Library Brown Bag Talks are presented via Zoom on most Thursdays from 12-1. An email will be sent to the UNC Asheville community during the week of the talk with information about logging into Zoom.
All Library Brown Bags are free and open to UNC Asheville students, faculty, and staff. Brown Bags can be open to the larger community and may require registration.
For questions or comments about Library Brown Bag Talks, please contact Gene Hyde, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist, UNC Asheville. ghyde@unca.edu or 828-251-6645.
Thursday, August 31
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Ellen Perry, English Department
"WGSS 100-002 'Beyond the Classroom' Speaker Series"
You’re invited to the Fall 2023 WGSS 100-002 “‘Beyond the Classroom’ Speaker Series: Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Our Community.” During this Brown Bag Talk, find out more about this semester’s topics, speakers, course reading connections, and student responses to the series. There are several UNCA professors whose names you’ll recognize on the speaker list in addition to community leaders who will share their time and expertise. Join Ellen on August 31 for an overview of this semester’s schedule and a discussion about ways we can integrate aspects of our disciplines into the “real world” of work, family, service, activism, and community beyond the classroom.
Thursday, September 14
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Ann Dunn, Humanities
"Egg Imagery in King Lear: Cracking Open 'Nature’s Mould'"
King Lear's world is represented in imagery as both a wheel, that is a motion in Time, and an egg, that is a contained, germinating Space. I propose that Lear must become separated from definitions of Time (as the Fool indicates in his disorienting prophesy in the storm), which defines him as merely a creature who was born and will die, and must enter the cracked, then completely shattered, external space of the infinite and apparently meaningless universe, and the internal space of his own selfhood, to find (or create) his own meaning. Lear's immediate, central experience in the play becomes almost outside of, or irrelevant to, Time. In the Timeless Space in the eye of the storm, people eat supper in the morning and go to bed at noon.
Thursday, September 21
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Anne Slatton, Mass Communication
"Teaching visual storytelling in a mass communication context: Integrating Archival and Place-Based Research into Diversity Intensive Cultural Studies and Documentary Production Courses"
This presentation is a discussion of pedagogical experiences and techniques teaching multimodal storytelling within a traditional mass communication department at a public liberal arts university. Discussion includes how Dr. Stephanie O'Brien and I embraced fostering the knowledge and skills necessary for our students to be effective communicators while strengthening their research skills.
Thursday, September 28
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Laura Dobson, Director of Study Abroad
"Intercultural Education at UNCA"
Did you know there are folks all over this campus working with UNCA students in various ways to help them further develop their intercultural skills? Join us to learn more about an early exploration of launching an intercultural competency certificate, and a brief discussion of related study abroad opportunities! Come to learn and come to join us for an interactive brown bag that might just help you enhance your own intercultural skills!
Thursday, October 12
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Carlton Smith, Director of Multicultural Affairs
“Decentering the Dominant Narrative and Rethinking Belonging: An exploration of dissertation findings!”
This talk will explore findings from my recently published doctoral dissertation: #iBELONG: THE STORIES OF SENSE OF BELONGING AND SOCIAL MEDIA FROM BLACK COLLEGE STUDENTS. During our talk we will talk through how dominant narratives have created an incomplete framing of sense of belonging in campus environments, while also examining how community and belonging can be forged through virtual social environments in different student populations!
Thursday, October 19
Rescheduled to Thursday, November 16
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Michael Strysick, Communication and Marketing
"Marketing UNC Asheville and Widening the Funnel"
Supporting recruitment and retention has been a top priority for Communication & Marketing, which is being approached from multiple fronts. Efforts include work on redesigning the website, a new "Where It All Starts" enrollment campaign, updated AVL airport ads, first-ever downtown light pole banners, and an extensive market position survey. This interactive session will provide an update on and invite conversation about progress to date, with an eye toward feedback on how our strategies can be strengthened and improved.
Thursday, October 26
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Casey Watkins, Costume Design and Theatre
"Creepy costumes and sartorial spookiness!"
In celebration of the season, this talk examines why we dress up to act out. Traditions surrounding events like Halloween and Carnival invite participants to dress and behave differently than our daily lives. Why do we do this? How is dress, costume, and fabric tied to the themes surrounding these events, like death, change, and ritual? Please come with any costume questions!
Thursday, November 9
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Michael McNamee, Director of Alumni & Friend Engagement
"UNC Asheville Alumni Perceptions"
Come hear about the results of our 2023 alumni engagement survey. We will discuss how alumni feel about their university experiences, their perceptions of UNC Asheville, and how they would like to engage with campus life. We will also share about alumni engagement programs and how you can help.
Thursday, November 16
12 - 1 PM
Via Zoom - login information will be sent via email a few days before the talk
Michael Strysick, Communication and Marketing
"Marketing UNC Asheville and Widening the Funnel"
Supporting recruitment and retention has been a top priority for Communication & Marketing, which is being approached from multiple fronts. Efforts include work on redesigning the website, a new "Where It All Starts" enrollment campaign, updated AVL airport ads, first-ever downtown light pole banners, and an extensive market position survey. This interactive session will provide an update on and invite conversation about progress to date, with an eye toward feedback on how our strategies can be strengthened and improved.