The CAS Social Committee

Brings New Ideas to the Table

College of Arts and Science faculty members are always in Glasgow, Belgium, or Milan for a semester. Professor
looking for ideas to develop innovative programs to Parkin has been in favor of study abroad programs ever
invigorate the quality of the curriculum and to enrich their since his three-year experience in Kenya, which changed his
own scholarship. The Underground Café on the lower level perspectives on science and life. “Dream the dream and see
of Adelphi’s Ruth S. Harley University Center was the site of where we can go with it,” he said.
the first social gathering of the College of Arts and Sciences
Other conversations unfolded
Social Committee, held on March 31, 2009.
between Professor Storm
Fifteen faculty members from various departments of the and Assistant Professor of
College met and conversed over coffee. “It’s meant to build Biology Alan Schoenfeld, who
more community within the College, foster and exchange discussed tactics used after
ideas, build relationships and interdisciplinary connections,” tests to convince students to
said Associate Dean Susan Briziarelli, who organized the understand and learn from their
committee as a way to share positive ideas and promote mistakes. Professor Johnson and
collaboration among faculty members. Assistant Professor of Music
Georgia Newlin discussed
The Social Committee was recently created to enable
social justice through the lens
professors from the College’s different departments to
of criminology.
mingle and share ideas. It is headed by a group of six faculty
members: Professor and Chair of the Theatre Department “The Committee is designed
Nicholas Petron M.A. ’70, Associate Professor and Chair of to promote social integration
the History Department Martin Haas, Associate Professor of among members of the faculty of
Environmental Studies Beth Christensen, Assistant Professor the College of Arts and Sciences,”
of Mathematics Christopher Storm, Assistant Professor of Professor Johnson said. “The spirit
Sociology Jacqueline Johnson, and Assistant Professor of of the Committee is to engage
English Lahney Preston-Matto. “They represent all areas of in intellectual conversations and
the College,” said Dean Briziarelli. interactions.”
The Committee’s events are intended to encourage social
and professional exchange among faculty at the University,
according to Dean Briziarelli. Professor Preston-Matto heads
the “Works in Progress” program, which gives faculty members
the chance to read working papers to their colleagues four
times each semester.
The Social Committee sponsored another coffee meeting in
May. “The goal is to create opportunities for faculty to know
each other better,” Professor Johnson said. “We can talk
about classes and courses, meet each other, and recommend
classes for students. The school is not just a place where we
work, but where we meet other teachers.”
During the gathering, professors chatted about various
topics. Associate Professor of Chemistry David Parkin talked
to Dean Briziarelli about taking six students to London for a
semester abroad. He also expressed his interest in teaching