2025 Lecture Schedule
Week 1 Schedule 鈥� september 30
Classic Lit
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Jane Austen at 250: From Her Time to Our Time
Catherine Golden, Professor of English and Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters (2017-22)
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen (1775-1817). It is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen鈥檚 early nineteenth-century novels, deeply rooted in the morals and manners of her time, resonate in our time. From passages in her novels and images of her Regency England, this presentation will take Encore participants into elegant ballrooms, country estates, genteel parlors, and the English countryside to uncover human emotions and, paraphrasing the title of her first published novel, Regency 鈥渟ense and sensibility.鈥� Janeites鈥攄evoted Jane Austen fans鈥攁rose in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when her readership included more men than women. In the twentieth century, this canonical novelist has become a consumer icon and a profitable literary brand, sparking a multi-million-dollar industry; merchandise, movie and television adaptations, and spinoffs show no sign of abating. An accompanying PowerPoint will incorporate paintings, photographs, book covers, illustrations, and film clips to illuminate Austen鈥檚 enduring legacy from her time to our time.
Catherine J. Golden is professor of English and the Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters (2017-22) at 爱污传媒 She is author of Serials to Graphic Novels: The Evolution of the Victorian Illustrated Book (2017), Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing (2009), and Images of the Woman Reader in Victorian British and American Fiction (2003). She has edited or coedited five books on subjects ranging from Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Victorian illustration. She is a pedagogy consultant for the Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education (COVE) and on the editorial board for Illustration Magazine, a British arts journal to which she regularly contributes. Golden has lectured widely on Jane Austen and Victorian literature and culture at national and international conferences as well as at local venues, such as the Hyde, Wiawaka, Brookside Gardens, Ventfort Hall, the Fort Orange Club, Academy for Lifelong Learning, the National Museum of Dance, and Northshire Bookstore.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Shakespear's Plague Play: Romeo and Juliet and Life Under Quarantine
Eileen Sperry, Assistant Teaching Professor of English
Romeo and Juliet spend most of their time sneaking around Verona: hopping walls, crashing parties, meeting in secret. It isn't until act 5 that we realize that all of this happens against the backdrop of a city experiencing a bubonic plague outbreak. This presentation will explore how the history of early modern public health measures, especially quarantine policies, can help us see this familiar play in a new light.
Eileen Sperry is an Assistant Teaching Professor of English at 爱污传媒 Her book, This Body of Death 鈥� Form and Decay in Early Modern Lyric, is out from Cornell University Press in December. Her research explores dying, illness, and caregiving across Renaissance England. She is the co-author of the entry on Bubonic plague for the Routledge's encyclopedia of the Renaissance World.
Week 2 Schedule 鈥� October 7
honoring the dead
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
The Wake-Awakening to Limbo
Kieron Sargeant, Assistant Professor of Dance
This presentation will guide the audience through the historical development of the limbo dance and its spiritual significance during wakes in Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, there will be an interactive segment that allows the audience to engage by singing, clapping, and dancing.
Kieron Dwayne Sargeant is from Trinidad and Tobago. He holds an MFA in Dance from Florida State University and an MA in Community Dance from Ohio University. He has over two decades of international teaching and performance experience. Founder of the Kieron Sargeant Dance and Dance Education Foundation, his travels and research span the United States, Canada, Cuba, Grenada, Barbados, Togo, and Nigeria, delving into the morphology of African diaspora dances in the US.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Grave Secrets: What the Skeleton and Burials Tell Us 爱污传媒 the Living
Kathryn Baustian, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
The way we bury the dead reflects so much about society, but also the individual that has died. Bioarchaeology explores aspects of identity and status as well as the skeletal features that indicate health, injury, and life experiences. This presentation gives a glimpse into the lives of past populations through bioarchaeological case studies focusing on ancient Arabia, the prehistoric American Southwest, and a historic New Orleans cemetery.
Professor Baustian is a biological anthropologist specializing in the study of the human skeleton in archaeological and forensic contexts. Her work explores topics of violence, identity, inequality, and disease in the ancient and prehistoric world. She has excavated at archaeological sites in New Mexico and conducted lab research at several institutions.
