Tufts Faculty Webinars

Special presentation presented in conjunction with Global Tufts month!

Coming March 28, 2023 at 12pm ET

What information do migrants get, and from where, about their prospects for reaching their intended destination? Are they, in fact, deterred by an awareness of the obstacles, dangers, and risks? The answers to these questions have major implications for U.S. asylum and border policies, which are currently failing at their stated objectives while causing unnecessary human suffering. Working with a team of Fletcher students, Professor Katrina Burgess has launched a new project that will delve more deeply into how migrants in the Americas assess risk and process information on their journey north. After describing the project in greater detail, Katrina will share her own journey to this topic as well as exploring its relevance to hotly contested debates over migration in the United States.  

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

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Coming April 19, 2023 at 12pm ET

Artificial intelligence technology is increasingly penetrating every aspect of human societies and it is critical to ensure that AI-driven systems are aware and behave according to our social and moral norms. Unfortunately, current AI systems either are completely oblivious or they are really bad at recognizing social and moral expectations and living up to them. Professor Matthias Scheutz will provide an overview of the efforts of the Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory at Tufts to develop ethical AI-based systems that have explicit norm representations and are able to reason with them to make the decisions they can justify to humans in natural language dialogues. He will illustrate their work with various demonstrations of robots interacting with humans in natural language.

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Register Now!

Coming May 4, 2023 at 12pm ET

How accurate is eyewitness testimony?  How effective is the polygraph?  What factors influence a jury's deliberations and final verdict?  As Professor Sam Sommers has taught Tufts students for two decades, Psychology impacts every aspect of our lives, and the legal system is no exception.  Drawing on scientific research and his own extensive work as an expert witness, Sam will discuss highlights from this growing area of inquiry, and will discuss the general benefits and limitations of efforts to apply psychological research to the real-world domain of the legal system.

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Register Here

Why does war play such a central role in Russia’s self-image? How does this impact its view of the world and how has Putin used this history to justify his invasion of Ukraine? How a country defines its past can profoundly shape how it sees its present. This is not merely a facet of propaganda but a deadly serious matter as we now see unfolding before us. Webinar by Greg Carleton, Professor of Russian Studies

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Featuring Brian Schaffner, Newhouse Professor of Civic Studies, and Eitan Hersh, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Professor of Civic Studies at Tisch College The 2022 elections will determine the makeup of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and influence future policy. But what will happen in November? From the polls to prediction models, Professor Schaffner will help set early expectations about what we can expect from the midterm elections. Our election laws are in flux! From state laws on voting access to federal statutes on election certification, Professor Hersh will update us on where things stand with the administration of elections in the United States.

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This talk discusses the works of Hayao Miyazaki of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, arguably the greatest living animator in the world today, in terms of how his films have engaged with the world around us. Miyazaki’s works offer global audiences a rich, compelling and unique vision that stands in important contrast to the animated films of Walt Disney Studios. Disney consistently gives us filmic visions in which good defeats evil, ending with a hopeful, “happily ever after” form of closure. In contrast, Miyazaki’s work and other films from Studio Ghibli present the world as a complex space in which light and dark interweave to create an often shadowier, more ambiguous vision of life. The talk will discuss some of Miyazaki’s most important films, especially “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke,” and “Spirited Away” in terms of how Miyazaki uses character, narrative and imagery to present a multifaceted aesthetic space that is both appealingly immersive but also challenges us to approach the world in new and significant ways. This webinar is presented by Susan Napier, Goldthwaite Professor of Rhetoric at Tufts University.

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Dr. Parke Wilde is a nationally recognized researcher on the economics of nutrition assistance and food security in low-income US communities. He is the author of “Food Policy in the United States: An Introduction.” In addition to owning The Inn at Hastings Park, which was recognized by Travel + Leisure as one of the top 100 hotels in the world, Ms. Trisha Perez Kennealy is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef and Chair of the Board of Advisors at the Friedman School. Dr. Wilde will offer an overview of the policy and economics of food, and why healthy food choices are important for both the economy and the environment. Ms. Kennealy will offer a hospitality and business perspective as someone who is dedicated to serving healthy, delicious, and sustainable food to her restaurant guests. Why does healthy eating promote better environmental health? Why is food waste so harmful? Are the goals of healthy eating and a clean environment in conflict or in concert? Join us to hear the answers to these and your own questions.

