Archived Lectures
Previous Thought on Tap Sessions
On March 10, 2022, the sixth episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking Sports.” The discussion was facilitated by David Rondel (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Core Humanities at UNR) and featured Sheena Harvey (Director for Fitness and Recreational Sports at UNR), Paul Mitchell (Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention at UNR), and Jennifer Ring (Emeritus Professor of Political Science at UNR). The conversation considered the following questions: Is sports an appropriate venue for political expression and activism? Is it right that collegiate athletes are not financially compensated? How should we think about mental health professional sports, as, increasingly, we hear about how athletes are struggling?
On February 10, 2022, the fifth episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking Artivism.” The discussion was facilitated by Anushka Peres (Assistant Professor of English at UNR) and featured Jamie A. Lee (Associate Professor in the School of Information at the University of Arizona), Adela C. Licona (Founder of The Art of Change Agency), and Lydia Huerta Moreno (Assistant Professor of Gender, Race, and Identity). The conversation focused on artivism as an artistic practice, a site of inquiry, and a powerful force of social change. The panelists, all working artists and/or academics dedicated to activism, shared insights learned from their work as they considered both the legacy and future of artivism—including its limitations and potentials to create lasting social change.
On December 9, 2021, the fourth episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking Conservative Movements.” The discussion was facilitated by Callum Ingram (Assistant Professor of Political Science at UNR) and featured Christina Ladam (Assistant Professor of Political Science), Mark Pingle (Associate Professor of Economics), and Julian Zaudke (a student at UNR). The conversation considered the following questions: What is conservatism? What is the conservative movement? What are the futures of conservatism and the conservative movement? Where in the world should we look to see signs of what is coming?
On November 18, 2021, the third episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking Education.” The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodriguez, Ph.D. (Teaching Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Core Humanities at UNR) and featured Debra Moddelmog (Dean of College of Liberal Arts), David Shintani (Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education), Romando Nash (Associate Vice President for Student Life Services), and Austin Brown (ASUN Student Body President). The conversation considered the following questions: What—if anything—should we do about the rising cost of tuition (not to mention other expenses)? How has the pandemic, as well as other recent crises, affected higher education in the United States? How have advancements in online teaching changed the nature of education? What might education look like in the future?
On October 14, 2021, the second episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking our Tech Overlords.” The discussion was facilitated by Carlos Mariscal, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Philosophy at UNR) and featured Chris Church (Associate Professor of History at UNR), Dave Feil-Seifer (Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at UNR), and Daisy Hollman (Software Engineer at Google). The conversation considered the following questions: What promise and peril does technology bring? Who makes the decisions and who is left out? What choices are we making now that will influence the future to come? How do we live in this rapidly changing world?
On September 9, 2021, the first episode of the fourth season of Thought on Tap addressed “Rethinking America.” The discussion was facilitated by Stephen Pasqualina, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow of Core Humanities at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ) and featured Michael Aguirre (Assistant Professor of History at UNR), Debra Harry (Associate Professor of Gender, Race, and Identity at UNR), Jody Lykes (Coordinator of the African Diaspora Program at UNR), and Olivia Ngo (UNR student and College of Liberal Arts Senator for the Associated Students of the University of Nevada). The conversation considered the following questions: How did the United States come to be known as “America”? Is “America” a country, a continent (or two), a set of laws or ideals, a people, a myth, or something else entirely? What is the role of immigration in shaping and reshaping the story of “America”?
On May 13th, 2021, the seventh and last episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Building Legacies of Economic Empowerment.” The discussion was facilitated by Caitlin Earley, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Art History at the University Of Nevada, Reno), Donald Griffin (Co-founder of Black Wall Street, Reno), Romar Tolliver (Co-founder and President of Black Wall Street, Reno), Nico Colombant (Lecturer of Digital Media and Cross-Cultural Reporting at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ) and Kris Vagner (Founder and Editor of Double Scoop). The conversation considered topics such as: how Reno can move forward toward economic empowerment, how we can support local communities and area youth, how we can engage with housing precarity and secure safe housing for everyone, as well as what types of community organizing and labor practices might help Reno move into the future.
