2024 summer seminar series

Free educational series presented by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and other contributors

NAU’s popular free Summer Seminar Series returns in person to explore the cultural, social, and geopolitical dimensions of today’s complex world.

During the sessions, parking is complimentary in nearby lots P61 and P47. Access via Zoom will be available. Links to video recordings for some sessions may be provided for later viewing.

The series is free to the public through the support of our generous donors.

Summer Seminar Series events are held Thursdays, June 6–July 25 (except July 4), from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the SBS West Building (070), room 200.

For Zoom access, registration is required. One-time registration for all seminars.

Upcoming events

Getting the Information We Need to Ensure Our Water is Safe

June 6, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Ashleigh Day, Assistant Professor, School of Communication

The purpose of this research is to better understand Flagstaff residents’ water knowledge, media uses, information sources, and water-related risk perceptions. Being knowledgeable about water supports individuals’ informed decision making. Thus, in consultation with the City of Flagstaff’s Water Services (CFWS), water-related risk perceptions and gaps in residents’ water knowledge were investigated. Data were collected from residents (n=476) via Qualtrics. Results highlight variations among risk perceptions, trusted information sources, and preferred media for information dissemination. The next step is to use results to create targeted messages that can help Getting the Information We Need to Ensure Our Water is Safe increase residents’ water knowledge and water conservation and stewardship.

The Rise in Anti-LGBTQ Legislation: A History of Drag

June 13, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Meredith Heller, Assistant Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Sociology

Following a series of recent anti-LGBTQ bathroom bills, school mandates, and sports restrictions, 14 US states tried to pass legislation prohibiting drag performance. It might seem like queerness has always been framed as socially deviant, but the history of drag reveals a different story. Theatrical gender-bending was often a vehicle for upholding social and political norms. This presentation will show how the complex relationship between drag and popular perception does not support political sentiment that LGBTQ content is inherently anti-normative, “unsuitable” for children, or criminal.

The Life of a Logo: Tenth-Anniversary Thoughts on the Symbol of NAU

June 20, 2024

Presenter: Dr. James Bowie, Teaching Professor, Department of Sociology

What does a logo say about the institution it represents? Ten years ago, Dr. Bowie served on the committee that helped create the NAU logo. Since then, he has been collecting images that illustrate how the logo’s design, use, and meaning have developed along with the university. He will present this visual evolution in the context of the history of symbols at NAU and with an eye to the larger significance of logos in our society.

Award-winning Documentary–Life in the Soundcurrent: Finding Peace in the Desert

June 27, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Kurt Lancaster, Professor, Creative Media and Film

Join us for a screening of the award-winning 45-minute documentary, Steve Roach: Life in the Soundcurrent by Dr. Kurt Lancaster. He will discuss the 5-year journey in making this film, what he learned, and the future of this film. It has screened at 30 film festivals and earned 9 awards. A man overwhelmed by the cacophony of everyday life turns to the desert to find peace, which inspires him to create music from what he refers to as the “sound current.” Nearly three hundred albums later (and two Grammy nominations), he reflects on his life, loss, and process in what it means to sculpt sound from desert spaces.

Using Collaborative Video for the Conservation of Gastronomic Knowledge in Southern Mexico

July 11, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Armando Medinaceli, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology

Using conventional and digital research methods, this project documents gastronomic knowledge of the communities in the highlands of Chiapas. Following a collaborative approach, the initial phase included training a community research team on how to document and produce gastronomic videos in accessible formats for the local participating communities, as well as on methodologies for documenting traditional ecological knowledge. Videos serve as a path to involve people from different generations in a research process that responds to local interests toward the protection and conservation of local traditional gastronomic and ecological knowledge while supporting food sovereignty initiatives.

Anarchy in Action: Exploring the Politics and Activism of Dissent

July 18, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Sean Parson, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Affairs and Department of Sociology

Anarchism has provided a powerful ideological tool for protests and experimental politics throughout the world: ranging from occupy wall street,  black lives matter, the climate justice movement, and the anti-fascist resistance to right-wing populism. While central to social movement politics, anarchism is poorly understood in mainstream culture, as it is often associated with chaos and violence. This talk will navigate the intricate terrain of anarchism engaging with both its theoretical foundations and historical examples of anarchism in practice, focusing on the Spanish civil war, the Rajava project in Kurdish areas of Syria, the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, and others.

Music as Agent for Social Connection

July 25, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Eylin Palamaro-Munsell, Associate Chair and Associate Teaching Professor, Psychological Sciences

Music can be both personal and communal. A collective musical experience, such as a live concert, operates not simply as a soundtrack for an occasion, but as a catalyst for a shared emotional event. For example, much of the music created in the 1960’s was fueled by ideology that solidified a movement and rallied community to action. This session explores the role music plays in building interpersonal connections. We highlight examples of social connection in two disparate music-based communities, punk rock and K-pop. Attendees will be invited to consider and share their own connections to the music of their lives. 

Stay connected

Join the series mailing list by emailing sbs.news@nau.edu or like the series on Facebook.

Support the series

This series is made possible thanks to the generosity of our community members. We hope you will continue your support with a donation to the series. Thank you!

Donate online or by check: Designate “fund #5466” on a check to NAU Foundation, PO Box 4094, Flagstaff, AZ 86011.

Donate online