This afternoon, soon to be retired President Lapidus, and incoming President Donna Hodge hosted an Ice Cream Social at the Lisciotti Pavilion in the Antonucci Science Center. The event was an opportunity for colleagues to gather, meet our new President, and catch up after the academic year and before the summer. Both Presidents doled out the ice cream to an eager and grateful crowd.

At the culmination of today's Faculty and Librarian Development Day, the Celebration for Faculty and Librarian Excellence was held in the Holmes Dining Complex. As the faculty wrapped up their sessions, Emeriti Faculty were welcomed to reconnect prior to the event. 

This morning our faculty and librarians held their annual end of semester/academic year Development Day in the Main Lounge of Hammond Hall. Topics included Maintaining a Scholarly Identity at a Teaching-Intensive  Institution, a panel discussion: Maintaining an Active Research Practice, and more.

Yesterday, the university celebrated the publication of Fitchburg State's first five ROTEL (Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens) textbooks, authored by faculty members Michael Hove (Psychological Science), Peter Staab (Mathematics), J.J. Sylvia IV (Communications Media) and Kisha Tracy (English Studies).

This morning, faculty got the chance to reconnect before the semester and attend various sessions with the theme “The Impact of Generative AI in Higher Education.” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Marshall, and other Academic Affairs staff, welcomed all and provided updates, celebrated achievements, and listened to faculty concerns. Keynote speaker Dr. Carie Cardamone, Associate Director of STEM and Professional Schools, Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching at Tufts University presented "Teaching in the Age of AI: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Opportunities." After lunch, "How Fitchburg State Is Navigating AI: Lightning Talks from Across Campus" were presented.

The CenterStage annual Faculty Show Gallery Reception was held yesterday afternoon in the Hammond Hall Art Gallery. The reception was included a film and video screening in Ellis White Lecture Hall. The Faculty Show will run until December 15th. To learn more, visit our CenterStage page.

At the culmination of today's Faculty and Librarian Research Symposium, the Celebration for Faculty and Librarian Excellence was held in the Holmes Dining Complex. As the faculty wrapped up their sessions, Emeriti Faculty were welcomed to reconnect prior to the event. 

Fellow faculty and staff gathered yesterday to celebrate the exemplary career of Nursing  Professor Tara Mariolis. Jennifer Hanselman, Ph.D., Dean, School of Health and Natural Sciences, presented Dr. Mariolis with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of President Lapidus and the university.

Recently, the Center for Faculty Scholarship hosted a celebration of recent faculty-authored publications in Miller Oval. The event celebrated six faculty members who recently published books, and one who released an album. Each faculty member  briefly discussed their work, with time for Q+A and discussion before the reception to honor them and their accomplishments

Recently, Provost Patricia Marshall welcomed those gathered in the Presidents' Hall for English Studies Professor Elise Takehana who presented her Harrod Lecture "Database and Algorithm as Literary Infrastructure", after an introduction by Acting English Studies Department Chair Lisa Gim.

In the lecture, Dr. Takehana discussed the conflicts and overlaps between storytelling and data analysis by exploring examples in experimental literature, interactive fiction, portraiture, and quantitative approaches to studying language and literature. The talk offered several reflections on the nature of human expression in the age of big data and how that might color what we think of as "human."