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Niagara University 'SPIN sessions' set to showcase faculty talents

by jmaloni

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Mon, Aug 18th 2014 11:25 am

Niagara University is putting a new spin on thought-provoking presentations.

During new student orientation this fall, 10 NU professors will offer "Students, Professors and Ideas at Niagara" sessions, designed to spark the interest of the incoming class, and demonstrate the variety and depth of academic disciplines in a way the new freshmen may never have seen in high school.

NU's new student orientation is scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 1.

Participating faculty members will give 30-minute presentations on an area of their expertise that has the potential to appeal to a wide audience, but particularly college freshmen. The presentations will take place in a conference format, and students will choose to attend two sessions on Saturday afternoon.

"We are continuously impressed by the outstanding quality of our faculty members, which includes their remarkable abilities as researchers and teachers," said Dr. Timothy Downs, provost. "This new program will allow us to showcase their talents in a way that is engaging, enlightening and entertaining."

The topics of the "SPIN" sessions, and the professors presenting them, are listed below. Full descriptions of the discussions can be found online at www.niagara.edu/spin-sessions.

•"Reading the Undead: Cultural Anxiety, the Pleasure of Terror and the Post-Human," Dr. Jamie Carr, English

•"Living to 200: Super-Athletes Designer-Babies and the Ethics of Human Genetic Enhancement," Dr. James Delaney, philosophy

•"Places of Healing, Places of Tourism: An Examination of Modern Pilgrimage," Dr. Amelia Gallagher, religious studies

•"Oops...I Said That?" The Lighter Side of American Sign Language," Nanette Harmon, American Sign Language and deaf studies

•"Violent Tales of Gang Members: Telling Stories of Street Culture," Dr. Timothy Lauger, criminal justice

•"Nasty, Brutish, Short...but Alive! The Zombie Apocalypse, Globalization and You!," Dr. David Reilly, political science

•"Measuring Your Success...One Marshmallow at a Time," Dr. Jay Walker, commerce

•"Cybercrime and Identity Theft: Protect Yourself!," Dr. Petter Lovaas, computer and information sciences

•"Socially Responsible Investing - Using the Power of the Stock Market to Create a Better World," Dr. Edward Hutton, commerce

•"Going Viral - Sometimes What You Don't Know CAN Kill You," Dr. Mark Gallo, biology

Several of the sessions will be recorded and featured on Niagara University's YouTube channel.

"Traditionally speaking, fall orientations are social events and informational sessions intended to acclimate freshmen to college culture," said Carrie McLaughlin, dean of students. "We wanted to feature the academic sector even more prominently in the schedule so that incoming students would get a taste of what to expect during their first semester of classes."

For more information on Niagara University, visit www.niagara.edu.

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