9:40-11:05 a.m.
The Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science presents

THE BEAUTY OF TRUST: BUILDING INTELLIGENT AND SECURE SYSTEMS 

In a world increasingly shaped by intelligent technologies, trust is both a foundation and a challenge. This panel brings together Hofstra computer science faculty to explore the beauty of designing systems that are secure, reliable, and aligned with human values. From cloud infrastructure and formal guarantees to AI safety and cognitive modeling, each panelist will share perspectives on how we build trust into the digital systems that shape our lives.

Panelists:

• Marco Romanelli, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
• Jianchen Shan, Associate Professor of Computer Science
• Xiangmin Shen, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Moderator: Krishnan Pillaipakkamnatt, Professor of Computer Science  

11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Janet Echelman

Sculptor
Author, Radical Softness: The Responsive Art of Janet Echelman
Joseph G. Astman Presidential Academic Symposium Scholar

Janet Echelman sculpts at the scale of buildings and city blocks. Echelman’s work defies categorization, as it intersects disciplinary boundaries, from Sculpture, Architecture, and Urban Design, to Material Science, Structural & Aeronautical Engineering, Computer Science, and performance. Echelman’s art transforms with wind and light, and shifts from being “an object you look at, into an experience you can get lost in.”  
Visit https://www.echelman.com

1-2:25 p.m.
School of Health Sciences presents

THE BEAUTY OF ART THERAPY THROUGH TIME, RESEARCH, AND ITS  APPLICATION WITH VETERANS

This panel explores the profound beauty found within the field of art therapy—beauty that initially draws practitioners in, continues to inspire their work, and shapes the questions they ask and the knowledge they seek. Panelists will reflect on how art therapy serves as both a clinical tool and a source of inspiration, helping individuals communicate experiences that words often cannot capture. Special attention will be given to the role of art therapy in diverse settings, including mental health, higher education, and work with veteran populations.

The session will include an introductory art therapy experiential, “Draw a Person in the Rain,” a simple but powerful exercise that demonstrates how visual expression can reveal insights into emotional resilience and stress. Through this activity and the panel discussion, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the emotional, psychological, and communicative power of art therapy, and how it continues to evolve as both a practice and a discipline.

Panelists:

• Deborah Elkis-Abuhoff, Associate Professor, Creative Arts Therapy Counseling, Hofstra University
• David Gussak, Professor, Art Therapy Program, Florida State University
• Sojung Park, Assistant Professor, Creative Arts Therapy Counseling, Hofstra University
• Fred Sganga, Executive Director of the Long Island State Veterans Home. Stony Brook University

Moderator:  Morgan E. Gaydos, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions

2:40-4:05 p.m.
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics presents

THE BEAUTY OF SEEING THE UNSEEN: SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY FROM TELESCOPES TO MICROSCOPES

"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." 
– Marie Skłodowska Curie, The Future of Culture, 1933

Scientists across disciplines frequently report experiencing beauty, awe and wonder in their research, and these experiences are associated with greater career satisfaction and overall wellbeing. Research in education finds that the tendency to experience awe is positively associated with scientific thinking, interest in science and awareness of gaps in one’s knowledge, suggesting that opportunities to experience the beauty and awe of science benefit students as well as faculty. The act of discovery, and particularly the observation of something not visible in everyday life, serves as a powerful conduit for scientific awe, and the techniques that facilitate these observations produce images that are compelling and often beautiful. In this symposium, researchers from across the sciences will share snapshots of their work studying ordinarily unseen aspects of the natural world beneath our feet, inside our bodies and across the cosmos.

Panelists: 

• Emily Barkley-Levenson, Associate Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience Program
  “The Brain Sees Itself”
• J Bret Bennington, Professor of Geology
  “The Beauty of Petrographic Thin Sections”
• Kevin Bisceglia, Associate Professor of Chemistry
  “Seeing Previously Unseen Contaminants via High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry”
• Javier A. Izquierdo, Associate Professor of Biology
  “Infinite Beauty Underfoot: Soil Microbes and How They Could Save the Planet”
• Zeinab Nassrallah, Assistant Professor of Science Education, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
  “The Vagus Nerve: Not All Who Wander Are Lost”
• Sabrina Sobel, Professor of Chemistry
  “The BZ reaction"
• Jason D. Williams, Donald E. Axinn Endowed Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation at Hofstra University and Professor of Biology
  “Revealing New Species and Novel Structures of Marine Parasites”