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Early in Dan Jay’s academic career he was allowed and encouraged to think across fields and saw first-hand the benefit of bringing a diversity of thought to address critical problems. Working simultaneously in molecular biology and as a practicing visual artist, he was able to draw from his artistic skills to visualize how proteins and light energy interact and was able to develop a new technology that uses lasers to destroy proteins in cells in order to address their cellular function. Since then, he has been dedicated to the mission to inspire where art and science meet; and his administrative efforts to increasing diversity in science and inspire youth from underserved and communities to go into the sciences. Join us to learn about his artwork and how it inspires scientific innovation!

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Watch Now

Join us to hear about Erin Coughlan de Perez's work with the Red Cross in foresight and prevention—in her own words! Erin bridges science, policy, and practice in her research on climate risk management around the world. She focuses on extreme events, exploring how droughts, floods, heatwaves, and other climate shocks can be anticipated before they happen. Erin works with humanitarian teams on the development of early action protocols to avoid disaster impacts, and she researches the adoption and effectiveness of climate change adaptation measures.

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Watch Now

Fireflies are surely among our most charismatic insects. Sara Lewis & her students are captivated by their luminous lives. Come journey with us across New England meadows, Japanese riversides, and along mangrove forests in Malaysia to learn about fireflies and how to keep their magic alive. Sara Lewis is an ecologist and professor of Biology at Tufts University. She has spent the past thirty years studying insect behavior, ecology, and evolution, and teaches popular courses in statistics, edible insects and science communication. In addition to writing numerous scientific articles, Lewis has given a TED talk and has written popular articles for National Wildlife, Undark, CNN, The Guardian, and Natural History. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and BBC, along with numerous radio shows and podcasts. She is also the author of "Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies."

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Watch Now

Hear from our faculty about what inspires them, and what they find most exciting in their research!

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Watch Now

Science and narrative represent two distinct ways of constructing reality and there are traps when science and storytelling mean different things when they speak of truth. Making sense out of scientific data is Elena Naumova’s passion and her way of thinking, yet she also recognizes the complexity of conveying the truth with data. She uses various forms of data visualization from simple bar charts to dynamic maps to create data-driven storytelling. She is bringing wicked questions to the discussions of climate change, vaccinations, humanitarian conflicts, global pandemics, and environmental pollution with the opportunities offered by data science. Come learn about data-inspired storytelling and the value of science communication!

What Matters to Me and Why is a series of virtual presentations followed by discussion that goes beyond the great research we’ve heard about: To give our community a chance to get to know how our faculty came to their topics and—in their own words—what inspires and is important to them!

Watch Now

We all know that everyone loves an underdog, but why? What makes rivalry games different? Why do mediocre players often make the best coaches? How is running on a treadmill just like running a business or taking a challenging class? In the spirit of Homecoming, join Sam Sommers, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Tufts (and co-author of the recent book This Your Brain on Sports) for an educational and entertaining virtual look at what the world of sports has to teach us about human nature.

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With just over one thousand remaining in the mountains of central Africa, the mountain gorilla is a critically endangered species. Learn about the threats to, and efforts to protect the mountain gorilla from Tufts own experts, Felicia Nutter and Christopher Whittier. Professors Nutter and Whittier have been studying, working and conducting research in African since 1989 and have traveled throughout the continent and lived in Tanzania and Rwanda. They were veterinarians for the mountain gorillas in the early 2000s and in addition to providing veterinary care for wild gorillas, also conducted research, trained veterinarians and students, and helped build employee health programs and the first sanctuaries for confiscated gorillas in that region of Africa.

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Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, discusses how food and nutrition are critical to the current and post-COVID-19 response.

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Dean Rachel Kyte speaks to Professor Abigail Linnington and Susan Gannon, Fletcher Military Fellow, about leading Tufts’ critical response to the ongoing pandemic.

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Dean Alastair E. Cribb, DVM, PhD, talks with Cummings School virologist Professor Jonathan Runstadler, DVM, PhD, about his cutting-edge research to determine whether COVID-19 may be infecting our pets.

