North Central College is holding a free webinar series this summer focusing on COVID-19 and its effects on our society.
Hosted By Faculty
College faculty members from 13 academic programs will host the 17 different webinars. The sessions are open to all.
“North Central College faculty have such a vast range of expertise, and the COVID-19 pandemic lends itself to examination from multiple perspectives,” said Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Central College in a press release. “What has emerged throughout this project is a rich, multi-disciplinary exploration of this important moment in world history. North Central students will be excited to see some of their favorite professors doing what they do best, and the community at large will benefit from the information and invitation for discussion. This series captures the essence of the North Central experience by combining real-world events with deeper academic exploration.”
The webinars cover a broad range of topics, and many will include Q&A sessions with the professors.
Links on North Central Website
Links to the webinars will be posted each week on the North Central College website. Participants can view the webinars and then send in questions for the live Q&A sessions, which will take place a day after the webinars are posted.
All webinars will be archived on the North Central College website and YouTube channel.
Schedule
The full schedule for the Q&A sessions is as follows (note – these are subject to change):
Social Media and Misinformation
June 30, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Michael Blight, assistant professor of communication
The Chinese Response to COVID-19 in Three Stages
July 1, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Jinai Sun, associate professor of Chinese
How Epidemics Have Shaped Chicago’s History
July 2, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Ann Durkin Keating, Dr. C. Frederick Toenniges Professor of History
The Epidemiology of Coronaviruses
July 7, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Greg Ruthig, associate professor of biology
The Invisible Pandemic
July 9, 12 p.m. CDT | Judith Broadhead, associate professor of English
COVID-19 and The Constitution
July 14, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Thomas Cavenagh, Schneller Sisters Professor of Leadership, Ethics,
and Values; Director of Leadership, Ethics and Values program; co-director, Center for Social
Impact
The Individualistic Root of the Resistance to Prevention in the U.S.
July 16, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Yadong Ji, assistant professor of communication
Thucydides? Again?
July 21, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Michael de Brauw, associate professor of classics
Voting During a Global Pandemic
July 23, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Suzanne Chod, associate professor of politic science; Dr. William
Muck, professor of political science
The Black Death, 1348-1352
July 28, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Bruce Janacek, professor of history, executive director, sixteenth
century society & conference
How the Pandemic Threatens Local Journalism (and What Might Be Done About It)
July 30, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Steve Macek, Professor of Communication
From the Plague to COVID-19: Responding to Pandemic in Stories
August 4, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Jennifer Smith, associate professor of English; chairperson,
Department of English
The Chemistry of Anti-Viral Drugs Used to Treat COVID-19
August 6, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Nicholas Boaz, assistant professor of chemistry
Understanding the Physiological and Psychological Aspects of COVID-19
August 11, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Leila Azarbad, Professor of Psychology; Dr. Maggie Gill, associate
professor of psychology and neuroscience; Dr. Alexis Chambers, assistant professor of
psychology and neuroscience; Dr. Michael Stefanik, assistant professor of psychology and
neuroscience
COVID-19 and the Environment
August 13, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Rebecca Sanders, assistant professor of chemistry; Dr. Paul
Bloom, associate professor of physics
From Global to Local: Supply Chain Structure Evolution and COVID-19
August 18, 7 p.m. CDT | Dr. Esen Andic-Mortan, assistant professor of management
COVID-19 and Our Youth: Where We Are Now, and Where Are We Going?
August 20, 12 p.m. CDT | Dr. Mary Groll, professor and program director of health sciences
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