Moderator: Maureen Krause, Professor and Chair, Department of Biology

4:20-5:45 p.m.
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences presents

THE BEAUTY OF CHAOS

This interdisciplinary panel explores the necessity of creativity during times of uncertainty and discusses tools and strategies to keep going. We apply multiple lenses—familial chaos, environmental chaos, global chaos, political chaos, and more—to this question of how to utilize beauty and creativity as mainstays as we continue to grind forward. Writers and scholars discuss why storytelling matters most when the world feels unstable and outline action plans for continuing to create in chaotic times. 

Panelists:

• Annabelle E. Hayes, Assistant Professor of English
• Martha McPhee, Professor of English
• Katrina Sims, Associate Professor of History 

Moderator/Presenter: Kelly McMasters, Associate Professor of English

9:40-11:05 a.m.
Frank G. Zarb School of Business presents     

THE BEAUTY OF TRADE 

From salt, spices, and gold to currencies, minerals, and intellectual property, trade has been an essential building block to economic growth for centuries.  "The Beauty of Trade" brings together experts from finance, marketing, supply chain, and accounting to explore the multifaceted value of trade — both across borders and within regional economies. In an increasingly globalized, yet highly polarized world, this panel aims to illuminate the beauty and complexity of trade in our modern world — not just as an economic imperative, but as a dynamic force shaping how we live, work, and grow.

This panel will delve into the core mechanisms that drive trade and highlight its role in influencing economic development, innovation, and competition. From a financial perspective, panelists will discuss how trade influences capital flows, risk management, and investment decisions. Marketing professionals will examine how access to global and regional markets reshapes consumer behavior and brand strategies. Supply chain experts will provide insights into how trade impacts costs, lead times, and sourcing decisions. Accounting perspectives will underscore the importance of trade in tax strategies and regulatory compliance.  The discussion will interweave these core business perspectives with an exploration of how external forces—such as climate-related events and policy transformations—shape and challenge the trade landscape.

Panelists:

• Anoop Rai, Professor, Department of Finance
• Kaushik Sengupta, Professor, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
• Yong Zhang, Professor, Department of Marketing, International Business and Legal Studies

Moderator:  Kathleen Bakarich, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting

11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – 
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts presents

THE BEAUTY OF ... DANCE: BUILDING COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

The beauty of movement, seeing and embodying action, is what brings most students to the dance. But as one deepens and hones one's craft, those initial inspirational roots begin to spread, branching out into interdisciplinary explorations. Professors of Dance at Hofstra University, active artists and pedagogues, will share how they manifest the beauty of dance into their craft and their teaching through finding connection and building community. They will share how their work interacts with multiple platforms and populations of people from virtual to in-person, and community centers to college classrooms.

Panelists:

• Caroline Copeland, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept. of Drama and Dance 
  Hogarth’s “The Line of Beauty:” A Story of Discovery and Connection
• Kristen Lee, Adjunct Assistant Professor and Dance Program Coordinator, Dept. of Drama and Dance 
  “Dance and Advancing Technology”
• Maiya Redding, Special Assistant Professor, Dept. of Drama and Dance
  “The Beauty of Collaboration”
• Heather Waldon, Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Drama and Dance
  “Dancing Beyond the Stage”

Moderator:  Rachel List, Director of the Dance Program, Department of Drama and Dance

1-2:25 p.m.

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS 

DR. SUSAN POSER
President
Hofstra University 
John Cranford Adams Playhouse
Followed by BBQ on Roosevelt Quad

2:40-4:05 p.m.
Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library presents     

THE BEAUTY OF ARCHIVES

The panel invites the audience into a conversation about the emotional and intellectual resonance of archival materials. We will explore how archival practice unites scholarship, cultural heritage, creativity, and curiosity. Our panelists will reflect on how their work is inspired by the aesthetic, tactile, historical, and informational dimensions of the materials they preserve, study, curate, and teach with. One spotlight for the conversation will be artist Romare Bearden, whose artistic expression was inextricably linked with his cultural heritage, providing social commentary through his body of artwork, unique collage methods, and writings.

