After its cancellation last year due to the emergence of COVID-19, the College of the Canyons Scholarly Presentation will return this spring in a new virtual format.
Past presenters Kevin Anthony (hotel restaurant management), Michael McCaffrey (art), and Miriam Golbert (biology) will provide updates on their research in two separate Zoom presentations during the months of March and April.
“The Scholarly Presentation has been running for 20 years and is COC’s way to showcase the amazing and unique talents and research of our stellar faculty,” said Sarah Etheridge, chair of the Scholarly Presentation Committee. “This event gives faculty a way to share their passions with colleagues, students, and the broader community, thus fostering community engagement and dialogue while also inspiring young minds. We are so thrilled to be able to continue it in a remote fashion during these unprecedented times.”
On Thursday, March 11 at 6 p.m., Anthony and McCaffrey will pick up where they left off in 2018 when they presented “Pompeii: Life and Art,” which shed light on what life was like in the Roman city before the infamous eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried it under ash in 79 A.D.
“Substantial funding from the Italian government has uncovered a neighborhood that is providing new insights into the cataclysmic volcanic eruption, the lives of the people and new exciting frescoes,” said Anthony. “These discoveries have created discussions and questions of some of the long-held beliefs of the life and the people in this ancient city.”
In this follow-up to his original look into Roman art in the public realm, McCaffrey will detail an almost completely intact ancient Roman Thermopolium (or fast-food joint) preserved for nearly 2,000 years by the devastating eruption of Vesuvius in the first century AD.
Approximately one-third of the ancient Pompeii site still remains buried beneath thick volcanic ash. A recent collapse of part of this shield necessitated an immediate archeological dig of the area known as Rione 5.
“The dig has revealed frescos with unmatched vibrancy and an overall pristine site with many unique discoveries,” said McCaffrey. “I will expand upon the centrality of the image in advanced societies — both then and now — as a force with social, political and economic implications.”
On Thursday, April 15, at 4 p.m., Golbert will revisit her 2015 presentation “Galapagos: A Personal Journey on the Footsteps of Darwin,” which touched on the region’s unique geological formations, Charles Darwin’s time spent on the islands, as well as his various discoveries and scientific theories.
“After my scholarly presentation on November 2015, many events have happened on the islands, good and bad,” said Golbert, who has visited the Galapagos Islands four times. “I would like to provide an update on the conservation and restoration efforts, such as the reintroduction of giant tortoises to Santa Fe Island, the tortoise breeding programs, and the marine invasive species that have been detected.”
Golbert will also discuss the reintroduction of land iguanas on Santiago Island and the fact that 42 bird species are currently at risk of extinction.
The 2021 Scholarly Presentations are free and open to the public. There will be a Q&A session following each presentation. To RSVP and obtain more information, visit canyons.edu/administration/committees/scholarlypresentation/index.php.
