Hands, Haiti, and Humanitarianism

Our talk this week will be held virtually on Friday, 11/19 from 5:00 - 6:00. 

While I could go on about how interesting and amazing it is, I think I'll let Jade tell us all about this amazing opportunity to talk about interesting things in a impactful way.

Inhumane Humanitarianism: When good intensions have bad consequences

As a global society, we are coming to realize that our most critical problems exist in the context of complex adaptive systems that are difficult to model and predict. Working with people from various disciplines and backgrounds can help us better understand and adapt our solutions within these systems—whether they involve policy, new processes, or goods and services-- without causing major new problems and is one of the main challenges of humanity moving into future.

Offering effective humanitarian aid in areas experiencing extreme poverty, natural disasters, or acts of war requires a deep understanding the nuances of the needs of each of the parties that hold a stake—positive or negative— in that area.

Join Jade as she relates her first- “hand” experiences in the field of upper-limb prosthetics needs assessment—when it’s gone terribly wrong and what it looks like when it is done right-- and lessons learned from time spent doing collaborative clinical, design, and ethnographic research in the field in the low-resource, disaster affected area of Haiti.

Jade Myers

Jade holds positions as both Visiting Scientist at the RIT LiveAbility Lab and Adjunct Faculty within the Biomedical Engineering Department and the School of Individualized Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has served as Research & Development Associate and Haiti Project Team Lead for LimbForge (in partnership with Victoria Hand Project), a non-profit specializing in increasing access to quality prostheses for underserved communities throughout the world and has collaborated with Doctors without Borders (MSF) on international ultra-low-cost medical device projects involving 3D printing within low-income countries, disaster areas and war zones. Her team’s work has been showcased in such venues as Time magazine and was recently on display at Hartford University as a part of the Design Museum installation, “Bespoke Bodies: The Design & Craft of Prosthetics.” Its accompanying book features a prosthetic her team designed on its cover. Jade instructs and co-instructs several courses including “Medical Device Design,” “Wicked Problems,” and "3D-Technologies for Prosthetic Applications," an interdisciplinary, project-based class that leverages 3D-printing, scanning, and CAD to engage students in the many facets of prosthetic design. Concurrently a Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Ph.D. student at RIT, her research centers on finding novel ways to improve the design of prosthetic sockets using 3D-printable lattice structures, and she ultimately strives to increase access to low-cost, medical grade 3D-printed prosthetic devices for those with the greatest need across the globe. Jade is a 2012 alumnus of FLCC and was a member of its Honors program.

 

 

Looking inward to better what's outward...

 

HONORS TALK SERIES

Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility

Wednesday, November 10

5:00 - 6:00

Room 2310 or VIA WEBEX (password is HonorsTalk5 if needed)

Speaker:  Nasim Sarvaiya, Assistant Professor, Social Science

That's quite a title, isn't it?  There's a lot to unpack in it and rather than try to do it myself - since I am often learning right along with the other attendees at the talks - I asked Nasim to explain what it meant.  This is what she said:

Cultural humility goes beyond cultural competence in that it is a tool for an increased awareness of self in order to understand the "other" by going beyond learning about other cultures and reflect on one's own history. Cultural humility requires considering the "other" as an expert in his/her own experiences. Cultural humility is more engaging so that each can discover him/herself and their own beliefs in order to become more of aware of bias, stereotypes, and judgment.

This is so very important - today and every day.  I think there's a lot we can learn from Nasim about how to be better citizens of the world and I am looking forward to the talk.  Nasim herself comes from a pretty powerful background.  When I asked her to tell me a little about herself, this is what she shared with me:

 I did not have a straight and narrow career path. When in graduate school, I aspired to work with women centering on mainly women’s issues such as domestic abuse, prenatal care, women’s health, etc. My college advisor at that time suggested “exploring” men’s issues so I did my first graduate internship at a medium security prison for men. That experience changed the course of my career path. This began my new journey capturing human service work within the criminal justice arena.   ​Through all of my positions, I learned that no one is solely his/her crime, disability, circumstance, etc. Every individual was born equal and so much of who we are is molded by our environment in context of family, culture, sub-culture, race, and ethnicity to name some factors. 

I really hope you will join us for this important talk.  With all that is going on in the world around us, we need as many tools as we can get for how to engage with those around us in thoughtful, meaningful, and healing ways.  There is no other way that we will create a world that treats everyone with equal humanity, acceptance, and respect.

C'mon Everyone...Let's SCIENCE!

