Help us profile your research, publications, job ads, opportunities, and upcoming events by sending them to: talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca to be showcased in our following newsletter.
Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship (SCDP): Events & Opportunities
October 27: Join TMU’s Centre for Digital Humanities for a panel discussion on Teaching with Text Generation Technologies, including but not limited to A.I.
November 2: Join UofT’s Critical Digital Humanities Initiative for a guest talk from Dr. Kim Gallon, Associate Professor of Africana Studies (Brown University).
November 6: Join SCDS for an interactive “no experience required” introduction to the fundamental concepts, processes, and methodological approaches for analyzing text using computational approaches.
November 8: SFU offers an introduction to TEI as an encoding language, outlining how participants can use the TEI for creating their own digital editions.
You can see more info and you can register here.
Hooker Distinguished Visiting Professor Public Lecture - Sule Alan
Date: Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST
Location: DSB 505
Available as virtual event on Zoom
Register here
McMaster Digital Society Lab: Central Bank Digital Currency
"Central Bank Digital Currency: Perspectives on a Digital Canadian Dollar"
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a new form of money. More than 130 central banks all over the world are seriously exploring implementing a CBDC, including the Bank of Canada. In this online event, leading experts from various sectors and fields will provide us with insights about CBDCs in the Canadian context and their wider implications for our society. An audience Q&A will follow.
Date: Thursday, November 2, 2023
Time: 4 pm EST
Virtual Event on Zoom
Register here
Speakers:
John Kiff (Research Director, Sovereign Official Digital Association): “Central Bank Digital Currency: Who’s Doing What, Where, and Why?”
Prof. Poonam Puri (Osgoode Hall Law School, York University): “Digital Loonie: Lessons from Abroad”
Prof. Trevor Tombe (Department of Economics, University of Calgary): “Should Canadians Fear a Central Bank Digital Currency?”
Moderator:
Dr. Ori Freiman (Digital Society Lab, McMaster University & Digital Policy Hub, CIGI)
McMaster Indigenous Research Institute: Indigenous Research Day
We’d like to invite you to join us on November 7th for the second annual
Indigenous Research Day at McMaster. It will be a day of learning about and celebrating the work of faculty, students, staff, and community members engaged in Indigenous research at McMaster University.
We hope you can join us! Please share this invite with anyone who may be interested!
Location: CIBC Hall, McMaster Student Centre
Date: November 7th, 2023
Time: 8:30 am- 4:30 pm
More info can be found here.
Workshop in International Survey Methods (WISM): Fall Schedule
WISM is pleased to announce their schedule for the Fall 2023 Workshop on International Survey Methods.
“From Stories to Models: Eliciting Culturally Determined Knowledge from Hyperlocal Populations using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps”
Date: November 8, 2023
Speakers: Clifford Zinnes (NORC at the University of Chicago), Santadarshan Sadhu (NORC), Peter Revay (Two Six Technologies), Rebecca Myhre (Two Six), James Gentile (Two Six)
Zoom Link | Download Calendar Event
Dpt. of English & Cultural Studies: The Annual South Asia Lecture
Dr. Ania Loomba, the Catherine Bryson Professor of English at University of Pennsylvania, will be giving a lecture titled, “Romance and Revolution.”
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023,
Time: 2 - 3:30PM EST
Venue: Peter George Centre for Living and Learning (PGCLL) M21
Snacks and beverages will be served.
Admission is FREE. Open to the public. No registration required.
Sociology Speaker Series 2023-24: Banned in Florida
Florida has been leading the wave of book bannings, but the movement to censor ideas has a reach far beyond the United States. Please join us in reading these books and engaging with sociologists who give full consideration to ideas that have been deemed too dangerous, such as sexuality, gender, and critical race theory, and the way the educational system is weakened by its refusal to understand structural inequalities.
Date: Weds, November 15, 2023
Time: 1:30-3:30PM EST
Location: LRW 1003
Speaker: Dr. Kelsy Burke (Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Contracts and intellectual property rights in translational R&D
Balancing private innovation incentives, including patents with public access to the fruits of innovation continues to be challenging. IP rights restrict public access by reserving monopoly control to the rightsholder, requiring those wishing to access the technology to contract with those rightsholders. In this paper, we argue that these contracts which underpin the translational R&D process are an under-explored potential means by which a policy balance within the IP system can be achieved. IP safeguards can, and should, be more widely incorporated into those contracts, to preserve the interests of the public, especially where public funds and resources have spearheaded the innovation process. Greater attention to the contractual terms throughout the translational development chain is a necessary and practically realisable way to achieve this fair balance. Key stakeholders in the translational research chain can make important changes to policies and practices for contracting, in order to enhance the wider public interest.