Panelists:

• Jana Dambrogio, Thomas F. Peterson Conservator, MIT Libraries
• Alexandra (Sasha) Giordano, Director, Hofstra University Museum of Art
• Sarah McCleskey, Interim Director of Special Collections, Vice Dean of Administrative and User Services, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, Hofstra University
• Vimala Pasupathi, Professor of English, Hofstra University

Moderator:  Lorrie McAllister, Dean, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, Hofstra University

4:20-5:45 p.m.
School of Education presents      

THE BEAUTY OF TEACHERS FACILITATING STUDENT LEARNING

Teachers can create the conditions for student learning in a variety of settings, allowing students the time, space, and safety to try on ideas, develop hypotheses and data, consider perspectives, and grapple with the cognitive dissonance that comes from the learning process.

Panelists will share examples of teachers from a variety of grade levels – elementary through secondary – facilitating student learning and providing them the opportunity to make meaning. Observing and listening to children and teens discuss upper-level ideas and their implications with their fellow students is as rewarding as it is necessary.

Panelists:

• Marilyn DePietto, Professor of Mathematics Education, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Technology
• Alan Flurkey, Professor of Literacy, Department of Specialized Programs in Education
• Gloria Wilson, Professor of Special Education, Department of Specialized Programs in Education

Moderator/Presenter:  Andrea Libresco, Professor of Social Studies Education, Department of Teaching, 
Learning, and Technology

6-7:30 p.m.
Maurice A. Deane School of Law presents

CONSTITUTION DAY/PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM PANEL PROPOSAL: "DO WE NEED A NEW, MORE BEAUTIFUL CONSTITUTION?"

This panel examines whether America needs a more dramatic constitutional overhaul. Leading scholars such as Erwin Chemerinsky and others have begun to suggest the U.S. Constitution itself is an obstacle or even a threat to American democracy. Panelists will discuss and debate how the Constitution’s structural features, especially its reliance on unrestrained gerrymandering of congressional districts and the Electoral College, affects the functioning of American democracy. The panel will consider whether wholesale constitutional reform or simply renewed civic engagement offers the path forward for American democracy.

Panelists:

• Eric Freedman, Siggi B. Wilzig Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Rights
• Julian Ku, Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law 

Moderator:  Jenny Roberts, Dean, Maurice Deane School of Law

9:40-11:05 a.m.
The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication presents

THE BEAUTY OF TRUTH: THE AESTHETIC AND MORAL SATISFACTION IN TRUTH TELLING

Defining the word “truth” can be simple on the surface, but it opens up deep philosophical territory. Naturally, its definition shifts depending on context — whether scientific, philosophical, cultural, or personal. Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel write in The Elements of Journalism that “Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.” The designer Victor Papanek writes of the “elegant solution” as “something that reduces the complex to the simple.” Yet truth is often elusive, difficult to grasp, hard to contend with, and thus it is often simpler, faster, more convenient to accept and promote alternative versions of reality. As media makers, scholars, and storytellers, we are often driven by a desire to discover what is real -- what is true -- under the surface of things, from politics to human behavior. The beauty of truth lies in its vulnerability to newly available information, yet openness to ongoing iterations of knowledge.

In this session, a panel of faculty from the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication will reflect on their chosen career paths in journalism, strategic communication, filmmaking, and media studies, and explain how the pursuit of truth has played an essential role in their creative and scholarly output. They’ll emphasize why it is especially important today given the current crisis in the country’s political culture.

Panelists:

• Scott Brinton, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Dept. of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations
• Russell Harbaugh, Associate Professor, Film Studies and Production, Dept. of Radio, Television, Film
• Victoria Semple, Associate Professor of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Dept. of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations
• Jingsi Christina Wu, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Dept. of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations

Moderator: Mario A. Murillo, Professor, Vice Dean, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication
 

11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs presents

THE BEAUTY OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND GENDER JUSTICE

This panel will explore various theories and experiences that see justice as an expression of beauty.  Each presentation will examine the ways that diverse forms of justice—social, political, and gender justice- embody beauty.  This can be understood through conceptions of art but also through direct experiences of these rich connections between justice and beauty.  Our discussion will include both lived experiences of beauty that are reflected in our respective disciplines of sociology, political philosophy, and education as well as some of the theories that explore this relationship between justice and beauty.  These ideas of course transcend disciplines, and the panel will also include a key component of justice which is gender.

