Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series
The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series, an interdisciplinary conversation series inviting leaders in art, media, design, and academia to weigh in on the biggest ideas and most pressing issues in their fields. Join the College of Arts, Media and Design for thought-provoking discussions with some of the most prominent creative minds in the country.
Past Events
Deans Distinguished Lecturer: Nonny de la Peña
Join the CAMD Office of the Dean for a conversation with Nonny de la Peña, Founding Director of Arizona State University’s Narrative and Emerging Media Program, and Founder and CEO of Emblematic Group. The talk will be titled: Embodied Narrative: Storytelling and Emerging Technologies.
Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer: Ethan Zuckerman
Join the CAMD Office of the Dean for a conversation with Ethan Zuckerman, Founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure and Professor of Public Policy at UMASS Amherst. The talk will be titled “Reimagining the Digital Public Sphere”.
Wes Lowery: A Reckoning on Race and Objectivity in Journalism
Join Dean Elizabeth Hudson and the School of Journalism on Oct. 18 to hear from a journalist on the front lines of this reckoning: Pulitzer Prize-winning CBS correspondent Wesley Lowery.
In a widely-circulated New York Times op-ed, Lowery argued that most media organizations do not reflect the diversity of the country, negatively impacting their ability to holistically cover Black and Brown communities and elevate the voices of journalists of color. He joins a growing contingent of Black journalists publicly demanding an overdue paradigm shift in a profession still overwhelmingly led by white reporters and executives.
Adaptive Design: Nurturing Achievement for Individuals, Design Teams, and Wider Society with Alex Truesdell
The College of Arts, Media and Design warmly welcomed Alex Truesdell to Northeastern as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
Alex Truesdell is the Executive Director and Founder of Adaptive Design Association (ADA) and a 2015 winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. ADA is an organization that envisions and builds low-tech, affordable tools and furniture that enable children with disabilities to participate actively in their homes, schools, and communities. The organization aims to bring makers and users together to build custom adaptations – from enlarging the handle on a hairbrush for someone with minimal grip, to modifying a cafeteria bench for wheelchairs, to customizing switches so someone with limited speech and mobility can enter Morse code into their smartphone and carry on live conversations. Through these adaptive design approaches, Truesdell challenges the assumption that “disability” means fixed limitations and instead suggests that limitations can be minimized, or even eliminated, with effective user-inspired adaptations.
Nick Cave – in Conversation
Artist Nick Cave spoke at Northeastern University on Friday, October 12, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. EDT in Blackman Auditorium. Nick Cave joined in conversation with Northeastern faculty Scott Edmiston, Department of Theatre, and Sarah Kanouse, Department of Art + Design.
Drawing on his training as both a visual artist and dancer, Nick Cave works in a wide range of mediums including sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Cave’s Soundsuits highlight the artist’s oeuvre, meticulously handcrafted from found objects, recycled remnants, and discarded materials. They exist as both sculptures in themselves and (when occupied by a dancer), activated forms referencing ritual attire from around the world, responding to the globalization of cultural identity.