Dean of the Faculty DEAN OF THE FACULTY

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series - The Palindromes of Sidonius Apollinaris

Sponsored by:
Dean of the Faculty

Mark Saltviet, Davis Family Library  
The Palindromes of Sidonius Apollinaris
The only palindromes found in a book from Roman antiquity are those found in the letters of Sidonius Apollinaris. However, different palindromes appear in different ancient manuscripts. Mark Saltveit relates his new research into which of these were original, and who may have written them.

Franklin Environmental Center, The Orchard-Hillcrest 103

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series - Recycling the Apocalypse: Resurrection, Adaption, and Sacred Fragments on Medieval Iceland

Sponsored by:
Dean of the Faculty

Robyn Barrow, History of Art & Architecture
Recycling the Apocalypse: Resurrection, Adaption, and Sacred Fragments on Medieval Iceland
On medieval Iceland, which visitors conceptualized as the very mouth of hell, drastic environmental change and resource scarcity was not a sign of apocalypse, but a daily lived experience. The island is subject to extreme weather and geothermal activity that renders any material production, particularly architecture, deeply unstable.

Franklin Environmental Center, The Orchard-Hillcrest 103

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series - AI in Higher Education: Who Uses It, How, and Does It Hurt Learning?

Sponsored by:
Dean of the Faculty

German Reyes, Economics
AI in Higher Education: Who Uses It, How, and Does It Hurt Learning?
Generative AI has swept through college campuses with unprecedented speed, but what do we actually know about its impact on student learning? Drawing on two studies at Middlebury College, this talk presents systematic evidence on how students are using AI tools and whether these tools deliver on their educational promise.

Franklin Environmental Center, The Orchard-Hillcrest 103

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series - Past Rainfall and Wildfire Patterns in the Western US

Sponsored by:
Dean of the Faculty

Cameron de Wet, Earth & Climate Science  
Past Rainfall and Wildfire Patterns in the Western US: New Perspectives from Caves and Climate Models
Anthropogenic activities are pushing the climate system toward a new, warmer state that is outside the bounds of what human societies have experienced. The warming climate is driving changes in rainfall and wildfire patterns across the western US, but how these dynamics will continue to evolve remains uncertain.

Franklin Environmental Center, The Orchard-Hillcrest 103