On April 8th, 2021, the sixth episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Building Legacies of Social Justice and Activism.” The discussion was facilitated by Meredith Oda, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of History at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ), Prisca Gayles, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Sociology and GRI at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ), Satsuki Ina (Co-Founder of “Tsuru for Solidarity”) and Escenthio Marigny (ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Graduate Student). The conversation considered topics such as: how individuals choose causes and how they became involved in social justice movements, what drew them to activism and their past experiences, as well as how academic work and academia is effected by activism.
On March 11th, 2021, the fifth episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed "Building Legacies of Health and Healing." The discussion was facilitated by Katherine Fusco, Ph.D. (Director of Core Humanities; Associate Professor). The panelists for this episode were Melanie Duckworth, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Psychology; Associate Dean, College of Science), Emily Hobson, Ph.D. (Associate Chair, Gender, Race and Identity; Associate Professor of Gender, Race, and Identity and History; Graduate Director and Graduate Advisor, GRI), and Elisabeth Miller, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor). The conversation considered topics such as: how individuals process trauma, the way we move in and out of ability and disability over the course of our lifetimes and the way this affects our self-conception, as well as how marginalized and at-risk communities advocate for their health when the larger society turns its back.
On February, 2021, the fourth episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Building Legacies of Equity in Education.” The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodriguez, Ph.D. (Teaching Assistant Professor in Core Humanities) and featured Dr. Cynthia M. Alcantar (Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ), Dr. Donald Easton-Brooks (Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ), and Tiffany Young, M.Ed. (Equity and Diversity Director for the Washoe County School District). Questions asked: What does equity in education look like? How is this different from the current situation? What are some of challenges in trying to achieve equity in education in Washoe County? In particular, what are some ways that we can ensure that every student has what they individually need to be prepared for college and their future career? What are some ways that schools influence and shape the educational pathways and opportunities of historically underrepresented students such as students of color and immigrant students?
On December 10, 2020, the third episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Confronting Legacies of Policing and Violence.” The discussion was facilitated by Callum Ingram, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Political Science) and featured Laura Blume, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Political Science), Paulina Pride (Chief Justice of the ASUN), and Adam Dunbar, Ph.D., (Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice). Questions asked: What is the current relationship between policing and violence? Does the war on drugs play a role? Are there racial disparities at play? What should the future of policing look like?
On November 12, 2020, the second episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Confronting Legacies of Voter Suppression.” The discussion was facilitated by Stephen Pasqualina, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Fellow in Core Humanities) and featured Natalie Van Hoozer (a bilingual English/Spanish freelance journalist at KUNR), Greta de Jong (Professor of History at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, focusing on racism and the post-civil rights era) and Precious Hall (Professor of Political Science at Truckee Meadows Community College, teaching American government and politics and social issues). A few questions that were discussed are: How are voting rights suppressed today? What is motivating voter suppression? And how can we combat voter suppression in 2020 and beyond?
On October 8, 2020 the first episode of the third season of Thought on Tap addressed “Confronting Legacies of Health Disparities.” The discussion was facilitated by Carlos Mariscal (Assistant Professor of Philosophy) and featured the following guests: Françoise Baylis (University Research Professor and Founder of NTE Impact Ethics), Caleb Cage (Nevada COVID-19 Response Director) and Kathleen Masterson (Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist). Questions asked: How ought we understand, address and prevent such radically different health outcomes? What role do biology, society, bias and chance play in such outcomes? Whose responsibility is it to address these issues? And what can we do to address such systematic failings as we move forward into an uncertain future?
