Campus Currents

Saturday, April 21, 2018
Crocker Grove
http://christa.org/science-festival/

Framingham State University will host its 4th annual Science on State Street festival this Saturday, organized by the Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning in partnership with the MetroWest STEM Education Network.

This year’s event features even more interactive exhibits, dynamic STEM presentations, free planetarium shows and a special feature presentation with Dr. John Grant from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The festival, which is part of the Cambridge Science Festival, is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dr. Grant’s talk, “Exploring Mars’ Past: The Epic Journey of the Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity Rovers,” will take place at noon in the Dwight Hall Performing Arts Center. He brings his passion for Mars geologic history and 14 years of exploration and discovery as a member of the Mars rover science teams to the Science on State Street festival stage.

“This year’s event will be our largest to date,” says Dr. Irene Porro, Director of the McAuliffe Center. “This is a great opportunity for local families to spend the day on our beautiful campus and take part in a number of exciting exhibits and presentations at no cost.”

There are more than 40 exhibitors, including the Earth Ltd at Southwick’s Zoo, Beyond Benign, Microsoft/Natick, New England Section of Optical Society of America, New England Wild Flower Society, PBS NOVA, City of Framingham - Department of Public Works, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and many more. Parking is free and there will be food on sale. For more information, visit http://christa.org/science-festival/

Thursday, April 19, 4:30 p.m.
DPAC
Register Here Via Eventbrite

This feature length documentary presents a portrait of the great scientist and teacher Lynn Margulis who was at the helm of a significant paradigm shift in biology that affects how we look at ourselves, evolution, and planet Earth.  More than a biography of a great scientist, more than a look at the history and politics of science, and more than an explanation of current scientific theories, this documentary offers a coherent look at a contemporary paradigm shift that affects decisions we make on a daily basis about health, nutrition and the environment.  The revolution it describes is as important and far-reaching as those of Copernicus and Darwin.  Following the screening, there will be a discussion with the film's director, John Feldman and Lynn Margulis' son and long-time writing partner, Dorion Sagan.

The 16th Annual Preskenis Lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, April 18th:

"From Arithmetic to Proof: Creating Mathematicians in the Elementary School Classroom” with Salem State University Professor Reva Kasman.

Traditional mathematics learning tends to begin with the presentation of a polished result which is then applied to carefully chosen illustrative examples. But this format hides the true nature of a mathematician’s work, which is creative, exploratory, messy, and meandering. Long before mathematicians prove a useful theorem, they play with examples, cultivate their intuition, and make a lot of false starts in their search for something that is plausibly true.

How does the mathematical experience change for elementary students when they function as a community of mathematicians? In this talk I will share work from a project which brings mathematical argument about the four arithmetic operations into 2nd-5th grade classrooms. We will explore what it means for young students (and their teachers) to engage in the earliest stages of creating conjectures, searching for evidence and counterexamples, and ultimately supporting their claims with representation-based proofs.

6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.   Dinner
           Support for the 2018 Preskenis Dinner provided by Sodexo
           Faculty/Staff Dining Room, 3rd Floor, D. Justin McCarthy Center

7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.   Dr. Kasman's Presentation
           Alumni Room, 3rd Floor, D. Justin McCarthy Center

8:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.   Reception
         Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs
         Alumni Room, 3rd Floor, D. Justin McCarthy Center

For more information, and to register, visit https://www.framingham.edu/faculty/smabrouk/preskenis/annual/sixteenth.htm.

Heineman Ecumenical Center
Thursday, April 19
4:30 p.m.

Join us for the annual Student Literary Awards Ceremony.

Join us for this interesting debate sponsored by the Health and Wellness Center:

Reefer Sanity: Opposing Experts Face Off in Marijuana Debate
Tuesday, April 24, 7 p.m., DPAC

The debate will feature two nationally renowned guests. Aaron Houston (pro) is a Colorado industry expert. He has played a big role in the national movement to legalize marijuana and is known as an advocate often speaking about the benefits of marijuana legalization. He is a capitol hill lobbyist and is often featured on the news and at national legalization events.

