By Henry Fisher | April 18, 2022
Dean Jeanette Altarriba speaking to the gathered members of the College of Arts and Science.
Photo Credit: Albany Student Press
Members of the College of Arts and Sciences came to the Authors & Artists Reception in the Campus Center’s Assembly Hall on Thursday. Along with the assembled members was a gathering of their work – books, papers, a video, photographs, and art. This event, which normally happens every two years, was delayed during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“Never lose that passion. We always have to keep striving to the next answer to that question,” said Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Jeanette Altarriba.
One of the lead organizers of the event, Assistant to the Dean Julia Singleton, said “I was so excited to get all the people in the room, sharing their research and their knowledge. Building on connections, they could cross-collaborate on many other things in the future.”
Collaboration between the disciplines of the College of Arts and Science seemed to be the focus of this event, with many excited to see the work of their colleagues. Due to COVID-19 restraints, this was the first time being at the event for many.
During an interview with two English lecturers, Sarah Zahad and Andrew Brooks, Zahad said “It’s the first time, [for] both of us, we’re showcasing our first journal that has been published. It's a collaboration between the English department and an LLC. Its very exciting to see everyone’s work and our work.”
“I’m excited to see my colleagues work. We all are in our own bubble in various departments or programs, and yet we interact with faculty and committees. Just looking around and recognizing names of people who I’ve worked with in different capacities in the university and saying like ‘wow! This is the book they’ve been working on,’ it's really neat,” said Associate Professor of Psychology, James Boswell.
According to Singleton, this year has seen over 80 submissions, a significant increase – up by about 20% from 2018’s 53 to 55 submissions.
A notable piece was a project by Sujata Murty, an Assistant Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. The project was called “Below the Surface,” and she aimed to use it for science outreach.
An art piece by Sujata Murty, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences called “Below the Surface”
Photo Credit: Albany Student Press
“This is one of five pieces we use in a couple different exhibitions, and it's been a lot of fun. We try to find ways to communicate my research more broadly to the public, but also to have optimism in climate change and the future of our planet,” said Murty.
The piece was made “working with an artist, a composite photographer, who has taken a photo of some of my field work and then edited it and composited on top of it a star path,” according to Murty.
Dean Altarriba was proud of the accomplishments of the College of Arts and Science, saying, “Even through the pandemic, people were very resilient, and people continued to focus. They tried to do the same amazing job that they are doing – even though there was a limitation. Science has no bounds.”