On May 7, the seventh and last episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed “Future Visions of Food, Culture and Community.” The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodriguez (Lecturer of Core Humanities) and featured the following guests: Amanda Burden (Publisher and Editor of Edible Reno Tahoe), Mark Estee (Award-winning Chef and Restaurateur), Tim Healion (Culture and Community Relations Director), and Kerri Lesh (Cultural Anthropology and Basque Studies, Certified Specialist in wine). Questions asked: What does the future of food and how we consume it look like? What will the most viable and sustainable food sources be? How might eating at home and out in restaurants be different after the current health and economic crisis? How can we build/rebuild communities through eating and food practices?
On March 12, 2020, the sixth episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed “Future Visions of Storytelling” at Laughing Planet. The discussion was facilitated by David Fenimore (Interim Director of the Core Humanities Program) and featured the following guests: David Durham (English, Novelist and Screenwriter), Jessi LeMay (founder of The Folk and the Lore) and Everett George (author of Rez Dogs Start Wailing). Questions asked: At a time when “storytelling” has become a widely used term of art in business, entertainment, politics and education, what does the word “story” actually mean? Are there just as many different stories as there are human beings? What are the notions of stories as escapism versus stories that hold an actual beneficial effect on its readers? Can stories be free or are they restricted to having to only be entertaining? What has been the effect of communications technologies such as print, film, radio, video and the internet on the art of storytelling?
On February 13, 2020 the fifth episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed "Future Visions of Sex and the Body" at Laughing Planet. The discussion was facilitated by Daniel Enrique Pérez (Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion) and featured the following guests: Kjerstin Gruys (Sociology), Lydia Huerta (GRI and Communication Studies), Erica Dietlein (Philosophy graduate student) and Faith Thomas (member of Queer Student Union). Questions asked: What impact have new technologies, such as A.I., had on the way people have sex? Why is the youth of today having less sex? What is sex and body positivity? How has the online world impacted body image and the way people have sex? What are some exciting or troubling things about the future visions of sex and the body?
On December 12, 2019 the fourth episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed "Future Visions of Work and Money" at Laughing Planet. The discussion was facilitated by Carlos Mariscal (Philosophy) and featured the following guests: David Rondel (Political Philosopher), Claudia Cruz (Journalist and Internship Director) and Graham B. Slater (Social/Critical Theorist). Questions asked: What is a good job? How has our view of work changed the structure of our educational system? What happens with workers during times of crisis? What are the most exciting or scary trends coming from new technologies?
On November 14, 2019 the third episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed "Future Visions of the City" at Laughing Planet. The discussion was facilitated by Caitlin Earley (Art History) and featured the following guests: Nasia Anam (English), Anjeanette Damon (Reno Gazette Journal) and Casey Lynch (Geography). Questions asked: What do we envision for cities of the future? How do cities navigate change, and what challenges and opportunities are presented by those changes? As residents of cities, how might we adapt to new technology, infrastructure and populations — and how can research and the humanities help us envision potential urban futures?
On October 10, 2019 the second episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed "Confronting Racism" at Laughing Planet. The discussion was facilitated by Stephen Pasqualina (Core Humanities) and featured the following guests: Ayanna Releford (Director of Diversity and Inclusion of ASUN), Gariela Ortiz Flores (Assistant Director of ASUN clubs and organizations), Jenna Hanchey (Communication Studies) and José Miguel Pulido León (Director of The Center). Questions asked: How has your personal or professional life been affected by the recent incidents on UNR's campus surrounding racist rhetoric? Do you think we should embrace this critical language (confront, combat, resist, etc.) or do you think we need to rebrand our mission and adopt more uplifting and affirmative terminology?
On September 14, 2019 the first episode of the second season of Thought on Tap addressed "Telling Stories From the Ivory Tower" at the 1864 (290 California Ave). The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodriguez (Core Humanities) and featured the following guests: Carlos Mariscal (Philosophy) and Katherine Fusco (English). Questions asked: Who are the humanities for and how does your research speak to this audience? Is there a gap between the way you understand the value of your research to yourself and to your field and the way you understand its value to a broader public? Do you think that academics have a moral obligation to try to present their work to as wide a community as possible? How would you explain the value of things that do not seem immediately applicable/relevant/relatable?
