses on poetry, the history of science, and the history of emotion. She is the author of the book Lyric Poetry and Space Exploration from Einstein to the Present (Oxford University Press, 2023). She teaches classes on poetry and poetics, as well as on literary and cultural representations of the cosmos.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Words Matter: The Language of Crosswords
In this session, you'll peak behind the grid and learn about how crosswords are made. Professor Wojcik will discuss how her work on child language development informs her crossword puzzle construction, as well as what we know about the psychology of crosswords.
Erica Wojcik, Associate Professor of Psychology
Erica Wojcik studies how infants and toddlers learn words. Her work combines naturalistic observation and lab-based experiments to uncover how young children use what they see, hear, and experience to learn how to communicate about the world. She is also a crossword constructor and has published puzzles in venues such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
THE GROUND WE STAND ON
Week 2 Schedule – October 3
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Soil Counts: A National Scale Effort to Map Soil Carbon for Regenerative Agriculture and Climate
Soil contains an estimated 1,500-2,400 Gt of carbon globally, a stock approximately three times greater than that held in all of earth’s vegetation and twice the amount currently in the atmosphere. Numerous stakeholders – farmers, policy makers, and markets – plan to use soil to draw down atmospheric CO2, leveraging soil carbon in support of offset markets, climate-smart brand claims, and sustainable agroecological systems. Leaders in climate policy and soil science have converged on the need for a soil inventory to pinpoint how and where soil can act as a climate solution. The Soil Inventory Project (TSIP) launched at Skidmore College is poised to scale our soil inventory and analysis effort across the continental US, and beyond.
Kristofer Covey, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Kris Covey studies terrestrial ecosystems and their role in climate and life. After designing the global study that provided the first robust estimate of number of trees on earth (3.04 trillion), Kris turned his focus to large-scale soil carbon mapping. In 2020 he co-founded The Soil Inventory Project. Together with private, industry, academic, and foundation partners TSIP is building a distributed national-scale soil inventory system to inform soil management and markets. Outside of Skidmore, Kris serves as a member of the Board of Trusties for The Adirondack Nature Conservancy and the New York State Wood Products Development Council.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
How Cities, Cars, and the Border Wall Shape Ecologies of Protected Natural Areas
The southwestern deserts include natural wonders and large national parks adjacent to some of the fastest growing cities and tourist destinations in the United States as well as a semi-militarized international border. One consequence is a lot of new human pressure on an environment that – until perhaps recently – seems essentially timeless. Here, we’ll explore the ecology of the Sonoran Desert, and research at Skidmore asking how beneficial interactions between cactus and large mammals are informed by urban growth, automobile traffic and the US: Mexico border wall.
Josh Ness, Associate Professor of Biology
I explore and communicate how interactions among species are altered by components of global change, including landscape transformation, climatic variability, and the introduction of species into novel environments. As a Biology professor, I integrate teaching, research and community engagement, and collaborate with private and public institutions (e.g., landowner groups, mission-oriented non-profits, the National Park system, and museums).
Week 3 Schedule – October 10
(RE)CONSTRUCTING COMMUNITY
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Making North Broadway Shorter: The Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership
The Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership (SSCP) is celebrating its 10th year engaging Saratoga not-for-profit and arts organizations and for-profit enterprises. We have worked with over 60 organizations, bringing new strategies and value opportunities to our neighbors while learning from them. This for-credit advanced and selective practicum engages Skidmore's best students from all majors as consultants to local and regional enterprises. This Encore presentation will celebrate these ten years of creating value for campus and community with stories, client videos and student and alum experiences. This is a one-of-a-kind course that has changed the trajectories of students and businesses alike. Elizabeth Sobol, the President of Saratoga Performing Arts Center calls SSCP "Saratoga's Secret Treasure" and her video testimonial about the impact of SSCP will be part of this Encore Presentation. Beyond storytelling and client experience sharing, this Encore presentation will share the pedagogical challenges and rewards of a beyond-classroom learning experience – with all its ambiguities and unknowns. The program will also celebrate Saratoga Springs and the generosity and engagement of SSCP's clients.
Colleen Burke, Executive in Residence of Management and Business
Colleen Burke, Director of the Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership (SSCP) has taught at Skidmore for 23 years (non-sequentially). She teaches the Capstone Strategy course and the Consulting Practicum (SSCP) as well as Entrepreneurship. In 1981 she co-created MB107, the Introduction to Management course based on Harvard Business School cases. With a BA in Political Science, Colleen was one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Business School. She is also ABD (All But Dissertation) for a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology. She purchased the Saratoga Spring Water Company in 1978 and turned around the company offering from Saratoga Vichy to the product we know today. She has been a serial entrepreneur and strategic consultant for years before returning to the classroom in 2011. The Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership (SSCP) is an expression of her love for the people and enterprises of this very special place. She is on the Board of the Daily Gazette and a member of Saratoga Springs Budget Committee.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Plagioclase, Pots, and People: How Archaeologists Use Science to Study Life in Ancient Greece
Archaeologists can use scientific, historical, and art historical approaches to uncover new insights into the lives of ancient people. This presentation takes the audience to religious sanctuary in central Greece dated to the 6th cent. BCE, and then zooms in – literally! – on the ceramic objects that people made and dedicated at the site. Learn how archaeologists move conceptually from the microscopic analysis of minerals in clay to the sociopolitical realities of life in ancient Greece, and discover exciting new directions for this research.
Janelle Sadarananda, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics
Janelle Sadarananda is an archaeologist who studies the material culture of ancient Greece, excavating at the site of Eleon as a member of the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and has worked as a cultural content provider at the Penn Museum. Her research focuses on craft production and communities of pottery producers in central Greece in the 6th century BCE. At Skidmore, she teaches courses in Greek and Roman art and archaeology, as well as Classical mythology, and ancient Greek.
Week 4 Schedule – October 17
ART AND TECHNOLOGY
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Talking with the Dead: Art, AI, and Memory
Artificial Intelligence is an increasingly powerful technological and cultural force. How is it changing how we understand memory, identity, family, and art? In this lecture, Sarah Sweeney will explore these issues through a presentation and discussion of her recent project “Conversations with my Deepfake Dad,” a series of audio conversations between her and an audio deepfake of her father, who died when he was forty-four and she was seventeen. She will play one of the conversations from the series for the audience and discuss how her project explores her relationship with her father before and after death and how it reckons with our feelings about consent and the ownership of our digital bodies.
Sarah Sweeney, Associate Professor of Art
Sarah Sweeney is a digital artist who explores photography and other documentary media through the lens of digital manipulation. Her work raises questions about the media objects we use to preserve our lives. She works across a range of media, including photographic composites, iPhone apps, photographic sculptures, augmented reality, stereoscopy, animation, video, and Instagram feeds. In each piece, she weaves small bits of recorded material into larger objects that are simultaneously real and imagined. She received her BA from Williams College and her MFA from Columbia University.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Do Robots Dream of Electric Audiences?: Robot Theater from Fiction to Reality
The first appearance of the word "robot" appeared in 1922 with the premiere of the play Rossum's Universal Robots by Czech playwright Karel Capek. Even before that time, humanity has been fascinated by performances of automatons and living machines. As the idea of the robot transformed through theater, film and television, it also transformed from fiction to reality. Now robots are not only working in factories or vacuuming our floors, but dancing to pop music on YouTube, performing acrobatics in theme parks and as characters in live theater. In this lecture, we'll explore "robot theater" and what it means for us as an audience and how robots might help us reveal our own humanity.
Dennis Schebetta, Assistant Professor of Theater
Dennis Schebetta is an actor, director, and writer in film and theater. As a theatre director, he has directed off-off Broadway and regionally at theatres such as Ensemble Studio Theater, 29th Street Rep, Vital Theater, City Theatre, and 12 Peers Theater. Last year he directed robots (and humans) in Heddatron at Skidmore in the Bernhard theater. He enjoys collaborating with playwrights on new works and has directed several world premieres and developmental readings, including some of his own plays. As an actor, he has worked in NYC and regionally including at Capital Rep, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, Northeast Theater Ensemble, Pittsburgh Playhouse. He is the co-author (with John Basil) of the book Building a Performance: An Actor’s Guide to Rehearsal.
Week 5 Schedule – October 24
FOOD FOCUS
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
The Importance of Protein Intake on Muscle Quality During Aging
This presentation discusses the importance dietary protein intake has on muscle quality during the aging process. Specifically, it focuses on the associations between dietary protein sources and evenness of protein intake (i.e., consistency throughout the day) on lean mass (e.g., muscle), functional ability, and overall healthy aging. The topic will also explore the issue traditional weight loss dieting has on muscle mass, while discussing a new strategy that may be more beneficial for preserving muscle mass and thus aid in healthy aging.
Chris Kotarsky, Visiting Assistant Professor of Health and Human Physiological Sciences
Dr. Kotarsky is broadly interested in the age-related decline of muscle mass and strength (i.e., sarcopenia and dynapenia) among sedentary and/or undernourished, overweight/obese populations. He is also concerned with how these age-related declines of strength relative to muscle mass (muscle quality) may impair activities of daily living and lead to the loss of functional independence later in life. While diet and exercise improve many consequences associated with these variables, these strategies are not always nutrient sufficient and manageable long-term. Dr. Kotarsky wishes to investigate novel strategies for the reduction of fat mass and improvement of disease risk, while diminishing the loss of muscle mass and strength associated with obesity and aging.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Food for the Future: Stories from the Alternative Agro-Food Movement
The dominant food system in the United States is failing. Unsound production practices, corrupt science, misleading marketing, mistreatment of animals, exploitation of labor, food insecurity and unhealthy consumption patterns all contribute to this disaster. Against this backdrop, though, there is a growing counter-trend led by the alternative agro-food movement. Sixty interviews and participant observation in farmers markets inform my forthcoming book on this topic. In this presentation, I will summarize the collective accomplishments of “engaged sustainers,” review the patterns that they share in common, and discuss the factors behind their engagement.
John Brueggemann, Professor of Sociology
John Brueggemann researches, teaches and writes about inequality, social movements, social theory, labor history, and food. His previous book, coauthored with his father, Walter Brueggemann, is Rebuilding the Foundations: Social Relationships in Ancient Scripture and Contemporary Culture. He earned his BA in sociology and anthropology from Earlham College, and masters and doctoral degrees in sociology from Emory University. He serves on the Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education.
Week 6 Schedule – October 31
CULTURAL IMAGINATION & POPULISM
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
A Crazy Funny History
How have comedians become so inextricably linked in the cultural imagination with mental health struggles, be they addictions or mood disorders? The discursive pairing of comedy and tragedy is deeply entrenched in the American Mind and correspondingly shaped by histories of psychiatric and social services, public visibility, and education surrounding mental health. Why does this association continue to persist when there are plenty more examples of comedians not contending with mental health struggles than those that are and when the studies proffering to confirm this belief have been debunked or discredited? I examine historical print media dating from the 1890s to 2020s to identify and analyze the popular discourses arising around mental health/addiction and comedians, particularly how the media frames such diagnoses, paying critical attention to the ways such discourses vary – over time and across identities.
Beck Krefting, Professor of American Studies
Beck Krefting is Director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning at Skidmore College. She is president of the American Humor Studies Association and has published widely in feminist comedy studies, focusing primarily on the stand-up comedy industry, history, and its performers. She has published numerous articles, chapters, and reviews and presented her research nationally and internationally. Her book, All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents examines the history of charged stand-up comedy aimed at social justice.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Is Populism a Political Philosophy?