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Peter Bates, MD, dean ad interim of Tufts Medical School, talks with medical school faculty from Tufts health care partners and medical centers about caring for patients through the pandemic.

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Join us as Brian Schaffner, Newhouse Professor of Civic Studies, breaks through the rhetoric and breaks down what transpired in the months leading up to the primaries to bring us our 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. This program is offered in conjunction with the Tisch College of Civic Life’s 20th Anniversary Celebration.

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Join us for an important conversation on engaging your children productively using technology featuring Dr. Marina Bers and Dr. Merredith Portsmore (E98, AG99, AG10). Dr. Amanda Strawhacker (A11, AG13) is the moderator for this discussion. COVID-19 has changed the way our kids are taking in and retaining information. Many parents and caretakers are grappling with how and what tools should be used to help their younger family members learn effectively. Dr. Bers and Dr. Portsmore both believe that technology should be a tool for students in the classroom and at home. The discussion will focus on two age groups: little ones ages 4-8 years old and those who have already mastered literacy – late elementary, middle and high school.

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Have you ever wondered where new drugs come from, or what’s involved in a clinical trial? What are the challenges facing the drug industry today? In this webinar, we will discuss how drugs are discovered and developed, and we will explore exciting breakthroughs that are changing the drug industry.

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Please join us for a webinar discussion moderated by Tufts lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Alexander Queen, featuring alumnae and Clinical Psychologists, Dr. Shara Brofman, A05, and Dr. Sharon Jedel, A96, and Tufts Assistant Professor Dr. Eileen Crehan on a topic of Jumbo importance: “COVID19 – Taking Care of You and Your Family and Coping with the New “Normal.” We’ll cover important topics such as grappling with heightened emotions we may be experiencing, helping our kids cope and adjusting to the new “normal”. 

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Join us as we discuss Psychological Perspectives on Racial Disparities in Legal Outcomes. This discussion will focus on Policing, Charging Decisions and Criminal Trial Proceedings and there will be an audience Q&A as well. Professor Sommers and Judge Lewis are both highly regarded in their fields and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the discussion.

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Please join the Tufts Latino Alumni Association, the Tufts Alumni International Committee, and Tufts Hillel for a virtual talk with New York Times best-selling author Ariana Neumann, J92, discussing her new book When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains (Scribner). Ariana will be interviewed by Barbara Wallace Grossman, AG84, Professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Tufts.

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Did you know that almost 800 million people around the globe lack access to safe drinking water?  Learn about a novel, low-cost approach that Dr. Pickering has developed with her colleagues to disinfect drinking water in low-income urban communities in Africa and East Asia with the added benefit of improving the health of children in those areas. 

Presented by:
Amy Pickering
Tiampo Family Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Principal Investigator, Pickering Lab
Tufts School of Engineering
Read her full bio

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Do you know the right time to start speaking with your children about drug and substance use? It’s younger than you think.  Hear from Dr. Skeer about her research in adolescent substance use prevention, learn background on the science behind communication with teens about substance use, and receive some practical advice on discussing drug and alcohol use with teens.

Presented by:
Margie Skeer, SC.D., M.P.H., M.S.W.
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health & Community Medicine
Read Her Bio

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Pet nutrition is becoming more and more confusing, with widespread myths and misinformation. This makes it difficult for pet owners to know what is truly the best food for their pets, and may result in feeding less-than-ideal or even dangerous diets. This talk will address some of owners' most common concerns, such as those about ingredients (grains, by-products, exotic meats), food allergies, organic, and raw diets, as well as questions they should be asking to find the best food for their pets. 

Presented by: 

Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN, 

Professor, Clinical Nutrition, Department of Clinical Science

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Action scenes in today's movies are more complicated than ever, but few of us realize how important music is to keeping us on the edge of our seats. Car chases, fight scenes, and epic battles all rely on the efforts of the film composer to heighten tension and build filmgoer expectations, and the way these scenes are scored have changed in fascinating ways over time. In this webinar, you will learn about two competing models for accompanying action set-pieces with music: the most up-to-date approach, epitomized by the music of Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Inception and The Lion King), and a resolutely old-fashioned method still practiced by John Williams (Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Jaws). Professor Lehman will highlight fundamental shifts in movie and movie music aesthetics, as well as some unexpected connections between the two artists who often seem worlds apart.