On May 9, 2019 the seventh episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in the Sciences and New Technology." The discussion was facilitated by Carlos Mariscal (Philosophy) and featured the following guests: Stephen Pasqualina (Core Humanities), Alireza Tavakkoli (Computer Science & Engineering) and Lynda Walsh (English). Questions asked: What is the role of the humanities in shaping new technologies? What does it mean to be "human" in the realm of artificial intelligence? How do robots, automation, cyborgs and other new technologies change the workplace and our participation in it? How can/should ethics shape new technologies, like genetic manipulation and their uses? How do new technologies impact society, diversity and socioeconomic factors?
On April 11, 2019 the sixth episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in Shaping Immigration and Refugee Initiatives." The discussion was facilitated by Lydia Huerta (Communication Studies) and featured the following guests: Nasia Anam (English), Meredith Oda (History), Tom Sorensen (Economics) and Michael Klajbor (Communications graduate student). Questions asked: What is the role of the humanities in shaping immigration and refugee initiatives? How does the process of migration shape the identity of migrants and refugees? How do the humanities help us understand some of the causes of mass migration?
On March 14, 2019 the fifth episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in Addressing Environmental Issues." The discussion was facilitated by Callum Ingram (Political Science) and featured the following guests: Michael Branch (English), Ran Duan (Journalism), Debra Harry (Gender, Race, and Identity) and Elizabeth Koebele (Political Science). Questions asked: How might the humanities play a role in facilitating equity in the distribution of natural resources? What is the role of the humanities in addressing climate change and other environmental issues? How does the representation of nature in cultural production shape our understanding of, and relationship to, the environment?
On February 14, 2019 the fourth episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in Law, Ethics, and Justice." The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodríguez (Core Humanities) and featured the following guests: Jim Webber (English), Christopher Church (History), Holly Scala (Political Science) and Kate Groesbeck (ASUN). Questions asked: What are some ways that the humanities intersect with and help us to understand the concepts of law, ethics and justice? What are some ways that language - and public discourse more broadly - is used to shape ideas of ethics, justice and fairness? How do the humanities inform policies and public discourses on ethics and social justice? How should we respond when laws conflict with ethics or justice? How do states and non-state actors justify violence and other actions that are considered by some to be immoral? How can the humanities be used to create more just, ethical and equitable laws/practices that contribute to the betterment of society?
On December 13, 2018 the third episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in the News and Social Media." The discussion was facilitated by Bretton Rodríguez (Core Humanities) and featured the following guests: Katherine Fusco (English), Lydia Huerta (GRI and Communication Studies), Paromita Pain (Reynolds School of Journalism) and Joey Lovato (KUNR and The Nevada Independent). Questions asked: What roles do the humanities play in the news and social media? How can the humanities be used to address issues like "fake news" and faith in journalism? How do the humanities help us to understand the influence of social media on society today?
On November 8, 2018 the second episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Role of the Humanities in Resistance Movements." The discussion was facilitated by Carlos Mariscal (Philosophy) and featured the following guests: Callum Ingram (Political Science), Isabelle Favre (World Languages and Literatures) and Felicia Pérez (community organizer and activist, Reno Solidarity Network). Questions asked: What role have the humanities played in past resistance movements? How can the humanities be used to support current resistance movements?
On October 11, 2018 the first episode of the first season of Thought on Tap addressed "The Humanities in Times of Crisis." The discussion was facilitated by Daniel Enrique Perez (Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion) and featured the following guests: Bretton Rodriguez (Core Humanities), Carlos Mariscal (Philosophy) and Caitlin Earley (Art History). Questions asked: Are the humanities truly more necessary during a time of crisis? What is the role of the humanities during times of conflict and crisis? What is the individual responsibility of humanists? Speakers tackled these and other important questions.