The College of Arts and Sciences has 191 full-time faculty members, and they all thrive on research. To them, it's an important part of their work. So Associate Dean Amy Shapiro wondered how she could help them share their incredible and personal work. How can faculty engage with the community? How can we honor them?

 

Her solution? ARNIE Talks. The new series, which is produced in collaboration with the College of Nursing, aims to awaken the academic community. It helps promote the intellectual and social atmosphere of the campus; it sparks an interdisciplinary dialogue about research ideas; it creates an opportunity for faculty and graduate students to talk informally about innovative research. "One goal of the new campus strategic plan is to create 'An Active and Engaged University Community Focused on Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Innovation,'" said Shapiro. "I thought that celebrating and showcasing the excellent work of our faculty in a talk series would speak to that goal."

 

So on March 4th, ARNIE Talks welcomed its first speaker, Professor Chad McGuire. His talk, titled "A Changing Climate, Rising Seas, and Human Institutions: The Strangest of Bedfellows," highlighted the most recent research on climate change. And after his talk, McGuire joined the attendees for a wine and cheese reception and an opportunity to discuss ideas inspired by his talk. "The talks provide a way for faculty in the disciplines to share ideas and potentially find common ground for interdisciplinary research," said Shapiro. "Faculty and their students also benefit from stepping outside our offices to have a little fun together."