The seminars
These seminars may be coming soon to a city near you:
Supernovae, Doomsday Asteroids and the Fate of the Earth
Tim Barker, Bojan Jennings Professor of Astronomy and Physics
Explore the origin and future of the earth with Astronomy Professor Tim Barker and Observatory Director Lori Agan '98, and find out how Wheaton students are engaged in developing research programs related to this subject. Take a virtual tour of Wheaton's Observatory, noted for its excellent telescopes and community outreach programs, and journey through the universe with images taken by our students.
Imagining Modernism: The New York City Skyscraper and Popular Culture
R. Tripp Evans, Assistant Professor of Art History
This seminar will examine how the skyscraper, originally a Chicago phenomenon, both physically and symbolically transformed its adoptive New York City in the twentieth century. Looking at popular film, decorative arts, graphic design, painting and sculpture, we will focus on the evolving representation of the New York City skyscraper and its equation with modernity, the United States and with New York City itself. Ultimately, we will consider visual reactions to the events of September 11, attempting to understand the skyscraper's new role as a metaphor for both human loss and national renewal.
Connections Toward The Future of Life
John Kricher, Professor of Biology
First-year students entering Wheaton this year have read and discussed The Future of Life by biologist Edward O. Wilson. Professor John Kricher, who teaches ecology and evolution at Wheaton and was an active facilitator of Wheaton's recent curriculum review, will discuss how ecology and evolutionary biology connect with other disciplines to inform policy and moral decisions about the stewardship of Earth. The lecture-discussion format will allow ample time for audience questions.
2002 Mid-Term Elections: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Cares?
Jay Goodman, Professor of Political Science
Professor Goodman and a panel of Wheaton alumnae/i will exchange views about what was expected in November, how it all came out and how it sets up the political landscape for the 2004 presidential election. Panelists include Adam Dubitsky '93, Washington-based publicist, and Chris Esposito '94, political tracker for EMILY's List.
Why Ask Why? The Importance of Judgments of Causation in Daily Life
Gail Sahar Zucker, Associate Professor of Psychology
Why did the student fail the exam? Why is that person homeless? In everyday life, we frequently try to understand why events happen to ourselves and others. Social psychologists have found that our answers have far-reaching effects on our emotions and actions. In this brief seminar, we will discuss how individuals attribute causes, and how these attributions affect feelings, behaviors and even political attitudes. There will be lots of opportunities for active participation as we consider the importance of judgments of causation in navigating the social world.
The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Bay Area: Regionalism as Modernism
R. Tripp Evans, Assistant Professor of Art History
In twentieth-century design, regionalism and modernism were often cast as opposites: regionalism celebrated history, nostalgia and memory, while modernist aesthetics rejected all notions of the past. In California, and especially in the Bay Area, artists and architects of the Arts and Crafts Movement (roughly 1900-1920) proved that the two impulses could co-exist, in beautiful and often surprising forms. We will consider the works of Bay Area architects such as Bernard Maybeck, as well as the work of decorative artists in metalwork, furniture and ceramics.
From Molecules to Masterpieces
Laura Muller, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
The creation of artwork such as paintings and ceramics relies heavily on scientific knowledge. Though much of this knowledge was not produced by scientists, a scientific understanding of media can help the artist in the creative process. In other words, the act of painting can be the same as the act of doing an experiment. The character of Wheaton's new curriculum comes from the joy of seeing disciplinary intersections from each of several perspectives: in this case, quite simply, from studying paint.
Mission Modernism: The "International Style" and Los Angeles
R. Tripp Evans, Assistant Professor of Art History
In the 1920s, French modernism invaded the United States by way of the West Coast: the so-called "International Style" popularized by the French architect LeCorbusier blossomed in Los Angeles as it had in no other American city. In this seminar, we will consider how the greatest purveyors of this style in California--the architects Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler--were able to combine its approach with inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright and Irving Gill, creating a style that was far more regionalist than "International."
This page is maintained by Office of Alumnae/i Relations and Annual Giving. Last updated on 9/27/02.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.