Important Note: BBL usual schedule has changed to the SECOND Wednesday of every month (Fall 2025 only)
Brown Bag talks are free and open to all campus and community members. Classes are also welcome. Presentations are held in the Williams Center, S204-ABCD, from noon to 1 p.m.
The Brown Bag Series is chaired this year by Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry, Biology Department, and committee members, Drs: Shahin Mehdipour Ataee, Computer Science; Elizabeth Maher, Psychology and Meghan Johnson, Mathematics.
The series gratefully acknowledges the support of Dr. Joseph A. Karafa, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and FSA funding for our refreshments.
We also thank the Carnahan-Jackson Humanities Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation for additional financial support.
Theme for the Fall 2025 / Spring 2026: A Sense of Place: Fredonia, its Communities and the World
Oct 8: Celebrating 200 Years of Higher Education in Fredonia Guest Speaker: Mary Beth Sievens, Department of History and Amanda Shepp, Reed Library
Oct 2: Multifaced Impacts of Population Changes: Higher Education Enrollment. Guest Speaker: Dr. Kathryn Kendall, SUNY Fredonia Vice President for Enrollment Management. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher Dahlie.
Nov 6: The Impact of Armed Conflict on Animal Populations in Iraq. Guest Speaker: Dr. Ici Vanwesenbeeck, Professor in the English Department at SUNY Fredonia. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher J Dahlie.
Dec 4: The Current State of Economic Development in Chautauqua County. Guest Speaker: Mark Geise, CEO, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher Dahlie
Mar 5: The Ripple Effect: How Giving and Receiving Support Changes Us. Guest Speaker: Dr. Christopher Puglisi, Professor and Director, SUNY Fredonia Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with contributions from Adrian J. Leuthauser and Samicka Mathews - Opening Remarks: Dr. Ivani Vassoler.
Apr 2: Qatar Stars. Guest Speaker: Dr. Danielle Beverly, Northwestern University. Opening Remarks: Professor Roslin Smith.
May 7: Cross-Border and Mixed-Nationality Families in a Changing World: Potential Benefits, Soaring Costs, Spiraling Risks. Guest Speaker: Ellen Calmus, The Corner Institute. Opening Remarks: Ivani Vassoler
Oct 4: Introducing SUNY Fredonia’s New Chief of University Police, Gordon Carpenter. Guest Speaker: Gordon T. Carpenter Jr. Opening Remarks: Dr. Jessica Finkeldey.
Nov 1: Gradually, then Suddenly: How techno-optimism took over philanthropy. Guest Speaker: Dr. Amy Schiller. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher Dahlie.
Dec 6: Slow, then sudden changes: Understanding the conditions that lead to harmful algal blooms. Guest Speaker: Dr. Allison Hrycik. Opening Remarks: Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry
Mar 6: Suddenly, then Gradually: How Adapting Suddenly to Online Teaching Has Gradually Changed Our Face-to-Face Teaching. Guest Speakers: Dr. Dr. Angela McGowan-Kirsch and Dr. Susan Spangler. Opening Remarks: Christina Hilburger
Apr 3: Challenges of Multilateralism in a Divisive World - The View from Geneva. Guest Speaker: Dr. Joseph Marques. Opening Remarks: Dr. Ivani Vassoler
May 1: The Role of International Radio Broadcasting in Global Communication. Guest Speaker: Dr. Miroslawa Wielopolska-Szymura, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence and Visiting Professor. Opening Remarks: Dr. Ivani Vassoler
Oct 5 - Your Voice Matters: Reflections From Fredonia Students. Speaker: Dr. Khristian King, SUNY Fredonia Executive Director of Student Engagement. Opening Remarks: Dr. Jack Croxton
Nov 2- Let's talk wrongful convictions with Innocence Project speaker Shabaka Shakur. Speaker: Shabaka Shakur. Opening Remarks: Dr. Jessica Finkeldey.
Watch the video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zoiwu26n0682pcx/Brown%20Bag%20Shabaka%20Shaku…
Dec 7 - The Russo-Ukrainian War: Why it Matters. Speaker: Professor John Staples, Department of History. Opening Remarks: Dr. Branden Birmingham.
Mar 1 - The Chautauqua Institution's Past, Present, and Future. Speakers: Jon Schmitz and Jordan Steves. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher Dahlie
Apr 5 - Understanding Today's Changing Climate: Learning from Past Environmental Archives. Speakers: Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry, Biology & Environmental Sciences, and Dr. Matthew Lanning, Geosciences & Environmental Sciences. Opening Remarks: Dr. Christopher Dahlie.
May 3 - The Costs of Space Exploration: Is It Worth It? Speaker: Dr. Michael Dunham, Physics Department. Remarks: Dr. Jack Croxton.
- Oct 6 Freedom of Expression, Speaker: Dr. Robert Dahlgren. Opening remarks, Dr. Michael Aiello
- Nov 3 Higher Education from Students Perspective, Speaker: Olivia Hunt. Opening remarks, Dr. Jessica Finkelday
- Dec 1 Changing Face of Education, Speaker: Dr. Timothy de Smet, SUNY Binghamton. Opening remarks, Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry
- March 2 How Technology Changes Education, Speakers, Lisa Melohusky and Laura Shrader. Opening remarks, Dr. Christopher Dahlie.
- April 6 Some Aspects in the European Union Higher Education System: Challenges & Achievements Speaker Dr. Lyubov Mincheva with a panel of experts. Opening remarks, Dr. Ivani Vassoler