 VIRTUAL TALK THIS WEDNESDAY

John Bateman...scientist, conservationist, assistant professor, Honors advocate, and all around good guy.  He has so much enthusiasm and passion for the world around us and wants to share that with everyone.  His unique approach to all things science is one that is infectious (see what I did there?  Science word?) for everyone...even those of us who claim that science is not a strength (or maybe even a joy).  When I asked him to describe his talk this Wednesday (and his class in the spring), this is what he had to say:

Are you curious about the world around you? Have you ever wondered about the world around us or natural phenomena you’ve witnessed, such as how a rainbow forms, how our universe began, or why we no longer have dinosaurs? If so, you’re already on the path to being a scientist. While the word “science” can intimidate a lot of people, at its root it is about curiosity and inquiry, finding order out of chaos, and testing predictions. Science is a powerful discipline that has reshaped our society again and again. Can you imagine a world without it? It would be like going back to the Stone Age, as the growth of humankind is dependent upon science. Without it, progress stops. So, imagine for a second…what would your life be like without antibiotics, clean water, electricity, or (gasp!) your smartphone? Despite this, we live in a time where the word science in America seems to have a stigma attached to it. Half-truths and outright lies have created a cloud of doubt that hangs over the heads of too many citizens, and due to this, progress is likely slowing as a result.

I hope that I’ve caught your attention by this point and that the last sentence is not sitting well with you. If so, I have something to offer so that you are not one of those with a cloud of doubt enveloping your head.

This coming spring, I am teaching an Honors science course that is designed for non-science majors and this Wednesday, I'm going to touch on some of the things the course will entail.  In short, we are going to talk science in the modern age and how we can all take steps to juggle everything that is out there.  In the talk (which does not require you to take the course), I hope to start to instill an appreciation for science and an understanding of the scientific method.  I want students to be able to comprehend the level of rigor and certainty it takes for a new finding to be deemed acceptable by the scientific community. We will cover a number of science topics that are considered hot-button issues in our country, such as vaccines, evolution, the age of our Earth, climate change, gene modification, and the re-wilding of extinct species.  

Then, in the spring, students will investigate both sides of the story and be able to come to their own factual-based opinion. Hopefully, you will then be willing to share that opinion with others. My goal for students taking the course in the spring is that they will be able to weed through the massive amount of information that is available to us (or, in some cases, shoved in our face) to find the truth. I hope you can attend my talk. Perhaps I might even see you in class come spring!

Count me in...I'm there.  Will YOU be?

Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 via WebEx.

Password is HonorsTalk4 if needed.

....Satisfaction Brought It Back

This week's blog title is the second half of the oft-repeated phrase "curiosity killed the cat" that few seem to really know.  I love it because it implies that curiosity and the satisfaction of that curiosity is a cycle.  That when we embark on a life of exploring that which we are curious about, we then will lead a life full of interesting pursuits and moments of satisfaction.  That sounds pretty incredible, doesn't it?  There is a reason that STAY CURIOUS is the motto of Honors.  In service to that and to all of our intellectual endeavors in the pursuit of satisfaction, our next Honors talk will focus on curiosity itself.  Dr. Jonathan Keiser, the FLCC Provost, has this to say about the conversation we will have...

Cultivating Curiosity: Who is going to encourage you to Stay Curious after graduation?  …you are!

Curiosity is often an overlooked and under researched personality trait in the Cognitive Sciences despite a widespread belief that it’s an important attribute for personal growth and career success. This Honors Talk will provide a brief overview of some research on curiosity and offer suggestions for developing a curious mind to support self-development, interpersonal relationships, and professional achievements.

Jonathan Keiser became interested in how be people learn and acquire knowledge while teaching Biology courses as a graduate student. He later went on to formally study learning and teaching theory and earned a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a doctoral minor in Educational Psychology from University of Minnesota. He served as a consultant to City University Hong Kong in designing and assessing discovery enriched curriculum which focused on leveraging and cultivating students’ intellectual curiosity to gain a deeper and broader understanding of discipline-specific learning outcomes across multiple fields of study. Fostering curiosity is a core tenant of his personal and professional philosophy for managing teams and leading a learning-centered organization.   

I hope that you can join us on MONDAY, 10/18 from 5:00 - 6:00 in room 2310 or via WebEx.

You can also earn an Honors point by attending an event being put on by the Social Science department the next day, Laker Day.  Some information on that event:

Meagan Sylvester is an author and senior lecturer at the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago. She will give a virtual talk on the role of music in Caribbean society, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. via this link.

Sylvester’s research topics include music and national identity in Calypso and Soca and music and human rights in the Americas. Her talk is titled “People Power Movements in Caribbean Festival Culture: The Calypso Experience.”

The event is part of the History, Culture and Diversity series organized by Robert Brown, professor of history.

Join at this link: https://flcc.webex.com/meet/robert.brown

Hope to see you at one or both of these events!  Free T-shirts to those who come!  :)

Look...and Look Past

 

This week, on Wednesday, we have another FLCC alum coming to talk to you about some important things.  I asked her to share a short explanation of who she is and what she would talk about it and this is what she said...

Hi, I’m Jenna and I’m an alcoholic…but, I’m also a Criminal Defense Legal Assistant, a graduate of the FLCC Creative Writing Program, a sobriety and mental health advocate, a runner, a rock climber, a good friend, a respectful daughter and a supportive sister. Let’s talk about how all of that is possible while the first fact will forever be true!

