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Upcoming Lectures Explore Math And The Stability of Self Worth

January 2017

Catherine A. Roberts and Jeanine Skorinko
Catherine A. Roberts, Ph.D. and Jeanine Skorinko, Ph.D.

The Liberal Arts Distinguished Lecturer Series welcomes two speakers this semester.

“How Math Can Help You in Unexpected Ways” by Catherine A. Roberts, Ph.D., Executive Director of the American Mathematical Society, will explore how math can be used to understand important environmental challenges. She also will discuss how her liberal arts education led to a project involving white-water rafting through the Grand Canyon. Dr. Roberts will talk about how math is being used to help our planet on February 13, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., in the Harrington Learning Center, Room 109. The program is free and open to the public.

Ms. Roberts has a doctorate in applied math from Northwestern University. She spent 24 years as a college math professor, most recently at Holy Cross here in Worcester.

The second lecture, which is co-sponsored with Psi Beta and the Psychology Club, is “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Others,” by Jeanine Skorinko, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Skorinko’s talk examines the stability of the self and whether people we interact with influence how we see ourselves. She will discuss several experiments that investigate whether our self-views vary based on our interaction partner.

Dr. Skorinko is the Director of the Psychological Science undergraduate program at WPI. She received her bachelor’s in psychology from Rice University and a master’s and doctorate in Social Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her research investigates how factors in our social environments influence our interpersonal interactions and decisions we make. Ultimately her research aims to enhance equality, diversity, and cultural understanding.

Dr. Skorinko's lecture is Monday, April 10, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Harrington Learning Center in Room 109. It is free and open to the public.

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