U.S. National security space: Seizing New Opportunities and Facing New CHallenges

The Center for Science, Technology, and Society and the Department of History and Political Science present a special guest lecture by Chirag Parikh, the Deputy Director for the Office of Counterproliferation at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).  In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the organization in geospatial-intelligence analysis and production of worldwide research, development, testing, production, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), missiles, space and counterspace capabilities, and advanced technology weapons.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

3:00 -- 4:50 pm

120 Butler-Carlton

All are welcome.

BIOMedical humanities symposium

The Center for Science, Technology, and Society and the Center for Biomedical Research are partnering to present a one-day symposium on Biomedical Humanities.  All are welcome to attend.

Symposium ProgramSymposium ProgramSymposium Program

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

8:30 am -- 3:30 pm

140 Toomey Hall

Designing with Purpose: Human Factors Engineering

The Center for Science, Technology, and Society presents a special guest lecture by Layne Karafantis, center historian at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, California.

Human factors engineering (HFE) considers physical comfort in the composition of objects and systems to optimize human performance through design principles drawn from psychology, cognitive science and other fields. Karafantis will address the origin and development of HFE and how it has been used at NASA.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

3:00–4:00 p.m.

256 Toomey Hall

All are welcome.

what made it possible for sally to ride? Gender Performance in Space

The Center for Science, Technology, and Society and the Department of History and Political Science present a special guest lecture by Dr. Erinn McComb, assistant professor of history at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas.  

What made it possible for Dr. Sally K. Ride to travel into space is complex, encompassing not only the Second Wave of Feminism and Ride’s awesome accomplishments, but also the cultural understanding that the space shuttle transitioned spaceflight technology from one of dangerous exploits to a safe, routine, and domesticated technology. Ride’s 1983 spaceflight illuminates an evolutionary path of changing gendered performances in American technology. The presentation examines how Cold War gendered technology and a perceived crisis of masculinity influenced the American public image of the astronaut.  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) commenced recruiting women into the astronaut corps in 1978. Women’s recruitment came shortly after the shuttle’s commissioning partly because of the belief that the new space transportation system no longer required a crew of “physically fit and rigorously trained men” but also due to NASA’s view that the shuttle’s purpose was that of “designing a home in space”.

Monday, March 12^th, 2018  

3:00-4:00pm in BCE 315.

All are welcome.