The second installment of the A&S Virtual Speaker Series will continue the theme of how the liberal arts, through seemingly disparate fields, address major issues of today.

Join A&S geologist Mike McGlue, political scientist Jillienne Haglund, and author Erik Reece in conversation with Interim Dean Christian Brady as they discuss the science, economics, policy, and activism of environmental change, restoration, and sustainability.

The A&S Virtual Speaker Series will spend this academic year exploring the importance of a liberal arts education as we dive into topics surrounding the overall theme of “Building a Better Society.”

Space is limited, please register here to attend. 

Join A&S political scientists Emily Bacchus, Stephen Voss, Michael Zilis, and Clayton Thyne, chair of the Political Science Department, as they discuss hot topics in the upcoming 2020 election, including: What are the electoral implications for the Supreme Court? Will the Senate flip? Will the question of a legitimate election cause unprecedented chaos? How are political protests playing a part? These questions and many more will be addressed as we look at the rise of contentious and sometimes violent street politics, a partisan battle over the judiciary, and a variety of longstanding legislative norms collapsing in the face of ideological polarization.

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In conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh, Karen Petrone, professor of history and director of the newly launched College of Arts & Science’s Cooperative for the Humanities and Social Sciences, along with Kristin Monroe, associate professor of anthropology, will discuss the state and value of the humanities and social sciences in a time of crisis and social change.  

Sue Roberts, associate provost for internationalization and professor of geography, will outline some of the ways COVID-19 has up-ended universities' global engagements. In conversation with Dean Mark Kornbluh, she will explore UK's exciting initiatives to reimagine internationalization and to connect UK students and faculty to the world outside the U.S. even though in person travel is on hold. 

IntlEdVSS from UK College of Arts & Sciences on Vimeo.

As a prelude to the Fall Semester, Associate Provost Kathi Kern and Dean Mark Kornbluh will discuss the challenges posed by teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty and students alike worry about the logistics. How will we maintain a safe and healthy learning environment? How much of instruction will need to be moved online or “flipped”? How does technology enable or restrict us? How do we continue to foster strong student-teacher bonds at a distance? How do we build community in our current environment?

And while these questions are urgent for the particular moment, they also point to a lasting shift in how we go about our work as educators. Even after the pandemic subsides, we will likely find ourselves reflecting on the unexamined, yet sacred elements of what makes a college education. As disruptive as the pandemic has been, it has also ignited a climate of innovation. We are led to think anew about the journeys that our students take, how our research and disciplines best serve a diverse community of learners, how the wicked problems of the world defy institutional silos, and how we can best support individuals while also strengthening communities. Our lessons learned and enduring challenges from the past few months afford us a unique opportunity to anticipate these emergent paradigms for teaching and learning.

Pandemic and the Professor from UK College of Arts & Sciences on Vimeo.

Stephen Voss and Michael Zilis, professors in the Department of Political Science, in conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh will discuss how the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests are impacting state elections, the presidential election, voting access and voter turnout, changes in campaign strategies, and legal actions surrounding voting rights.