Faculty Lecture & Panel Series
A sample of past year's lectures...
“Life on Mars? A Robotic Mars Airplane Mission Being Developed at the College May One Day Answer this Question!”
Presenter: Joel Levine, Research Professor, Department of Applied Sciences
Location: Please note this was a lecture from Family Weekend 2012. 2013 lectures will be posted here in August.
One of the most intriguing questions in all of science is “Is there life outside of the Earth?” In 2009, using large ground-based telescopes on Earth, astronomers reported the presence of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere of Mars. On Earth, atmospheric methane is overwhelming produced as a metabolic byproduct by microorganisms in the soil and in water. On Mars, the methane appears to emanate from three discrete locations on Mars. The locations of methane production/emission on Mars are in the very rugged Martian highlands, regions too difficult to land a robotic spacecraft to search for the source of the methane production. Engineers at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, have developed a robotic, rocket-powered airplane, named ARES for Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Surveyor (length = 17-ft long and wingspan = 21-ft) capable of flying through the very thin Martian atmosphere at an altitude of about a mile over the surface. Among the instrument payload on ARES is a very sensitive mass spectrometer capable of detecting and monitoring gases in the Mars atmosphere down to a fraction of a part per million and very high spatial resolution cameras. ARES can fly right over the regions of methane production on Mars and obtain previously unobtainable methane measurements and high spatial resolution images of these very interesting locations. NASA Langley and the College are proposing that NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, consider ARES for a future Mars mission. For more information about the ARES Mars Mission, see: "Why We Need to Go Back to Mars" by Joel S. Levine on TED at: http://www.ted.com/talks/joel_levine.html
Will 2012 be the ‘social media election?
Presenter: Jaime Settle, Assistant Professor, Government Department
Location: Please note this was a lecture from Family Weekend 2012. 2013 lectures will be posted here in August.
The study of political engagement has been a bedrock of the literature in political science for almost 60 years, and researchers have refined the survey and interview questions that form the basis for much of what we know about how Americans think and act politically. However, the advent of computational social science techniques, paired with a variety of rich new data sources, offers the potential to revolutionize the study of political engagement. Will 2012 be the "social media election?" We can now capture what people are thinking, talking about with regard to politics as those opinions and conversations occur, using data from sources like Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. The talk will give an overview of what researchers have uncovered in this exciting and rapidly growing field, and what that tells us about the 2012 presidential election.
Presenter: Kathleen Bragdon, Chair, Anthropology Department
Location: Please note this was a lecture from Family Weekend 2012. 2013 lectures will be posted here in August.
Pith helmets and hidden treasure? Remote tribes and esoteric rites? Sometimes, but anthropologists study many subjects, many close to home. This lecture will summarize new work in anthropology with an emphasis on the research and scholarship of William and Mary anthropologists.
International Studies at William & Mary
Presenter: Steve Hanson, Vice Provost for International Affairs
Location: Please note this was a lecture from Family Weekend 2012. 2013 lectures will be posted here in August.
In this presentation, you will learn about the variety of programs and opportunities offered by The Reves Center for International Studies. The Reves Center is the home of the office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Global Education Office, and the Office of International Students, Scholars, and Programs at the College of William & Mary. Established in 1989 with a gift from Wendy Reves in memory of her husband Emery, author of The Anatomy of Peace, the Reves Center supports and promotes the internationalization of learning, teaching, research and community involvement at William & Mary. In providing opportunities for students, faculty, and the W&M community to engage with and learn from global experiences and perspectives, we build on Emery and Wendy Reves' lifelong commitment to world peace through international understanding. Today, more than two decades since its founding, the Reves Center continues to enhance international education at the College through programs for education abroad, international students and scholars, and global engagement across the university.
Curating and Connoisseurship: The Art of Hanging Art at the Muscarelle
Presenters: Aaron De Groft, Director of the Muscarelle Museum and John Spike, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Muscarelle Museum
Location: Please note this was a lecture from Family Weekend 2012. 2013 lectures will be posted here in August.
A visitor walks into a museum gallery. Everything seems perfect: the paintings are grouped; the labels are carefully placed; the texts announce the significant themes; and the lighting entices. All of these aesthetics boast ‘here is something very special, come a little closer.’ To the untrained eye, it appears effortless. However, to arrange the perfect room configuration, to create just the right synergy is a daunting task, even for the most seasoned curator. In this interactive presentation, Museum Director Aaron De Groft and Chief Curator John Spike will guide you through the careful process behind displaying a museum art exhibit. Participants will be led by either Dr. De Groft or Dr. Spike on guided tours throughout select areas of the museum. NOTE: DUE TO THE INTERACTIVE NATURE OF THIS PRESENTATION, SPACE IS VERY LIMITED AND WILL BE GRANTED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS. We encourage those who are interested in this presentation to keep a back-up presentation in mind in the event all spaces fill.