The School of Arts & Sciences will celebrate Arts & Sciences Week, September 27–October 1. Themed Imagine, Innovate, Integrate, and Impact, the week will include roundtable discussions, a social justice summit, art exhibits, talks by experts, and other programs. Most of this year’s events will be offered both virtually and in-person.
“Arts & Sciences Week allows WPI to shine a light on so many aspects of our scholarship, creativity, and innovation—as a school and across the university,” says Jean King, Peterson Family Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences
Since its inception in 2018, Arts & Sciences Week has featured well-attended events like faculty and student lightning talks, panel discussions and expert seminars, theatrical performances, art exhibits, musical performances, and documentary screenings. Many of this year’s events highlight various social, political, and professional aspects of art and science in our community, and they underscore the importance of the interconnectedness among The School of Arts & Sciences, WPI’s The Global School, The Business School, and The School of Engineering. They include:
- Monday, September 27 – 8:30-9:30 am: “Lighting the Way to a Better Normal: The State of Arts & Sciences;” Event to include welcome remarks by President Leshin and Provost Soboyejo, and a presentation by Dean King.
- Tuesday, September 28 – 12:00-1:00 pm: Critical Conversation: “Lighting the Spark—Science and Creativity” will be facilitated by Dean King and will feature WPI faculty members: Joseph Aguilar, Humanities & Arts assistant teaching professor; Carissa Olsen, Chemistry & Biochemistry assistant professor; Stacey Shaw, assistant professor of Social Science; and Joshua Rosenstock, professor of Arts, Communications and Humanities
- Tuesday, September 28 – 4:00-6:00 pm: “Shedding light on the contributions of marginalized folks in Arts & Sciences” will kick off WPI’s Wikipedia Editing Community. The event will be hosted by Francesca Bernardi, assistant professor, Mathematical Sciences; and Associate Director of the Gordon Library, Lori Ostapowicz-Critz,
- Wednesday, September 29 (1:00-5:00 pm) and Thursday, September 30 (9:00 am-12:30 pm): a two-part Social Justice Summit discussing topics such as technology, social justice, and mobilities will feature keynote speaker, Mimi Sheller, dean of The Global School
- Thursday, September 30 – 4:00-5:30 pm: a talk and art exhibit by Dan Schimmel, WPI’s artist-in-residence, as well as an art gallery walk featuring winners from 2020’s Arts & Creativity in the Time of COVID contest with special guest Joshua Rosenstock, professor of Arts, Communications, and Humanities
- Friday, October 1 – 12:00 pm-1:00 pm: “Turning Down the Light” expert seminar on the science of sleep will feature Neuroscience Professor Gina Poe of UCLA
- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 30 and October 1 and 2 – 7:30 pm: WPI’s student musical theatre company, VOX, will deliver a live performance of its fall show, Dogfight
For more information about the special events happening as part of Arts & Sciences Week, including locations for in-person events and links to online activities, visit https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/arts-sciences-week-2021