Presented by:

Frank Lehman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Undergraduate Studies

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Co-sponsored by the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA)

Around the world, people are living longer, but having to manage chronic disease as well as loss of bone and muscle mass. This webinar will explore some proven intervention solutions through proper nutrition and physical activity. Whether you are an older adult facing these issues or you’re a caregiver of an older adult, you won’t want to miss this informative session presented by some of the leading researchers in the country on this topic!

Presented by:

Sarah L. Booth, Ph.D., Director of the HNRCA, senior scientist and director of the Vitamin K Laboratory

Roger A. Fielding, Ph.D., Director and senior scientist of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia (NEPS) Laboratory

Bess F. Dawson-Hughes, M.D., Director and senior scientist of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory

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Cybersecurity is now an international crisis impacting every individual, business, and institution. It behooves us all to be more educated and proactive when it comes to our security in the digital realm. Learn more about this pressing issue including misconceptions and fallacies, perceived cybersecurity skills shortage, the sobering reality of most attacks and how to defend yourself and your business, and how Tufts is working to improve cybersecurity.

Presented by:

Ming Chow, Senior Lecturer, Director of Alumni and Industrial Relations, Computer Science Department

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Co-sponsored by the Tisch College of Civic Life

Citing Tisch College research, TIME Magazine made young activists one of their runners-up for Person of the Year in 2018. Tisch College leads the nation in studying young people; its research is widely used to boost youth engagement in politics, including on our own campus. Tisch researchers will share their insights about what happened with the youth vote 2018, what we can expect for 2019-20, and what Americans should do to engage youth in politics.

Presented by:

Peter Levine, Associate Dean, Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

How can something as inherently valuable as oil actually contribute to a nation's underdevelopment, and to what extent does this impact those living in oil-rich countries? This webinar starts with an overview of the broader effects of oil on social, political, and economic outcomes and then centers on how oil affects government policy-making towards the growth of the domestic economy and the struggles that oil-rich nations often face in terms of diversifying away from oil.

What you'll learn:

• Why entrepreneurs often suffer and black markets thrive in oil-rich nations
• How alternative energy can imperil a petroleum-based economy
• Which nations are escaping the fossil fuel trap
• How the so-called “resource curse” can ultimately affect consumers like you

Presenter: 

Dr. Nimah Mazaheri, associate professor of political science

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Take an all-star team of Tufts classicists, computer scientists, filmmakers, and biologists. Send them on a collaborative exploration of the work of a pioneer of interdisciplinary research between the sciences and humanities. Sit back and see the results:

• Extraordinary insights into the work of D’Arcy Thompson, a biologist and classicist who influenced generations of scientists, humanists, and artists
• Fascinating observations on the symbolism of Greek bird lore
• Powerful new ways to apply computational methods to the Humanities
• Exciting strategies for using filmmaking and multi-media to engage new audiences

Presenters:

Dr. Marie-Claire Bealieu, associate professor, classics
Dr. Anthony Bucci, lecturer, computer science
Dr. Jennifer Burton, professor of the practice and filmmaker, drama and dance
Dr. Michael Reed, professor, avian ecology and conservation biology

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The great apes are in crisis due to habitat destruction, poaching, and disease, and it is likely that several species will go extinct in the wild in the next 20 years. But people in range countries and here in the United States can help. Educating children is just one step.

What you'll learn:
- Why young female chimps leave their families
- How little Jumbo got her name
- Why male chimps defend their community boundaries to the death

Presenter:

Zarin Machanda, assistant professor of anthropology and biology

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Learn about Machanda's 15-year study of the function of social relationships among chimpanzees in Uganda and the importance of conservation at a field site that has the highest density of primates on earth.

What you'll learn:
- Why young female chimps leave their families
- How little Jumbo got her name
- Why male chimps defend their community boundaries to the death

Presenter:

Zarin Machanda, assistant professor in anthropology and biology

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