UMaine College Hosting “Great Conversations
Contact: George Manlove at (207) 581-3756
ORONO — With topics ranging from criminal justice to the creative economy, robots to conservationists, Maine’s first occupants to modern Franco American culture, a new roundtable discussion program at UMaine offers alumni attending Homecoming 2004 some “Great Conversations.”
Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the program will give alumni and members of communities near the university a chance to talk with faculty members about topics that inspire teaching and research at the University of Maine.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 23 in the Coe Room of the Memorial Union, the hour-long event will bring together faculty and guests in roundtable discussions over morning coffee and snacks, with up to five guests and a professor at each table.
The conversations include an examination of “Why the Criminal Justice System Can’t Work,” led by Steven Barkan, professor of sociology, and a discussion of “Economic Development, the Creative Economy and the Liberal Arts,” with Tony Brinkley, professor of English.
Elise Turner, computer science professor will share her knowledge of artificial intelligence (and consciousness) at a table focused on the question “Will my grandchild’s best friend be a robot?”
History professor Richard Judd will answer the question “Was Audubon a conservationist?” while guests at another table Joline Blais, new media professor, and Susan Pinette, director of the Franco American Studies Program will explore how new media can enhance the future of Franco American culture.
“Great Conversations is a wonderful opportunity for people to tap into the intellectual energy of the college,” says Dean Ann Leffler. “Homecoming weekend is a perfect time to recreate and celebrate the learning that UMaine students and faculty do together.”
To reserve a space at one of the six tables, contact Kathryn Olmstead (kathryn.olmstead@umit.maine.edu) at 125 Stevens Hall on the UMaine Orono campus, (207) 581-3844. Admission is free and seating arranged on a first-come, first-served basis.
Details on discussion topics follow:
“Maine’s First Occupants,” with Brian Robinson, assistant professor in the anthropology department and the Climate Change Institute: Fortunately for us, Native Americans who arrived in Maine about 11,000 years ago liked high-quality materials for their tools. By tracking these tools to their original sources, we can also track their movements across the landscape.
“Will my Grandchild’s Best Friend be a Robot?” with Elise Turner, associate professor of computer science and department chair: Movies like “AI” and television shows like “Star Trek: The Next Generation” portray human-like robots. How close are we to having such robots in our midst? Can robots ever be conscious? If they are conscious, what should their status in society be?
“Economic Development, the Creative Economy and the Liberal Arts,” with Tony Brinkley, associate professor of English: The strength of the creative economy reflects a community’s power to create a prosperous cultural and economic future for itself and for its heirs. The liberal arts are central to this project, to the cultural and economic future of Maine. To link the two is to recognize that economic development without cultural development is soulless, and that cultural development without economic development is impoverished.
“Why the Criminal Justice System Can’t Work,” with Steven Barkan, professor of sociology and department chair: Government statistics on crime and justice indicate that a “get tough” approach to crime that relies on arrest and imprisonment is ultimately an ineffective method of reducing the crime rate. A sociological understanding suggests that a crime-reduction approach grounded in a public health strategy offers much more promise.
“Was Audubon a Conservationist?” with Richard W. Judd, professor of history: An exploration of our ideas about nature and conservation. Why do we hold the natural in such high regard? Where did our ideas about nature conservation and preservation come from?
“Creating a Future: Franco Culture and New Media,” with Joline Blais, assistant professor of new media, and Susan Pinette, director of Franco American studies and assistant professor of modern languages: As a new generation of Franco Americans begins to recover its often overlooked culture, a major obstacle is the power of “corporate culture,” which makes us consumers of Hollywood or Pixar stories rather than creators of our own. Franco American studies can provide ways to reflect on the complexities and richness of our culture, while new media can provide tools, rationale and contexts for moving from consumer and corporate culture to a local “open culture” rooted in Franco American experience.