Keynote Address
New York Times Journalist
Charles M. Blow
Inauguration week began with a keynote address by Charles M. Blow, New York Times journalist, CNN commentator, and author of the best-selling memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which was adapted into an opera by Oscar-nominated composer Terence Blanchard. The opera, which premiered the day of his Hofstra address, marked the first time an opera by a Black composer has ever been performed at The Metropolitan Opera.
In his keynote, Blow discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and protests, police reform, and the nature and limits of allyship.
Following his address, Blow participated in a conversation and audience question-and-answer session moderated by President Susan Poser. Later, he visited The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and spent time with a group of journalism students.
Symposia: Day One
Building an Equity Agenda for Suburbs and Long Island
“While the suburbs don’t get as much attention and respect when we are doing scholarly research, they are a foundational part of American geography. We have to engage the suburbs when we are talking about building a more equitable and more humane American society.“
– Craig Dalton, Assistant Professor of Global Studies and Geography, Hofstra University
Educating Law Students to Service and Partner With Marginalized Communities
“The (law) clinics have been around since the inception of the law school, more than 50 years ago, and are deeply entwined in its DNA. Today, they are the centerpiece of our education and they make the experience of attending Hofstra Law exciting, deeply challenging, and deeply rewarding.“
– Theo S. Liebmann, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Youth Advocacy Clinic, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Symposia: Day Two
Innovative Experiential Learning Opportunities in Engineering and Computer Science
“These programs promote creativity in computer science and engineering and expose our students to develop a passion for populational thinking and problem-solving. During the recent pandemic, we saw the role of digital innovation and how that helped to keep traditions alive.“
– Sina Rabbany, Dean and Jean Nerken Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, Hofstra University
Career Readiness: Professional Training and the Liberal Arts
“Everyone seems to agree that we shouldn’t have to choose between the liberal arts and pre-professional education … In this learning economy, we know that the winners will be those who can upskill, who can adapt and transcend traditional academic silos.“
– Colin Koproske, Managing Director, Research and Development, EAB
Building Citizenship Through Communication Education: Student Media, Civic Engagement and the Challenge of Covering Diverse Local Communities From the Classroom
“It’s not about giving voice to the voiceless, but rather shutting your mouth and giving them the space to speak and share what they want to share.“
– Documentary filmmaker Christine Nochese, Associate Professor of Radio, Television, Film, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication,
Hofstra University
Symposia: Day Three
Honoring Hofstra’s Disability Heritage by Thinking Disability Futures
“Universal design for learning aims to apply the theoretical framework of universal design to the classroom, planning with the needs of disabled students in mind, which, in turn, provides benefits for everyone.“
– Sinjita Bhattacharya ‘23, sociology major (Legal Education Accelerated Program) with a minor in disability studies, Hofstra University
Sustainability Innovation
“Climate risk conversations are a starting point, (but) we need to look forward.“
– Cary Krosinsky ’84, Executive Director of the Network for Sustainable Financial Markets
Beyond the Campus: Learning by Engaging and Serving the Surrounding Community
“My work with the Center for Civic Engagement has been a transformative experience. Now I’d like my career to move in the direction of
nonprofit communications where I can work for causes that are important to me, like affordable housing, sustainability, and climate change.“
– Micaela Erickson ‘21, Journalism major, Hofstra University
Symposia: Day Four
A Path Forward: Examining and Achieving Health Equity for All
“We’re living in a quadruple pandemic, which includes COVID-19, the social and mental health reckoning crisis, and economic crisis so many people in our country are experiencing right now. This illustrates the inconvenient and harsh truth about the impact of these determinants of health and how collectively, they impact and significantly contribute to society’s health inequities...So is it any wonder COVID-19 has not been striking all groups equally? Our economic and social policies have not been benefiting all groups equally.“
– Daniel Dawes, Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine
An Ethical Approach to Moral Distress During Covid-19 in New York
“The pandemic was like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Who gets the ventilator and who doesn’t, having to allocate who benefits and who doesn’t was probably the worst thing I’ve had to do in my life.“
– Elyse Isopo, Assistant Professor of Graduate Nursing, Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies