桃瘾社区

Group of students at weekend seminar

Weekend Seminar

2024 Weekend Seminar

October 4鈥6, 2024
Stony Point Center, Stony Point, NY

Transgression as Power: Breaking the Rules for Change

The transgression that challenges conventional boundaries, hierarchies, and norms can pave the way for new avenues of exploration and understanding. In a time when 鈥渂reaking the rules鈥 has been romanticized in popular culture, what does it mean to be truly transgressive, and what are the risks and rewards of such behavior? How is this power articulated in imaginative, historical, scientific, political, social, and cultural discourses? What are its implications across fields such as arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences? How can we harness this power to envision a transformative future for our world? We invite you to join us in exploring the theme of transgressive power with your insights and inspirations.

Faculty Co-Leaders:

  • Marcella Szablewicz, PhD, Communication and Media Studies, NYC
  • Ying Wang, PhD, Modern Languages and Cultures, NYC
  • Emilio Fern谩ndez, PhD, Mathematics, Westchester (lead-adviser)

Past Seminars

  • Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
    October 6鈥8, 2023
    Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT

    Indigeneity and Invasiveness in a Multispecies World

    Have you heard of the stories of zebra mussels, kudzu vines, spotted lanterns, or Giant African land snails? Or, perhaps you鈥檙e familiar with contemporary conflicts about indigenous land rights, global migration and refugees, or even, the debate over the renaming of Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day? How might insights from the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences help to address issues of indigeneity and invasiveness? What can these disciplines learn from one another as they address issues of indigeneity and invasiveness in their respective fields? The weekend seminar will feature presentations from research, methodologies, and conceptual frameworks, and foster interdisciplinary discussion among students from across 桃瘾社区, faculty from across Dyson, and alumni in the Society of Fellows. All will engage with contemporary issues regarding indigeneity and invasiveness.

    Faculty Co-Leaders:

    • Wei Fang, PhD, Biology, NYC
    • Brandyn Heppard, PhD, Philosophy, NYC

    Guest Speakers

    • Matthew Aiello-Lammens, PhD
    • Mary Beth Kolozsvary, PhD
    • R. Emilio Fern谩ndez, PhD
    • Garrett FitzGerald, PhD
    • Jeanmaire Molina, PhD
    • Tim Waligore, PhD
    • Emily Welty, PhD
  • Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
    October 28鈥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
  • Society of Fellows Weekend Seminar
    October 15鈥16, 2021
    桃瘾社区, 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鈥攐r, perhaps more pointedly, who鈥攇ives 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鈥攚hat 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, 桃瘾社区 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 鈥渢he lessor of two evils,鈥 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 Andr茅e Laram茅e, 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