York College online faculty series to feature timely, thought-provoking topics

What better way to get to know a college than through the research of faculty who are teaching its students? Prospective students and families, as well as local community members, will have an opportunity to learn more about timely, thought-provoking topics through Spartan Speaks, an online series of talks by York College faculty. The free events will take place at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from Feb. 18 to April 20.

Additional information, including links to required registration forms, is available at www.ycp.edu/spartan-speaks.

Schedule of Events

Feb. 18 - Live from York Hospital. A hospital's intensive care unit is never "business as usual." Get an inside view of frontline workers and their heroic success. Colby Hartlaub, 2014 Nursing graduate. 

Feb. 23 - Reflecting on the 2020 Presidential Election. A panel will place the election of 2020 in historical perspective, examine what it tells us about our nation today, and consider its potential legacy. Professor of History Peter Levy, Assistant Professor of Political Science Sung-Wook Paik, Assistant Professor of History Jacqueline Beatty.

Feb. 25 - Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, and the Future of Education. Creative machines, otherwise known as artificial intelligence, are everywhere – on our screens, in our cars, throughout our homes and, increasingly, in our classrooms. Let's discuss how creative machines are spurring change in schools and what that means for the future of teaching and learning. Associate Professor of Education Josh DeSantis. 

March 2 - Nursing: Combining Hands-on Care, Technology, Critical Thinking, and Compassion to Promote Health and Healing. Every day, nurses perform care and make critical decisions for the health of their patients. How do I know what is "normal" or when I should intervene? How can Simulations and Nursing Skills Labs help me learn what I need to know? Nursing Lab Coordinator Patty Myers ’81 and Lecturer in Behavioral Sciences Rod Grim.

March 4 - Are We Alone in the Universe? Is There Life on Other Planets? Let's discuss what secrets the universe might hold. Is it scary or intriguing? Only future exploration and discoveries will reveal the possibility of life beyond earth. Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Drew Wilkerson.

March 9 - Cryptology: The Greatest Application of Mathematics. Mathematics has a massive number of applications that affect all of our lives on a daily basis, but the greatest of these is cryptology. In this short talk, cryptology is defined and its greatness is illustrated by its role in helping to defeat the Nazis and secure the Internet. Associate Professor of Mathematics Craig Bauer.

March 11 - NFL Football: Fantasy, the Draft, and the Games: It’s All About the Numbers! Let's see how analyzing the numbers affects the success of your favorite teams. Numbers matter! Assistant Professor of Business Analytics Wei Chen.

March 16 - James Bond: Stopping Terrorist Plots and Avoiding Financial Disasters. Scenario: James Bond’s arch enemy plans to blow up an airplane to lower the airline’s stock price. See how James Bond foils the sinister plot. Associate Professor of Finance Jim Forjan.

March 18 - Climate Change: Peril and Promise. Project DRAWDOWN shows how the world is battling the causes and impacts of climate change. We will discuss important scientific evidence of the causes of climate change and the opportunities to improve our natural world. Associate Professor of Chemistry Greg Foy.

March 23 - Should Criminals Be Branded for Life? The Effects of Being Labeled a Deviant. Associate Professor of Criminal Justice PJ Verrecchia.

March 25 - Is Lying in Medicine Okay? We assume and expect that when we seek out medical care everyone is telling the truth. But sometimes doctors and nurses hide the truth, give partial truths, or outright deceive patients. Whether it is prescribing a placebo to a patient or exaggerating risks in order to get a patient to make lifestyle changes, medical practices routinely engage in “harmless deception.” In this session, we will ponder ethical decision-making in the medical professions, and in some cases, how the problems raised need to be confronted. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Rory Kraft.

March 30 - How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Experiences. The world is changing. We are moving from a service economy to an “experience” economy. Those companies that provide guests with the most memorable experiences will be the most successful. We will talk about the secrets to providing these memorable experiences. Associate Professor of Hospitality Management Fred Becker.

April 1 - Words Matter: How to Communicate Clearly in a Time of Crisis. A panel discussion of the importance of communicating clearly not only in a national emergency, but always. Some topics, like science for instance, are complex yet need to be explained using everyday language. Choose your words carefully! Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Gabe Cutrufello, Professor of English Mike Zerbe, Instructor of Mass Communication Craig Do'Vidio, Lecturer in Communication Jeff Schiffman.

April 6 - Sports Fans, Are We Really Just Rooting for Clothes? Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said that, given turnover in sport, fans are really just rooting for laundry. Is that accurate? We'll talk about the depths in which sport fan behavior has become a pre-eminent practice of group identity management. Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michael Mudrick.

April 8 - Why Does Russia Know More About You Than You Do? Are You Cyber-secure? How secure is your data and what to do about it. Professor of Business James Norrie.

April 13 - We All Live Downstream. Understand more about the effects of human interaction on streams and natural water sources. Healthy streams foster healthy rivers, lakes, and estuaries. But streams are also vital ecosystems on their own. See firsthand a local stream and how we measure its health. Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Alison Kennicutt, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Josh Wyrick, Associate Professor of Biology Bridgette Hagerty. 

April 15 - On the Other Side of the Hospital Curtain: Your Doctor Needs the Knowledge and Expertise of Many Other Healthcare Professionals to Diagnose and Treat You! Who are these professionals and what do they do? Let’s figure that out as we diagnose and treat Mr. Smith who has just arrived in the emergency room. You will help with his differential diagnosis as we order a variety of tests for him. Instructor of Biology Bobbi Patton, Instructor of Respiratory Care Tony Ruppert. 

April 20 - Get Rich: Don't Just Play the Stock Market, Learn the Inside Scoop! Understanding the ins and outs of the stock market and finding great stocks. (Pick the right one at the right time and college could be free!) Associate Professor of Finance Pawan Madhogarhia.