Events
Each academic year the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty offers a variety of lectures, luncheons and faculty development workshops that feature Smith faculty and visiting professors.
Liberal Arts Luncheons
Liberal Arts Luncheons are sponsored by the Provost and Dean of the Faculty. LALs will be held on Thursdays in the Neilson Browsing Room, unless otherwise noted. Talks begin at approximately 12:10 p.m., and a complimentary lunch is offered for the first 40 attendees (first come, first served).
Date |
Talk |
Presenter |
---|---|---|
September 18 |
Crisis Pregnancy Centers Post-Dobbs |
Carrie Baker, Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Chair of American Studies and Professor of the Study of Women and Gender Studies |
September 25 |
Truth for the Rest of Us |
Chris Rahlwes, Lecturer of Philosophy |
October 2 |
What Is Going on in Paradise Pond and How it Impacts Macroinvertebrates in the Mill River |
Marney Pratt, Senior Laboratory Instructor of Biological Sciences |
October 9 |
Early Steps in Climate Science: the Forgotten Feat of Eunice Newton Foote |
Nat Fortune, Professor of Physics |
October 16 |
Arts Afield Faculty Fellows: Summer 2025 |
Michele Wick, Lecturer of Philosophy; Joanne Benkley, Associate Director of CEEDS |
October 23 |
The Oxford Roots of the American Renaissance |
Michael Thurston, Helen Means Professor of English Language & Literature |
November 13 |
Koreatown, NYC: The Consumption of a Transnational Brand |
Jinwon Kim, Assistant Professor of Sociology |
November 20 |
Design a Team-taught Learning Community in an Hour |
Ileana Vasu, Senior Lecturer of Mathematical Sciences |
Sigma Xi Luncheons
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, meets regularly for talks and a complimentary lunch throughout the year. Talks are open to all faculty, staff and students.
Talks begin at approximately 12:10 p.m. in McConnell Auditorium. A complimentary lunch is offered in McConnell Foyer. Please visit the Sigma Xi website for the schedule.
Faculty Development Events
The Office of the Provost offers a variety of faculty development workshops and events throughout the year. Please visit the office’s Faculty Development webpage for the schedule.
Lectures
Eszter Hargittai ’96
Neilson Professorship
The Neilson Professorship was established in honor of the college’s third president to enable the college to have a distinguished scholar visit the community and share their current research with faculty and students.

The Engel Lectureship is granted annually to a Smith faculty member who has made a significant contribution to his or her field. The lecture was established in 1958 by the National Council of Jewish women in honor of Engel, its onetime president and a 1920 Smith graduate. The 2025 Engel Lecturer will be Mary Harrington.