In cooperation with the Cazenovia Public Library and the Manlius Library, Cazenovia College is pleased to announce the sixth season of its Faculty Library Lecture Series: “Great Minds / Great Ideas.” Lectures in the 2009-2010 series will feature noted faculty members from Cazenovia College who will discuss the lives and work of important thinkers who opened doors of opportunity for the human spirit. Ample time for questions and conversation will follow each lecture. A special thanks to Doris Eversfield Webster, Cazenovia College Class of 1946, for her support in sponsoring the 2009-2010 lecture series.

“Timeless Wisdom from Carlyle and Friends: 19th Century Thoughts on 21st Century Times”
Christine Geyer, Assistant Professor of English

Cazenovia Public Library: April 20, 2010
The Manlius Library: March 16, 2010

War upon war, financial crisis, disruption of a primary commodity, voting rights, young leadership. Troubled times indeed, but not just for 21st century America. In this lecture, we’ll look at timeless wisdom from early Victorian writers Thomas Carlyle, John Stuart Mill and Matthew Arnold as they responded to their own troubled times with acute critical perspectives and a fundamental belief in human adaptability and flexibility to triumph in times of crisis. We’ll look not only at how these thinkers influenced one another, but also how their wisdom crossed the pond and influenced the work of American philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. We’ll conclude with a discussion of how these ideas function in contemporary America.
 
Chris Geyer is an assistant professor in English and director of Academic Writing at Cazenovia College. She holds a master’s degree in financial services and a master’s degree in English with a specialization in Victorian literature and culture. She is currently writing her dissertation in the Composition and Cultural Rhetoric program at Syracuse University where her research interests include globalization studies, and rhetorics of juris prudence.

“Embracing Diversity in the age of 'Post Racial' America”
Mona Ivey-Soto, Assistant Professor of Education

Cazenovia Public Library: October 20, 2009
The Manlius Library: September 15, 2009

This lecture will discuss and help create a definition of what diversity means in our society.   We will discuss whether or not we have entered a “post racial” society now that Obama is President.  We will talk about strategies and ideas for reaching beyond oneself to invite the “other,” whomever that is, into our lives, and learn from those who may be different from ourselves.  We will talk about why it is difficult to discuss race, gender, socioeconomic differences, and how we can begin to have these important conversations and open our hearts and minds to a broader world. 

Dr. Mona Ivey-Soto is an assistant professor in the Education and Child Studies Program at Cazenovia College.  She holds a doctoral degree in early intervention from the University of Oregon.  She also holds a master's degree in social work and a master's degree in infant and parent development and early intervention.  She prides herself as a passionate advocate for the community, involving herself in many grassroots efforts that reach out to individuals from all walks of life. Dr. Ivey-Soto grew up in a diverse family, and has always had an appreciation for individuals from a variety of racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.  She is committed to bringing about social awareness and change in her communication and teaching for students at Cazenovia College and within the broader community.

 

"We Are All Made of Star-Stuff:  The Cosmos of Carl Sagan"
Donald McCrimmon, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the Faculty

Cazenovia Public Library: February 16, 2010
The Manlius Library: April 20, 2010

Astronomer Carl Sagan wrote, “Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."  Sagan was arguably the 20th century's greatest popularizer of science.  This lecture will explore and update his insights into the nature of the universe and humankind's place in it, and cover as well something about Sagan the human being.

Donald McCrimmon is Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Cazenovia College.

"Pierre Chareau: Maison de Verre (House of Glass)”
Elizabeth Moore, Professor of Interior Design

Cazenovia Public Library: November 17, 2009
The Manlius Library: October 20, 2009

According to a contemporary author, “The loft seems to be the perfect living space for a modern life; a new kind of home for a new set of end-of-the-century needs.”  But the Maison de Verre,  designed by Pierre Chareau and built in Paris between 1928-1932, was decades ahead of its time in terms of his masterful treatment of qualities we often associate with lofts, namely “serious amounts of unadulterated space and light” and a palette of building materials drawn from the industrial aesthetic.

An accomplished Parisian furniture designer and contemporary of many better-known Modernist architects of the period, Chareau’s genius is expressed in his open spatial composition, inventive furniture forms, and refined use of materials and furnishings. He created  a combined office/residence that was responsive to his clients’ needs for both privacy and comfort, while evoking an avante garde attitude that seems strikingly modern today.

Elizabeth Moore has taught in the Cazenovia College Interior Design program since 1992. Prior to that, she has engaged in a variety of professional and freelance design projects in New York City, Central New York and the Boston area. She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers. She is currently program director for Cazenovia College's Interior Design Program, and serves on Cazenovia’s local Historic Preservation Committee.

"From Luscher to Birren: Color and Human Response"
Josef Ritter, Professor of Interior Design

Cazenovia Public Library: March 16, 2010
The Manlius Library: February 16, 2010


“Color and Human Response,” is focused on the perception of and reaction to color in our environment. The lecture will provide listeners with a greater understanding of how color selection can influence the psychological and aesthetic aspects of our lives. “All around us we see visual cues that indicate a particular behavior,” Ritter says. “Traffic lights, for instance: red means stop, green means go. We learn these behaviors. But there is also a physiological reaction to color that affects our emotions. Since the dawn of mankind we have depended on color as a guide to the things we could eat, burn, hunt and wear. Color has a tremendous impact on our physical, psychological and emotional well-being.” 

Professor Ritter, founder of Cazenovia College’s Interior Design Program, has taught at the College since 1980. Ritter is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and the American Society of Interior Designers (A.S.I.D); he received his bachelor of arts degree from SUNY Albany and his master of fine arts degree from Syracuse University.
 

"Little Women in a White Man's World"
Roxana Spano, Visiting Assistant Professor of English

Cazenovia Public Library: September 15, 2009
The Manlius Library: November 17, 2009

This presentation will focus on Louisa May Alcott, the feminist, suffragette, and abolitionist, including an exploration of her relationship with her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, the inspiration for the character "March" in her novel "Little Women." "March," by Geraldine Brooks, is this year's Central New York Library System's Regional Read.

Roxana Spano is a visiting assistant professor of English at Cazenovia College.  She earned her master of arts degree from New York University in 1988; and is the advisor of The Working Title Players, Cazenovia College's Drama Club.

For more information:

Cazenovia Public Library
100 Albany St., Cazenovia, NY 13035
315.655.9322
www.midyork.org/cazenovia

The Manlius Library
1 Arkie Albanese Ave., Manlius, NY 13104
315.682.6400
www.manliuslib.org

Cazenovia College
Warren Olin-Ammentorp
Professor, English
Project Director, Faculty Library Lecture Series
315.655.7102

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Created by  Wayne Westervelt  on  9/5/2007

Modified   8/6/2009 2:20:31 PM