This collection includes public lectures given at the University of Minnesota, Morris, not including special named lectures.
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Quantum Technology in Space
Saesun Kim
Journey with us into the cutting-edge developments of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as we explore the integration of quantum technology in space missions. Dive deep into the intricacies of the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), understand the precision of deep space atomic clocks (DSAC) for space navigation, and unravel the potential of Rydberg sensors for remote broadband sensing. We explore their significance in enhancing our understanding of quantum mechanics and gravity and their applications in geophysics, space missions, navigation, and precise timekeeping.
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Grit: Finding Positivity in the Ever-Changing World of a Pandemic
Jennifer Fernjack
In this presentation, Jennifer Fernjack shares personal stories of grit and those she has collected from around the state. Jennifer Fernjack is an author, podcast host and public speaker.
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The Aftermath & Turning the Page: 30 Years Since the Racial Hazing Halloween Incident at UMN Morris
Michael Johnson
The Office of the Chancellor presents this campuswide program of President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County will share the impact of his UMN Morris experience 30 years ago as one of the victims of the Halloween incident of 1993. While acknowledging this abhorrent incident, we will hear from Mr. Johnson the lessons he shares with others. Co-sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor, Office of Student Affairs, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural Programs, and Intercollediate Athletics
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Observing the Universe with Gravitational Waves
Vuk Mandic
Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity as fluctuations in the fabric of space-time caused by accelerated masses. In 2015, the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave detectors observed the first gravitational waves generated in a merger of two black holes. Since then, nearly 100 similar observations have been made, revealing objects and events that would otherwise remain hidden from traditional telescopes and other detectors. I will discuss how gravitational waves arise in some of the most energetic systems in the universe, such as binary systems involving black holes and/or neutron stars. I will describe the state-of-the-art technology used by modern detectors, such as LIGO, to observe gravitational waves. Finally, I will discuss some of the recent gravitational wave observations and some of our expectations for the upcoming observation runs. - Vuk Mandic is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota, co-recipient of multiple awards and prizes with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, and Fellow of the American Physical Society.
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From Physics to Data Science: A Journey into Energy Analytics
Robert Smith
A Science and Math Visiting Alumnus Lecture.
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When in Spain: Intercultural Competence in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
Alexa Barta
This presentation was presented at the 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Ernest Hemingway, an iconic American writer of the Lost Generation, frequently traveled to Spain while living abroad as an expatriate. In fact, many of the fictitious accounts in his works are based on real events in the lives of Hemingway and his friends during their time in Spain. Despite the large number of American expatriates traveling and living abroad during the 1920s, the concept of intercultural competence likely did not exist; or at least not in the modern-day sense of the phrase. While much literature already exists on Hemingway’s connection to Spain, there is currently limited scholarship on the portrayal of Spain and Spanish culture in his works. Discussions of cross-culturalization and intercultural competence have appeared in recent scholarship as the world continues to grow more globalized; but very few discussions exist which analyze Hemingway’s works from the viewpoint of intercultural competence. In this project, I investigate how the behavior of the characters in Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises aligns with modern standards of intercultural competence. This research is significant in adding a cross-cultural perspective to the conversation about one of the most iconic works of one of America’s most iconic writers.
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Community Engagement and Leadership in Rural Minnesota
Catie Rasmussin, Becky Adams, and Ben Winchester
This panel of community engagement experts explored the critical questions of whether we have enough people to lead our rural small towns into the future. The speakers focused on the changing patterns of social involvement, particularly generational differences in engagement, the impact of these current trends on the health of our community groups, and what can be done to help increase small town leadership. Given UMM's mission to foster community engagement and civic leadership among our students, the presentation raises important questions and issues for our campus to consider.
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Indigenous Peoples, Climate Justice, and Decolonial Philosophy.
Kyle Powys Whyte
A presentation at the 41st Annual Midwest Philosophy Colloquium: "New Directions in Environmental Philosophy."
Dr. Whyte is Timnick Chair in the Humanities and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. He is Potawatomi and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and has written extensively about climate policy and Indigenous peoples, the ethics of cooperative relationships between Indigenous peoples and climate science organizations, and Indigenous food sovereignty.
In addition to his scholarship, Whyte has played key roles within: the Sustainable Development Institute of the Menominee Nation, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (New Zealand’s Maori Centre of Research Excellence), The Center for Indigenous Environmental Research, and the U.S. Federal Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science.
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Well-Being, Curriculum, Infusion and Connections: Educating and Supporting the Whole Student
Todd A. Olson
Dr. Olson has developed numerous seminars and programs on leadership and enhancing student learning and wellness. He as well co-founded the Georgetown Engelhard Project featured at the 2013 White House Conference on Mental Health. His commitment to students shines through all of his work as he provides Student Affairs leadership at the highest level with great care, skill and heart.