In just these few sentences, we have such a powerful statement.  Most of society, and perhaps you yourself, would focus on the phrase "I'm an alcoholic" and perhaps not pay attention to the rest of it.  But there is so much here.  These labels we attach to people - like the week we talked about mental health - can sometimes be overly limited.  They can focus too much on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.  Jenna, like Laura from a couple of weeks ago, is more than just that short phrase.  She has accomplished so much in her life and we cannot look at her and just see that one word.  Alcoholism - like any addiction - is a disease.  We need to acknowledge that and we need to treat it just like we treat any other disease.  

We also need to not reduce those who suffer from it to JUST that.  Jenna may not look like what you think of when you see the word 'alcoholic' and that is yet another reminder that we have to fight the urge to judge others and to make assumptions about who they are based on the labels they may carry.  She is not just her disease.

I invite you to come see her.  REALLY see her.  Listen to her.  And maybe we can all learn something about addiction, sobriety, and strengthen our own life and choices.

Wednesday, 10/13

5:00 - 6:00

Room 2310

Or via WebEx.

Where Three Roads Began...

Good evening, friends…

How many of you are earning your degree in Liberals Arts?  Do you know what you are going to do afterwards?  Go into the work force?  Go onto to a four-year university or college?  Don’t know yet?  Well, have we got a talk for you, then.  Come virtually or in person on Friday, from 5:00 – 6:00 to listen to three speakers talk about how they walked the very path you are on.

Let’s face it, a Liberal Arts Degree from a Community College is sometimes a catch-all for students who aren’t quite sure what career they want to pursue.  For others, it’s a way to complete general education requirements before continuing on to a four-year institution (and beyond) for more focused study.  Regardless of why a Liberal Arts degree is chosen, the path from that degree to a job and a career is sometimes a meandering one and sometimes leads in unexpected directions.  Join three alumni of FLCC as they talk about the choices they made and the places it led, and is still leading, them.

Cheyenne works as a social services assistant at the VA and lives in Geneva.  She has done various things in between her graduation and her current position.  Jeff is an instructional designer at FLCC.  After earning his liberal arts degree here, he went on to get his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Buffalo State.  He currently lives in Fairport with his family.  Mandi Brown is currently a Technology Clerk for the Launch Pad at Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.  She, too, has done a number of other things between graduating and what she does now.  She currently lives in Buffalo.

All of these are valuable, valid, and worthwhile uses of an Associates degree and perfectly acceptable ways of being in the world.  And they are worth hearing about, too.

So, join us!  T-shirts available for all FLCC students who attend!  (Will be mailed to those who attend virtually).

Three very different people.

Three very different journeys.

Three very different results.

Date:  Friday, 8 October 2021

Time:  5:00 - 6:00

Location:  2310 or WebEx

Save your spoons...First Honors Talk, Fall 2021

 

...Honors Talk Series...

"Mental Wellness When the Rest of the World Doesn't Seem to Care"

Speaker:  Laura Johnson, FLCC Book Nook

Even in the best of times, there are those among us who struggle with mental health and wellness.  And you might be one of those people.  Add to this the idea that we are, and have been, living in some difficult times.  What we end up with is the raw fact that many of us are looking about for support, for coping mechanisms, for answers, and for acceptance.  Too often the world seems unable or unwilling to give those things.

I consider myself a fairly happy person, but there are times when I really struggle to understand why I feel the way I do or what I can do about it when I am feeling less than my best self and I have no idea why.  I have chronic pain, so I somewhat understand things that are hard to explain to others (and sometimes to ourselves) because others can’t see them.

I struggle with it, and yet I know that it doesn’t come close to how someone who suffers from depression must feel.  I want to be better equipped to help myself when I need to so that I can better support those around me who need me to be a good advocate for them and, so I can understand, so I can be a reliable member of their support network.  Even when times are dark or hard or a struggle, we need to know that we are not alone and we need to find ways to help ourselves and each other. 

Because we all know that sometimes it feels like the world doesn’t understand us, doesn’t see us, and has no idea how to help us or even that we need help.  Often, we are right.

Like my own chronic pain, mental un-wellness is often an invisible struggle and as a society we aren’t often terribly good at understanding things we can’t see.  Broken bones we understand.  A cut arm we understand.  Colds and headaches we understand.  But mental health?  That one is hard.  Not only is it often invisible, but it manifests itself in ways that seem ‘easy’ to fix for those who aren’t suffering from it.  Just go outside.  Just talk to more people and make friends. Get more sun.  You have no reason to be unhappy, so cheer up.  Just do the thing.

Have you tried not having the flu?

That’s what it seems like these sorts of suggestions or statements are saying.  None of them acknowledge the difficulty or uselessness of doing any of those things if the problem is beyond our personal control.  If you just. Can’t.  Some call this not having enough spoons.  Some call it having demons.  Some use the official names from the DSM-V.  Some make jokes about it. Some just smile and say they are okay because they are so tired of trying to explain.  And some don’t call it anything at all, because why bother?

But we HAVE to bother.  All of us together.  And that means talking about it.  So, we are gathering to do just that.  Laura Johnson knows these things all too well and she will share her thoughts with us and guide us in discussion.

Wednesday, 9/29, 5:00 – 6:00

Room 2310 with masks on (capacity 24)

Or come remotely via Webex.

Speaker:  Laura Johnson, FLCC Book Nook