Week 3 Schedule 鈥� October 14
Tell me more...
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
How Record Players Work
Evan Halstead, Associate Teaching Professor of Physics
The record player is a marvel of mechanical and electrical engineering, transforming tiny grooves in a vinyl record into rich, dynamic sound. This talk will explore the physics behind turntable technology, from the vibrations of a stylus tracing the record鈥檚 surface to the electromagnetic principles of cartridge signal generation. We will examine how amplification and speaker systems convert these signals into audible music. By the end, attendees will have a deeper appreciation for the elegant physics that brings analog music to life.
Evan Halstead is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Physics Department. While his doctoral research was in cosmology, he currently uses his undergraduate education in electrical engineering to give students an appreciation of the physics and ingenuity that is responsible for the technology they use every day. He also likes to use his favorite space on campus -- the IdeaLab -- to bring creative projects to life.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Appreciating Awe
Mark Rye, Professor of Psychology
What causes us to experience awe? How does awe impact our physical and mental health? How can we experience more awe in our lives? This lecture will address these questions by drawing upon recent scientific findings about this fascinating emotion.
Mark Rye is Professor of Psychology at 爱污传媒 He is a licensed clinical psychologist who conducts research and offers classes in the field of positive psychology. He is particularly interested in how forgiveness, gratitude, and other virtues impact mental health.
Week 4 Schedule 鈥� October 21
Here in the usa
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
The Political Economy of US Immigration Policy
Robert Turner, Associate Professor of Political Science
No issue is more contentious in American politics than immigration policy. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 49 million people would like to immigrate to the United States. In this talk, Professor Turner will discuss the latest research on the economic impact of immigration. Do immigrants take jobs and use welfare benefits, or do they take jobs Americans don鈥檛 want and fulfill empty niches in the US labor market? He will also address the implications for an admissions and guest worker policy.
Bob Turner is an associate professor of political science. He received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his BA in Political Science from Middlebury College and the London School of Economics. He is in his 26th year of teaching at 爱污传媒. His research focuses on the politics of economic development policies, state immigration policies, and local elections and government reform. In his free time, he is usually fishing, skiing or watching Arsenal soccer. Before becoming a professional political scientist, he worked for the tallest congressman in American history and taught English in Czechoslovakia.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
The Changing World and America's Role in It
Yelena Biberman, Associate Professor of Political Science
The global order is experiencing profound transformations -- political, economic, and technological. We will dissect some of the major changes and examine the role of the United States in driving them. The talk will also consider the future of international relations and America's standing in the world.
Yelena Biberman is an associate professor of political science at 爱污传媒 College, associate at Harvard University鈥檚 Davis Center, and new voice at the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation. Her current book project examines international security in the age of weaponizable biotechnology. Biberman鈥檚 research has been published by Oxford University Press and appeared in multiple academic journals, such as the Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Strategic Studies, and Asian Security, as well as supported by numerous grants, including from the Woodrow Wilson Center, United States Institute of Peace, and Fulbright Fellowship.
Week 5 Schedule 鈥� October 28
popular (mis)conseptions
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Fake News on Social Media
Daniel Peterson, Associate Professor of Psychology
Research suggests that most Americans get their news (at least in part) via social media on platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Unfortunately, these platforms are populated with misinformation (i.e., fake news) that contributes to false beliefs and misplaced confidence about news issues. In this talk we鈥檒l discuss the factors associated with the reader (e.g., age, political affiliation) and the news post itself (e.g., likes/comments attached to the post, source from which the article is purportedly written by) that influence the likelihood of endorsement. That is, erroneously labeling a fake news story as true.
Daniel Peterson is a cognitive psychologist who earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. His area of expertise relates to human memory where he focuses on both theoretical (e.g., what happens during memory retrieval?) and applied (e.g., what factors impact the likelihood that an eyewitness makes a successful identification?) topics. He has been at 爱污传媒 College since 2016 teaching courses such as Human Memory, Cognition, and Statistics.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Should We Stop Talking 爱污传媒 Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z?