The triumph of political liberalism after the fall of the Berlin Wall has been short-lived. Post-communist states such as Russia and Hungary that embraced liberalism have quickly ceded their government to populist and nationalist leaders while liberal states like Brazil and the U.S. have been roiled by populist movements. The question of what these populisms have in common, that is, what links U.S. to Russian populism, has been much debated. However, the question of whether or not there is a political philosophy or set of animating and defensible ideas at the heart of populism is under-theorized. This talk will suggest that populism is not just a political phenomenon but that it also has a political philosophy.
William Lewis, Professor of Philosophy
William S. Lewis is a specialist in political philosophy and philosophy of social science. His most recent book is Concrete Critical Theory: Althusser's Marxism (Haymarket 2022)
Week 7 Schedule – November 7
THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY APPEAR
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Those Scandalous Victorians
Incriminating suicide notes, adultery, bigamy, cohabitation, and grave tampering—these sensational occurrences may seem ripped from today’s social media, but, in fact, they are all things that everyday Victorians committed. We didn’t invent scandals, nor just delight in them. We like to imagine proper Victorians spending their days sipping tea from bone china teacups, but they lived in a world overflowing with scandal—disreputable events and circumstances bringing discredit and notoriety. In this talk, we will explore the lives of noted Victorians who committed scandalous acts out of despair, grief, love, and anger. Topics include, among others, the secret liaison between married artist George Cruikshank and a former servant turned mistress who bore him numerous illegitimate children; George Eliot’s move to the continent to live as a wedded couple with her already married lover; Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s exhumation of his dead wife’s grave to retrieve the only copy of his poems; and the suicide of Karl Marx’s daughter Eleanor, who staged her death after Flaubert’s Emma Bovary’s suicide in Madame Bovary. Oh, those scandalous Victorians!
Catherine Golden, Professor of English
Catherine J. Golden is the Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters at Skidmore College (2017-22). She is author of Serials to Graphic Novels: The Evolution of the Victorian Illustrated Book (2017), Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing (2009), and Images of the Woman Reader in Victorian British and American Fiction (2003). She has also edited or coedited five books on topics ranging from Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Victorian illustration. She contributes regularly to The Victorian Web and Illustration Magazine, a British arts journal. She has lectured widely on Victorian literature and culture at national and international conferences as well as at local venues, such as the Hyde, Ventfort Hall, the Fort Orange Club, Academy for Lifelong Learning, the National Museum of Dance, Northshire Bookstore, and the St. Andrew’s Society of Albany.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM – 12:20 PM
Maestros & Monsters: The Perils of "Great" Mentors & Authority Figures
This will be a largely memoiristic account of a decades-long friendship with two of the most famous and brilliant writer-intellectuals in the English-speaking world. One of them, Susan Sontag, was a contentious and controversial figure renowned for essays and books on illness, culture and politics. The other, George Steiner, was for decades the chief book critic for The New Yorker and the author of books like Language & Silence and In Bluebeard's Castle. Both were notoriously difficult and "impossible" friends who managed somehow also to be sometimes admired and even revered as authority figures by generations of American readers. The presentation will be anecdotal and hilarious, but also probe questions about authority, influence, and the meaning of friendship.
Robert Boyers, Professor of English
Robert Boyers has been a Professor at Skidmore since 1969. He is the author of twelve books, the most recent of which are The Tyranny of Virtue: Identity, The Academy & The Hunt for Political Heresies (2019) and Maestros & Monsters: Days and Nights with Susan Sontag & George Steiner (fall 2023). He is the founder and editor of the quarterly magazine SALMAGUNDI and Director of The New York State Summer Writers Institute. He writes regularly for such publications as Harper's, The Nation, The New Republic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The American Scholar and many others.