Dear CLAS faculty:
One of the priorities of CLAS is to facilitate interdisciplinary scholarship, and the diversity of disciplines within the college provides substantial and unique opportunities. In an effort to stimulate connections that will lead to novel cross-cutting research (and potentially graduate training), CLAS will host CLAS Research Conversations this academic year based on faculty ideas for areas of synergy.
These events will be held 3:30-5pm on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The first half of the event will involve 5-minute talks by several faculty members describing their work on the topic and related areas of interest – 3 slide maximum (and no cheating with animation)! The second half will allow time to discuss opportunities and next steps as a group and in smaller conversations. CLAS will provide beverages and appetizers.
Proposed ideas for topics should be submitted to mackenzie.murphy@uconn.edu and should span at least 4 CLAS departments. The document must include a paragraph of rationale, proposed speakers, and a list of up to 20 additional faculty members to invite. The CLAS dean and associate deans will review the proposals and may add faculty members who work in related areas for events that go forward. Our office will issue invitations and take care of the logistics related to hosting. The proposer(s) is(are) expected to emcee.
The first event will be on October 16th in the Heritage Room of the Library (4th floor), and they will continue throughout the year in the same location as long as solid ideas are proposed (11/20, 12/18, 1/22, 2/19, 3/18, 4/15, 5/20). Please submit proposals at any time for dates that are good for you; they will be reviewed as they come in. We are looking forward to seeing what develops!
Juli
Juli Wade
Dean
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Connecticut
215 Glenbrook Rd., U-4098
Storrs, CT 06269