Andrew Lindner, Professor of Sociology
Current magazines are rife with headlines like 鈥淎re Millennials Killing The Car Industry?鈥� and 鈥淗ow Baby Boomers Ruined America.鈥� Generational labels like "Boomers" and "Gen Z" have become more common and often portrayed in the press as being on opposite sides of a generational war. At the same time, many contemporary social scientists are critical of these popular generational labels as they tend to conflate cohort traits with the effects of age and time period and lead to stereotyping. Drawing on my own research with 爱污传媒 students, I explain how Americans have begun to identify with these labels but are not as antagonistic as headlines and social media posts might suggest. In an era with a pressing need for greater mutual understanding, this discussion explores better ways of making sense of the barriers, including generation gaps, which often divide us.
Andrew M. Lindner is Professor at 爱污传媒 College in Saratoga Springs, NY. He teaches courses on mass media, political sociology, sociology of sport, and social statistics. His research interests include how culture and politics intersect and his work on these topics has appeared in such publications as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Social Problems, New Media & Society, and among others. He is also the co-author of All Media Are Social: Sociological Perspectives on Mass Media (2020).
Week 6 Schedule 鈥� November 4
telling Stories
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
InterGeneration Lab at Frederick Allen Lodge
Maura Jasper, Artist in Residence, John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS)
What happens when a group of 爱污传媒 students are paired with community elders for a semester of conversation and shared activities? InterGeneration Lab is a new course in which students work directly with elders from Saratoga Spring鈥檚 Frederick Allen Lodge to identify and create new methods of collaborative interdisciplinary storytelling. The course is inspired by the work of the InterGeneration Lab, a Boston based project that initiates relationships between older and younger adults through art, storytelling, and empathetic civic dialogue.
Maura Jasper is a visual artist whose work explores the intersections of history, pop culture, and mass media. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art with an MFA in Interrelated Media (2008), her work has been exhibited and screened at venues including Artist's Space, Vox Populi, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. She is an Associate Professor Emerita of Art at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is currently serving as Artist in Residence at the John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative at 爱污传媒
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Two Trees: A New Documentary Film
Adam Tinkle, Associate Professor of Media and Film & Director of Documentary Studies
Inspired by the Mohawk story of the Peacemaker, Chief Jake Swamp (1949-2010) planted trees all around the world to spread a message of peace. Two were planted in Saratoga Springs: one on the campus of 爱污传媒 College and the other in High Rock Park, a site with a history important to the relationship between Mohawk and non-Native people. Unmarked by any plaque, that second Tree of Peace still stands, surrounded by signage that acknowledges only certain threads of that indigenous history. The other Tree is missing 鈥� and no one at 爱污传媒 seems to know what happened to it in the 34 years since its planting. In this presentation, I show a new 15-minute documentary short film (co-directed at 爱污传媒 with student collaborators) about the Tree of Peace, featuring 爱污传媒 archaeologist Siobhan Hart and Mohawk storyteller Ionataie:was Kay Olan, using these two trees as a lens to examine how and what gets remembered - and forgotten. I will also provide behind the scenes insight into the process of producing the film, as well as new updates, which follow the film's completion and have been directly occasioned by it, about efforts at the city level to redress the erasures and exclusions catalogued therein.