On the other side will be Kevin Sabet (con) who served in the Obama Administration as the Senior Advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He has written books, and started an organization called "Smart Approaches to Marijuana." He has been instrumental in the anti-drug movement educating about the risks of marijuana - especially its impact on youth.

To learn more about our debaters, visit http://wolfmanproductions.com/marijuana-policy-debate/

SHOULD FACULTY & STAFF BE PERMITTED TO BRING PETS TO WORK?

Students in Dr. Ira Silver's Animals and Society Course are holding an open forum to hear your thoughts.

Wednesday, April 18th
North Hall Commons, 1:30 p.m.

Hate Symbols on Campus
North Hall Commons Room
Tuesday, April 24
4:30 p.m.

Dan Levenson from the Anti-Defamation League will lead a discussion on hate symbols, looking at their origin, meaning, and use today. The purpose of this meeting is not only to educate people about these symbols so they can recognize them for what they are, but also to gain some understanding of the ideology behind these images. The second part of the conversation is on how communities can respond to acts of hate, emphasizing proactive relationship building, strengthening the community overall.

“Free Speech With Community Values” Forum
 Center for Inclusive Excellence, O’Connor Hall       
Wednesday, April 25
7 p.m.

Professor John Ambacher, Ann McDonald, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, and Cassidy Flynn, senior and President of the College Republicans will hold a forum on "Free Speech with Community Values." The event will include a brief overview of the law, a discussion of the difference between how a private and public university handles free speech, the effect of social media on community values, and the tension and impact on inclusivity.

Wednesday Employer Showcase Series, McCarthy Campus Center Lobby, 9:00AM – 5:45PM:

Employers showcase their organization every Wednesday in the McCarthy Center lobby by the Welcome Desk. Their goal is to network with FSU students and recruit students for full time or internship opportunities. Stop by their table in order to learn about new internships and job opportunities!

4/18/18

9:00 a.m. – Noon: Robert Half Staffing
Noon - 3 p.m.: RCS Learning and Massachusetts State Police

THURSDAY 4/19/18

10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Habitat for Humanity Career Day

4/25/18

9:00 a.m.—Noon: Santander
Noon– 6:00 p.m.: MetroWest YMCA Career Day

5/2/18

9 a.m. to noon: Ashland Public Schools and Piece by Piece Moving and Storage

Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester Career Day

Thursday, April 19, 10:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m., MC Lobby

Learn more about volunteer, internships and AmeriCorps opportunities with Habitat for Humanity. Build Homes, Community and Hope! Stop by the Employer Showcase

Table in the MC Lobby for more information.

MERC Education Fair

Thursday, April 19,  9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m., at B.U.

Come to the largest education fair in New England -  Over 100 school systems and agencies attend!  Save the date for this annual recruiting event that brings together teaching candidates and school systems across the country for networking and job opportunities in public/private schools.

Register at: www.merccareerfair.com.

Free transportation leaving FSU at 9 AM and leaving from BU at 2 PM to return to FSU. Transportation pre-registration required. Call the CSER Office at 508-626-4625.

On Campus Interviews Week – April 23 through April 27, 2018, MC514

Monday, April 23: Walgreens 9:30 a.m.— 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 24: Securitas 9:30 a.m.—12:30

Wednesday, April 25: Santander 12:30 p.m.—4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 26: Coca-Cola 10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.

Friday, April 27: Ashland Public Schools 9:30 a.m.— 2:30 p.m.

NEW* Thursday, May 3: The MathWorks 9:00 a.m. - Noon

Pre-Registration is required for all interviews through the CSER Office. Call 508-626-4625 for more information.

See Ramtrack for descriptions of these companies’ open opportunities.

-Professor Ashley Barry ’10 has been accepted to the University of New Hampshire’s PhD program in English: Composition. She has also been offered a teaching assistantship.

-Professor Christine Payson, a visiting lecturer teaching first-year writing in the English Department since the fall 2016 semester, defended her dissertation, Providential Defiance: Women Contesting Theocracy in American Historical Fiction 1827-2008, on March 16. She will graduate with a Ph.D. from Tufts University in May.