Voices: A Library Lecture Series Schedule for Spring 2018 Semester
January 5, 2018
Voices: A Library Lecture Series is offered each semester at Hudson Valley Community College to broaden and enrich the scope of studies at the college by presenting speakers on timely and enduring issues, and sharing these lectures and discussions with the community.
All lectures are 50 minutes long and are held in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium on the Troy campus at the times listed below. All are welcome to attend; admission is free.
Crisis in Black Education
Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 10 to 10:50 a.m.
The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Presentation
Dr. Kimberly Young Wilkins, assistant commissioner for innovation and school reform in the New York State Education Department, speaks about her vast perspective and experience as an African American educator. She addresses black education in American urban neighborhoods where public schools often are plagued by a lack of resources and overcrowding, perpetuating a racial achievement gap.
The Schuyler Flatts Burial Project
Thursday, Feb. 22 from Noon to 12:50 p.m.
A memorial service in June 2016 honored 14 African slaves, whose unmarked, 18th-century graves were discovered in June 2005 by sewer workers near the Menands/Watervliet border. Analysis conducted at the New York State Museum determined the remains of six women, one man, two children and five infants were at least 200 years old. Lisa Anderson, the New York State Museum curator who directed the bio-archaeological study, and Evelyn King, a project manager for the reburial, discuss the project, now known as the African Burial Ground at Historic St. Agnes Cemetery, and the ongoing work to secure designation as a New York State Historic Site.
No Borders, No Walls: Exploring Truth, Beauty and the Creative Self
Wednesday, March 7 from Noon to 12:50 p.m.
Award-winning author and poet Frank Gaspar has published five collections of poetry and two novels. Gaspar is internationally recognized as a leading voice of Portuguese-American literature. His writings have appeared in numerous magazines and literary journals including The New Yorker, The Nation, The Harvard Review, Best American Poetry, and The American Poetry Review. Whether Gaspar is speaking of immigrant or veteran experiences, his voice rings true for all of us navigating the human experience. Gaspar reads from selected works, discusses the creative process and answers questions.
Smarter Robots in Manufacturing and Beyond
Monday, March 12 from 2 to 2:50 p.m.
To move from smart factories to smart homes, robots need to evolve in order to be collaborative, safe, cognitive and mobile. The newly-formed Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute focuses on meeting this emerging need. Its goal is to bring robotic innovations from research labs to the factory floor and beyond. John T. Wen, professor and department head of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, discusses the vision and approach of the ARM Institute, its technical and education roadmaps, and several projects.
#Supertroopers: Law Enforcement and Twitter
Thursday, April 12 from 11 to 11:50 a.m.
Law enforcement agencies use Twitter to investigate crimes and to share information for non-investigative purposes. Twitter allows for police/public interaction that traditional methods do not allow. Casey L. Ryan, an instructor in the Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Public Administration Department at Hudson Valley Community College, presents research on how law enforcement agencies use Twitter as a non-investigative tool to relay information to the public and craft their image.
Climate Change: What You Can Do to Make a Difference
Tuesday, April 17 from Noon to 12:50 p.m.
Mark Dunlea, chairman of the Green Education and Legal Fund, and legislative coordinator of People of Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE), discusses climate change and the impact an individual can have. Dunlea shares examples of how communities have worked together to reduce their carbon footprint and how local residents have pushed for and created change.
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Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 85 associate degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences, and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of nearly 11,500 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 75,000 alumni.