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023
Time: 11:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m. EST
Virtual event on Zoom
Register here
50th Anniversary of Halfbreed- Maria Campbell Live
Join us for a special evening to pay tribute to Maria Campbell and her profound landmark 1973 memoir, Halfbreed.
Maria will be joined on stage by fellow scholars; Dr. Winona Wheeler, Dr. Brenda Macdougall, Professor Judy Anderson and Dr. Kim Anderson as they discuss the impacts of Campbell’s work. This event promises a night of heartfelt conversations, powerful storytelling, and captivating performances. Don't miss this chance to honour the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking work and the impact it has had on Indigenous literature and culture.
Date: Friday November 17, 2023
Time: 5:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: McMaster University L.R. Wilson Hall - Waller Lobby and LRW Concert Hall (Main Floor), 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8
Hosted by: Indigenous Studies Department, English and Cultural Studies & McMaster Library.
Cost: Free - Get your free ticket here.
The hosts will begin receiving guests in the Waller Lobby at 5:00pm for culturally inspired hors d’oeuvres with theatre seating beginning at 5:30pm. Tickets will be required upon entry.
MacPherson Institute: Generative AI Events & Training
Generative AI Community Conversations in Teaching and Learning
You are invited to a monthly gathering dedicated to the exploration of generative AI in the realm of teaching and learning. Whether you're a faculty member, student, or staff, and irrespective of your prior knowledge of AI, this is a space for all to learn, share, and connect.
Why Attend?
- Inclusive Learning: No prior experience with generative AI is required; all you need is a willingness to share and learn.
- Diverse Formats: From panel presentations and hands-on workshops to open discussions, each month promises a unique and engaging experience.
- Community-Driven Topics: Have a burning question or a topic of interest? Propose, discuss, and shape our monthly agendas.
- Co-Facilitation: Benefit from diverse perspectives with faculty and student co-facilitators leading each session.
- Connect & Collaborate: Forge meaningful connections across campus, share experiences, challenges, and shape the future of generative AI at McMaster.
Preparation: While some sessions may have suggested materials for a richer experience, there are no mandatory pre-readings.
Accessibility: We strive to make our events accessible to everyone. If you have specific accessibility needs or concerns, please reach out to Erin Aspenlieder and we'll do our best to accommodate.
You can register and learn more
here.
Generative AI Assessment Clinic
By the end of the Assessment Clinic educators will have a fully redesigned assessment appropriate to their unique course and pedagogical goals.
Multiple dates to choose from between December 4 and December 12 and in-person and virtual offerings.
Assessment Submission Deadline: Monday, November 13, 2023
This event is free for McMaster University staff and faculty.
You can learn more and register
here.
Participants Needed for Generative AI and Assessment Study
Ben Lee Taylor and colleagues from the MacPherson Institute are looking for volunteers who are currently employed as instructors at a Canadian university or college and teaching at least one course during the 2023–24 academic year.
The study is looking at student assessments that have been designed or redesigned to address the widespread availability and use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT, as well as assessments that instructors perceive as being unaffected by such technology. The researchers are collecting sample student assessments to identify key principles and best practices for assessment design with generative AI in mind.
The study involves an online survey and will take approximately 10-15 minutes of your time. You will be asked to provide some information related to your position as an instructor, to indicate whether you would be interested in a follow-up interview, and to upload a sample assessment.
You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: survey link. You will be presented with a consent statement before the survey begins.
For the full details of the survey, please click on this link to the Letter of Information.
This study has been reviewed by and received ethics clearance from the McMaster Research Ethics Board (Project #6636).
McMaster: New Faculty Workshop Series
These workshops expose faculty to McMaster's various management and support structures and involve guest speakers from across campus to present critical topics for career success. Each peer-to-peer workshop format provides an excellent opportunity to hear from reputable faculty and/or senior leaders on aspects of the academy to help junior faculty develop their intellectual pursuits and campus community connections.
All workshops will be held from 3:00pm - 5:00pm in the West Room at the Faculty/University Club (Alumni Memorial Hall). You also have the option of registering to attend the event remotely.
New Faculty Workshop: Grants & Funding Landscape
Date: Thursday, November 23
Register here
New Faculty Workshop: Graduate Supervision
Date: Thursday, December 14
Register here
For more information, visit the Faculty Leadership and Development Resource Hub.