Adam Tinkle is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, writer and teacher. After studies in experimental music, his work has broadened in scope to include video art, sculpture, writing and all manner of performance and installation, but his focus, above all, is nurturing artistic community and collectivity: he has founded a children鈥檚 orchestra that played experimental music, formed numerous artist-run spaces, series and cooperatives, and, as a faculty member at 爱污传媒 College, launched its Co-creation Initiative to forge networks of support between the college and justice-centering community efforts in the wider region. Of late, his curatorial efforts around the region have focused on the Picture Lock One, a microcinema in a bank vault in Troy, NY, and Evoked S. Potentials (ESP), a themed concert series currently based at Saratoga鈥檚 Frederick Allen Lodge. He has made or collaborated on films, podcasts, artist books, and stage performances with some of the major voices in contemporary culture, including Kim Stanley Robinson and Marina Abramovic. His visual art practice, which reimagines expressive uses for antique TV equipment, was featured in a 2022 solo exhibition at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, in a monumental chiming video-clockface at the inaugural Troy Glow light art festival, and in interactive video baths presented most recently at Club SPA Spa and the 2023 Flaherty Film Seminar. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and improvisor, music remains his root practice, with several active projects performing dozens of shows per year, numerous recordings, and residencies around the world. @trinkletinklesound
Week 7 Schedule 鈥� November 11
Dive into humanities
LECTURE 1: 10:15 AM - 11:10 AM
Captain Cook's Hei Tiki: Material Culture, Gift Exchange, and Looting in New Zealand During the Endeavour Voyage, 1768-1771
Tillman Nechtman, Professor of History
The specter of empire haunts European museums. The correlation between museological collecting and imperial ideology is now widely taken for granted in academic circles, but the question of what is to be done with and in western museums that hold colonial collections persists. This presentation takes one small M膩ori hei tiki (RCIN 69263) from the Royal Collection as a case study to understand what the decolonization of imperial collections might look like. To date, RCIN 69263 has been labeled as a gift from the M膩ori to Captain James Cook and then from Cook to King George III. Using a range of manuscript sources from Cook鈥檚 crew onboard the Endeavour, innovative M膩ori sources, and traditional M膩ori crafting technologies to 鈥渓isten鈥� to the hei tiki, this essay uncovers a new story for RCIN 69263. Accepting that colonial objects can still 鈥渟peak鈥� in pre-museological epistemes allows us to re-write the museum label for this single object, correcting errors that were inscribed upon it by empire and the carelessness of imperial collecting. Moreover, 鈥渓istening鈥� to this particular colonial object offers insights into the broader history of the indigenous Pacific that Europeans both missed and misunderstood in the eighteenth century. This case study, thus, promises to rectify the specific narrative damage perpetrated on RCIN 69263 by flawed (even fabricated) museum labels even as it offers a roadmap for the bigger project of decolonizing colonial museums more generally.
Professor Nechtman's teaching and research interests focus on Britain and its empire. He has published widely on the cultural relationships between Britain and India in the eighteenth century. His work has appeared in such journals as History Compass, The Journal of Women's History, and The Journal of Eighteenth-Century Studies. Professor Nechtman鈥檚 first book Nabobs: Identity and Empire in Eighteenth-Century Britain was published by Cambridge University Press in 2010. His most recent work focuses on the history of the British Empire in the global Pacific Ocean. His second book, The Pretender of Pitcairn Island: Joshua W. Hill, the Man Who Would Be King Among the Bounty Mutineers is available from Cambridge University Press.
LECTURE 2: 11:25 AM 鈥� 12:20 PM
Love Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama
Benjamin Bogin, Associate Professor of Asian Studies
The songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-鈥�1706), include some of the most beloved and well-known songs in Tibet. Scholars have long debated whether these songs should be interpreted as poetic expressions of tantric Buddhist theory and practice or if they are simply love songs by the only Dalai Lama to have refused the vows of a celibate monk that were customary to the role. This lecture will introduce the incarnation lineage of the Dalai Lamas, describe the political intrigue and turmoil surrounding the Sixth Dalai Lama's early life, and reflect on ways of reading his extraordinary love songs.
Benjamin Bogin is Associate Professor in Asian Studies at 爱污传媒 College, specializing in Himalayan Buddhism. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Bogin writes and teaches on the intersections of biographical literature, sacred geography, and visual art in Himalayan cultures. He is the co-editor, with Ariana Maki and Rachel Seligman, of the recent publication Forms of Awakening: Tibetan Art: From the Jack Shear Collection (DelMonico Books, June 2025), as well as author of The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa (Serindia Publications, 2013) and the co-editor, with Andrew Quintman, of Himalayan Passages: Tibetan and Newar Studies in Honor of Hubert Decleer (Wisdom Publications, 2014).