Panelists:

• Margaret Abraham, Department of Sociology and Criminology 
  “The Beauty of Sociology and Social Justice in Building a More Just World “
• Linda Longmire, Department of Global Studies and Geography
  “The Beauty of Political Justice”
• Sandra Stacki, Department of Teaching, Learning and Technology
  “The Beauty in Education for Justice and Transformational Moments”

Moderator:  Cindy Rosenthal, Professor of Drama and Dance

1-2:25 p.m.
Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies presents

THE BEAUTY AND VERSATILITY OF BEING A NURSE

This 75-minute session will explore the breadth and depth of the nursing profession through a dynamic panel discussion that highlights lesser-known but essential roles within the field. Attendees will be introduced to the many ways nurses impact health care and society—beyond the bedside—through work in areas such as leadership, innovation, education, policy, public health, and more. The discussion will focus on the wide-ranging contributions of nurses who represent the evolving landscape of the profession. The session will emphasize how nursing adapts to societal needs while remaining grounded in compassion, clinical expertise, and evidence-based practice. To further engage participants, the session will include real-world stories, interactive discussion, and audience Q&A. A creative component—such as a spoken word piece or visual montage—will be incorporated to reflect the humanistic and artistic dimensions of nursing, in alignment with the symposium’s encouragement of expressive and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Panelists:

• Debora Riccardi, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC
• Bernadette Sosnowski, DNP, ACNP-BC, CSC, CMC

Moderator/Panelist:  Stefanie Keating, DNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, AOCNP 

2:40-4:05 p.m.

THE BEAUTY OF HOFSTRA GREEN SPACES

Join in a guided tour of green spaces on the Hofstra campus, exploring the vital and often overlooked functions of thoughtfully designed landscapes. Beyond their aesthetic beauty, our campus green spaces play a crucial role in promoting mental health, supporting biodiversity, and providing essential pollinator services. As we walk through curated plantings of the Hofstra Arboretum and naturalized zones in the Hofstra Bird Sanctuary and native gardens, we will discuss how our campus serves as a living system that promotes ecological resilience while offering restorative spaces for human well-being. This program invites participants to see the Hofstra campus not just as a collection of plants, but as a model for sustainable, multifunctional land stewardship.]

Facilitators:

• J.  Bret Bennington, Professor of Geology
• Steven Raciti, Associate Professor of Biology
• Michael Runkel, Director of Grounds & Landscape
• Kevin Wiecks, Executive Director of the Bayard Cutting Arboretum 

4:20-5:45 p.m.

THE BEAUTY OF THE ART EXPERIENCE

As a society, we are bombarded with visuals with little time to contemplate their message, content, or impact. In contrast, museums offer a holistic art experience, not just a fleeting moment of visual consumption. As essential stewards of visual art, culture and information, museums provide opportunities for wonder and curiosity, as well as a communal venue for meaningful connection. In the museum, we experience art through a lens that is unique to each of us, our lived experience, and our whole being.  Art meets you where you are.

Therefore, the art experience requires being in the moment, opening yourself to new ideas that might develop from within, and contemplating the ideas of others. The beauty of the art experience lies in finding ways to encourage that connection, which in turn leads to meaningful dialogue and understanding. 
During this session, participants will engage in creative pedagogy to open themselves up in the moment and experience art more fully.

The basis of art exploration will be the current exhibition, “Love is the Message: The Photography of Jamel Shabazz”.

Facilitator: Amy Garay Solomon, Director of Education, Hofstra University Museum of Art

12-2 p.m.
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences presents

THE BEAUTY OF PLAY: BOARDGAMES AS DISCIPLINES IN ACTION 

Academics and academia are often seen as lofty and serious in a way that is almost antithetical to play. Yet many forms of playing are rich grounds for observing our academic fields in action. By examining and appreciating playful entertainment, such as board games, we can find areas of intersection between play and aesthetics, mathematics, history, and social processes. This panel of board game aficionados from departments across HCLAS will explore the beauty we find in this intersection, including the many surreptitious ways games instruct others in our areas of expertise. After the moderated panel, we invite members of the audience to play many illustrative games with us and several of our like-minded colleagues.

Facilitators:

• Christopher Dippel, Professor of Drama and Dance
• Johanna Franklin, Professor of Mathematics
• Christopher Niedt, Professor and Chair of Department of Sociology
• Elisabeth J. Ploran, Professor and Chair of Department of Psychology