Past Brown Bags
Theme for 2020/2021 The Health of the Nation
May 5, 2021 Health Consequences Related to Experience of Unfair Treatment by Police Assistant Professor Chris Dennison, Sociology Department, University at Buffalo. Opening remarks by Associate Professor Ros Smith
April 7, 2021 Public Health in the Prison Sector, Dr. Patrick Johnson, Criminal Justice. Opening remarks by Dr. Mike Aiello
March 3, 2020 Science Denial Panel Speakers from Biology Department:
Dr. Todd Backes, Associate Professor; Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry, Associate Professor, and Dr. Scott Ferguson, Associate Professor. Opening remarks by Dr. Mike Dunham, Physics Dept
December 2, 2020 Mental Health Challenges in Higher Education Opening remarks by Dr. Jack Croxton
November 4, 2020 The Day After Hangover: An Election Post-Mortem, Jonathan Chausovsky, Politics & Intl Affairs. Opening remarks by Dr. Ivani Vassoler-Froelich
October 7th 2020 Medicine Abroad, Partners in Health. Dr Ted Lee. Opening remarks by BBL Chair, Associate Professor Roslin Smith
THE TWO TOPICS BELOW WERE CANCELLED DUE TO CORONA VIRUS CRISIS
April 8th 2020 - NOTE: this is 2nd wednesday of month - Invasive Species. Dr. Jonathon Titus and Dr. Scott Medler, Biology Department. Opening remarks by Dr. Scott Medler
May 6th 2020 - Border Patrol. Guest speaker, Customs and Border Patrol officer, Aaron Bowker. Opening remarks by Dr. Mike Aeillo
2019-2020 Theme: Positive and Negative Effects of Globalization
March 4th 2020 - Climate Change
Mr Bill McKibben. Author of Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on Earth. Opening remarks by Ivani Vassoler-Froelich
December 4th 2019 International Education
Guest Speakers: Naomi Baldwin, Erin Willis and international student panel. Opening remarks by Dr. Jack Croxton
November 6th 2019 Slaves in the Family
Guest Speaker: Dr Ed Ball, Williams Visiting Professor, Opening remarks by Associate Professor Ros Smith. Support for this iniative is from the Williams Visiting Professorship in the Fredonia College Foundation.
October 2nd 2019 Music from around the Globe
Guest speaker: Dr. Karolyn Stonefelt, Music department. Opening remarks by Dr. Ivani Vassoler-Froelich
2018-2019 Theme: Conflicts and Consequences
May 3rd 2019 - Policing in the 21st Century
Opening remarks by Dr. Mike Dunham, Physics Dept Guest Speakers: Ann Burns, University Police Chief and Brent Isaacson, FBI Jamestown Office
April 3rd 2019 - Immigration and the Law Opening remarks by Dr. Jack Croxton Guest Speaker: Emma Buckthal, Volunteer Lawyers Project
March 6th - Conflicts and Consequences during the Creative Process Screening of Among the Hemlocks. Fantastic Stories from Fredonia, NY. Historical documentary and presentation by Assistant Professor, Roslin Smith
October 10 - Issues Surround Free Speech on College Campuses
Opening remarks by Dr. Jack Croxton Guest Speakers: Dr. Stephen Kershnar, Chair, Dept. of Philosophy and Dr Jennifer Hildebrand, Associate Professor, History Dept.
November 7 - The Politicl Divide of Space: Walls as Political Metaphors
Opening remarks by Dr. Ivani Vassiler-Froelich Guest Speaker: Dr Vassil Anastassov, Independent Researcher, Bulgaria
December 5 - Conflicts Science in the Age of Alternative Facts Opening remarks by Dr. Scott Medler Guest Speakers:
Dr. Mike Dunham, Physics Dept, Dr. Scott Medler, Biology Dept, Dr. Joseph McFall, Psychology Dept
2017-2018 Theme: Transformations
April 25th - Personal Transformations
Opening remarks by Dr. Jack CroxtonGUEST SPEAKER - Dr. L. A. Paul, Eugene Falk Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
April 4th - Extraterrestrial Life: A Scientific Enquiry
Opening remarks by Dr Mike Dunham, Assistant Professor Physics Dept
Guest Speaker
Dr. Neal Evans
University of Texas at Austin
March 7th - Environmental Shift
Opening remarks: Dr. Ivani Vassoler-Froelich. Associate Professor, Politics & Intl Affairs
Guest Speaker
Mr. Dave Bauer. Childrens' author and owner of The Change Circle
"Why children are the vital "transformation catalyst."
Dec 1st Transforming the Arts for the 21st Century
Opening remarks: Dr. Michael Scialdone, Computer Science
Dr. Rob Deemer, School of Music. Associate Professor Megan Urban VANM
November 1st - Expanding Technology in the Classroom ural Shift
Opening remarks by Scott Medler, Biology Dept
Dr. Scott Ferguson , Biology Dr. Mike Dunham, PhysicsDr. Michael Scialdone, Comp Science
October 4th - Cultural Shift
Opening remarks by Roslin Smith, Assistant Professor, Communication Dept.
Rick Jemison,
Seneca Nation Tribal Councilor and Historian
2016-2017 Theme: Detours on the Information Highway
April 12 - Whose Reality is it?
Opening remarks by Dr. Ivani Vassoler , Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Politics & International Affairs.
