The Persistence of Race in Scientific Research

Posted on by Sarah Roe

Thursday, February 18, 2021 6:00PM

Straight Talk: The Persistence of Race in Scientific Research | Connecticut Science Center (ctsciencecenter.org)

Click here for a free recording of the event!

Straight Talk: The Persistence of Race in Scientific Research

Join us for another amazing, interactive discussion on some of today’s hottest topics lead by our esteemed panel of guests. This conversation between philosophers and scientists will not only interrogate some of the enduring ideologies of race in America but also some of the reasons behind its continued resonance within the scientific community, largely in the field of genetic research.

Guests Include:

The Black National Anthem will be performed by Shades of Yale.

Melissa Garafola, Connecticut Science Center
Genomics Educator

Sarah M. Roe, PhD, Southern Connecticut State University
Director of the Research Center on Values in Emerging Science and Technology

Cleo Rolle, PhD, Capital Community College
Assistant Professor, Biotechnology Program Coordinator

Quayshawn Spencer, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Robert S. Blank Presidential Associate Professor of Philosophy

Keitra Thompson, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, Yale School of Medicine
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Clinician Scholars Program/VA Advanced Fellowship Program

Event: Earning Trust through Public Science Writing

Posted on by Sarah Roe

Click here for the flier

Wednesday, November 13 1-2 p.m. Engleman Hall A 120

Special Guest Dr. Sarah Tinker Perrault (University of California, Davis) describes how science writers can develop readers’ trust by taking on scientist-citizen roles in their writing. She will present three dimensions of trustworthiness — knowledge, integrity, and respect for readers — and demonstrate how each matters if scientists are to serve as trusted advisers on scientific topics in a public sphere characterized by uncertainty, cultural diversity, and heterogeneous and sometimes conflicting sets of values.

Following the talk, Dr. Tinker Perrault will host a science-writing workshop for those interested in learning more about how to better communicate with publics about science-related issues.

Light refreshments will be served!

For further information,  please contact Dr. Sarah Roe  at RoeS1@SouthernCT.edu.

Event: Rules for Robots: Ethics & Artificial Intelligence

Posted on by Sarah Roe

Dr. Katleen Gabriels

Thursday, December 5, 3:15 Engleman A120

Abstract: Google’s search engine, Facebook’s News Feed, Amazon’s Echo: many of our everyday technologies contain Artificial Intelligence (AI). Autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners and robot lawn mowers help us at home, robotic surgical systems perform operations, and therapy chatbots such as Woebot are always ready to ‘listen’. We can even delegate moral decision making to Artificial Moral Agents.   The combination of robots and AI leads to numerous possibilities, which, in turn, also raise compelling ethical questions. Which decisions do we delegate to machines and which preferably not? And how and from ‘whom’ do self-learning AI systems actually learn?

Dr. Katleen Gabriels is a moral philosopher, specialized in computer ethics. She works as an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. She researches the relations and co-shapings between morality and contemporary technologies.  In October, her new book on technology ethics was published; the English version will be published early 2020 (Rules for Robots. Ethics & Artificial Intelligence, VUBPRESS).

Contact: Richard Volkman, volkmanr1@southernct.edu

Science, Values, and Society Minor

Posted on by Joshua Connor
Science, Values, and Society Minor

The Science, Values and Society minor is best suited for students interested in ideas, concepts and concerns located at the intersection of science and values. By engaging in these topics, the Science, Values and Society minor will gain a broader understanding of the social and ethical implications of scientific practices, scientific methodologies, and technologies. The Science, Values and Society minor is especially helpful when paired with a scientific or interdisciplinary major so that the student receives a more well-rounded scientific education, one that allows the student to fully understand the role of science within a broader societal structure.