Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Each Friday during the Fall and Spring academic semesters, a faculty volunteer gives a 30 minute lunchtime talk on her/his scholarship and/or teaching practices. Faculty members are invited to learn a little more about their colleagues, chat with others that attend the presentations, and enjoy a wonderful buffet lunch. Talks start at 12:30 p.m. and are usually over a little past 1 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs.

Spring 2022 Schedule

Feb 25     Bill Waller (Economics)

Missing Middles and Magic Words in Economic Theorizing: The Case of Equilibrium

Economic Theorizing, indeed, all theorizing begins with abstracting from reality. This does violence to reality. The theory is an attempt to use the abstraction to understand some aspect of reality. The study of the abstraction can give insight into real world processes. Putting the abstraction back in the real world, reconnecting it to reality is difficult. This results, sometimes in “leaps of imagination” and the creation of concepts whose content isn’t really very well understood. From there research should be directed at clarifying the leap—a missing middle, or the concept—a magic word. All this is normal and indeed, essential, to all advances in knowledge—this is the conjunction of imagination and research—the art of science so to speak. Occasionally, things go a bit awry. If the abstraction, model, or concept is reified, if it is mistaken for reality, at least confusion results. The purpose of this talk is to discuss one concept in economics—equilibrium. This is not a critique, but a sympathetic exploration.

Mar 4     David Ost (Political Science)

What’s Happening in Ukraine: How did we get here, where might it go?

Abstract: TBA

Mar 11     Nan Crystal Arens (Geoscience)

TBA

Abstract: TBA

Mar 18         Craig Talmage (Entrepreneurial Studies)

The Regional Impacts of Food and Beverage Innovations in Finger Lakes, New York

This presentation showcases food and beverage innovations in small urban areas located across the Finger Lakes (FLX) region of New York (NY). Despite declines in manufacturing in Rochester and Syracuse, today’s local FLX industries have evolved due to globalization and shifts towards (neo)localism. Today, small FLX cities and towns serve as entrepreneurial hubs to nearby rural residents who have linked their agricultural products to local food and beverage economies. 

Spurred on by burgeoning wine, beer, and cider industries (and now distilleries), the FLX region has become a new haven for food and beverage retailers, restaurants, and tourism enterprises. New York State has also infused downtown revitalization dollars among other support into FLX small municipalities. Still, many FLX individuals remain marginalized living in food deserts and food swamps, despite perceived food abundance. 

As the region develops, we must continue to ask what are the economic, social, and environmental impacts to all residents? What are the invisible burdens that communities must bear to facilitate entrepreneurship and regional growth? These questions and others will be pursued in this presentation.

Apr 1         Jacob Powell (Economics)

Progressive Path-Dependency?

Path-dependency is typically associated with a “lock-in” which is suboptimal.  The sub-optimality of this “lock-in” is often attributed to a degree of ceremonial encapsulation, eroding instrumentality, whereby network effects, technical and/or behavioral, create a state of irreversibility.  However, all new ideas and technologies are ceremonially encapsulated to a degree, as they are socially embedded.  Yet when the term path-dependency is invoked, it often has a negative connotation, implying only a purely instrumental outcome, one of no ceremonial encapsulation, is the objective.  This implies ceremonial habits of thought are merely there to be overcome.  Yet ceremonial habits of thought are ever-present, thus, this article theorizes progressive institutional adjustment, while considering how we can account for ceremonial habits of thought as more than a barrier, but something to be utilized to achieve implementation.  By using rhetoric as a tool, we can play into ceremonial habits of thought, weaving policy through the ceremonial net to implementation, where its instrumentality can be revealed, and a lock-in can form as constituents become accustomed to the material benefits provided.  It is here where a progressive path-dependency is formed.

Apr 8       Lisa Yoshikawa (History)

TBA

Abstract: TBA

Apr 15       Amy Forbes (Centennial Center)

What to Know about the New Master’s of Arts in Higher Education Leadership

The Master’s of Arts in Higher Education Leadership is a dynamic program that will prepare students to apply effective and creative leadership in ways that challenge assumptions about higher education, strengthen capacity for systemic change, and support a contemporary generation of college students.  Alongside of compelling internships and graduate assistantships that offer future practitioners immersion experiences and practice in a wide array of campus offices and neighboring campuses, students will take courses that encourage them to analyze and critique the history and policy of higher education, identify ways in which they can act on their personal commitments as they relate to diversity, equity and inclusion, and have opportunities to investigate leadership and innovation techniques. Ultimately, graduates will be readied for a wide spectrum of entry-level and middle-management positions in student affairs as well as other professional areas within colleges, universities, community colleges, and policymaking organizations.

Graduates of this program will be able to: 

• Analyze and critique the history and politics of higher education in ways that reflect their lived experiences, best-practices, and professional aspirations.
• Advocate for students in ways that demonstrate a thorough understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and foster student success. 
• Demonstrate effective and creative leadership as they advocate for positive personal, inter-personal, structural, and institutional change to promote inclusive and innovative organizations and programs. 
• Support a contemporary generation of college students within a rapidly changing social, cultural, political, and economic landscape.
• Contribute to higher education as emerging practitioners who can act on their personal commitments, skills, and abilities

Apr 22       TBA

TBA

Abstract: TBA

Apr 29        Meghan Brown (Biology)

TBA

Abstract: TBA