Assistant Professor Mike Igoe, Communication Department
Fake News & You
Dr Michael Scialdone, Assistant Professor Computer Science Department
Perceptions of Reality in Our Digital Lives
March 1st - Virtual Reality
Click on link below to see TED talks on the future of virtual reality
https://www.wareable.com/vr/ted-talks-on-the-future-of-virtual-reality-…
2016 was VR's breakout year - but what does the future hold?
Dr. Scott Medler, Assistant Professor, Biology Department
Dr Neil Feit, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Philosophy
See VR projects by Mr Wheelock at http://bit.ly/vrbrownbag
Andrew Wheelock, Technology Coordinator for the Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC).
Feb 1st - How Social Media Creates our Reality
Opening remarks by Dr. Jack Croxton, Distinguished Service Professor, Chair of Psychology,
and Director of the Office of Student Creative Activity and Research (OSCAR)
Dr. Michael Aiello, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Dept.
Dr. Joseph Stabb, Visiting Assistant Professor, Comm Dept.
Dr. Tracy Stenger, Director of Counseling.
Dec 7th, 2016- Generation Differences in Communication
Opening remarks by Assistant Professor Ros Smith, Communication Dept.
Dr Nancy R. Gee is Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York, Fredonia and the Human-Animal Interaction Research Manager, for WALTHAM™ the global research hub for Mars Pet Care. She manages an international portfolio of HAI collaborations from her academic position. Her own program of research has focused primarily on the impact of dogs on aspects of human cognition, in children, including working memory, executive functioning and physiological responses such as heart rate variability to the presence or contact with dogs.
A recipient of multiple grants and awards, member of several journal editorial advisory boards, and reviewer of HAI research grant proposals, Dr. Gee has contributed chapters to HAI volumes and served as co-editor for a volume on The Social Neuroscience of HAI published this year by the American Psychological Association. Most recently Dr. Gee acted as lead editor on “How Animals Help Students Learn: Research and Practice for Educators and Mental-Health Professionals”, soon to be published by Taylor & Francis, Routledge Press.
Dr. Gee frequently presents at national and international HAI conferences, and serves on the Human-Animal Bond Advisory Board for Pet Partners and the Board of the International Society for Anthrozoology.
Dr. Joseph McFall is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fredonia.
His teaching and research interests center around cognitive development. He earned his bachelor's degree in Sociology (concentration in Anthropology) and Psychology at Fredonia, then doctoral degree in Life-Span Developmental Psychology at West Virginia University. He taught at Syracuse University before coming back to Fredonia. McFall studies normative and non-normative everyday cognition in early and later adulthood, such as decision making models, problem-solving effectiveness, and reasoning biases. He is also interested in the roles of mild and moderate cognitive impairment in applied cognition. He hopes to help improve early detection of dementia, such as Alzheimer's Disease, by assisting caregivers notice patterns of atypical cognition amidst the extraordinary variability of cognitive changes during mid- to later adulthood.
Nov 2nd, 2016 - Changing Technology and the Impact on Teaching and Learning.
Michael Jabot, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
There might never have been a time when technologies have been more "disruptive" to education and learning than we are now experiencing. This presentation will quickly share how this disruption may be shaping how our students view their learning and our teaching.
Lisa Melohusky, Online Learning Coordinator
When considering the way technology has changed teaching and learning, online courses and programs would be identified by many as one of the most significant changes. Incoming students have had the opportunity to experience different forms of online learning prior to attending college. This portion of the presentation will look at how this impacts courses at Fredonia, including face-to-face courses.
Guangyu Tan, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
What now?: From trendy technology to obsolete. In this presentation, I will use personal experience with clickers and a flip camera to talk about how technology can change from trendy to obsolete in a short period of time. I will involve audience to discuss how we can prepare students for future technology use. What are the key skills do we need to equip our students with?
October 5th - Communication in the Sciences.
Opening remarks, is Dr. Scott Medler - Assistant Professor, Biology Department, SUNY
Dr. Nicholas Quintyne, Associate Professor, Biology Department Ways in which science is communicated outside of academia and research, how sensationalism can distort scientific progress, and how we can address this disconnect.
Dr. Michael Dunham, Assistant Professor, Physics Department - The role of general education within natural science courses , how we communicate the value of these courses to students and how best to use them to address some of the pressing issues of our time.
2015-16 Theme: Visionaries
The Power of Genetics, Wednesday, March 2
2016-2051: A Social Science Odyssey, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016
The Resurgence of Vinyl, Books, and Cassette Tapes: Looking Back to Go Forward, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015
Designers & Forests: Community Engagement through Design, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015
The Nature of Time, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015
2014-2015 Theme: A Healthy Climate
The Power of Limits, Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Greening the Local Economy, Wednesday April 1, 2015
Living with Stress, Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Galileo, Spinoza, Steinberg, and the Pleasures of Heresy: Reflections on 40+ Years of Teaching, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014
The Power of Narrative: Engaging Difficult Stories from our Campus and Classrooms, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014
The First Six Weeks: The Key to Student Success and Persistence, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014
2013-2014
Medicine and Technology, Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Digital Futures: Technology’s Promise and Perils, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013
2011-2012
State University of New York at Fredonia 2.0: Innovative Student Projects and Organizations, Wednesday, April 4, 2012