As part of the celebrations of our 10th anniversary year, Trent's Bachelor of Arts and Science Program was proud to introduce a new annual lecture series named after Dr. David Ellis, a great champion of arts and science studies and an open-minded supporter of students at Trent.
"Prof. Ellis joined Trent University in 2004 as an assistant professor in Chemistry, later becoming an associate professor in 2008, then acting Dean of Arts and Science – Science in 2017. While fighting a courageous battle with cancer, Prof. Ellis enthusiastically took on the role of Dean of Humanities in 2019, with the collegiality, wit and optimism his coworkers came to expect from him – and will greatly miss.
Prof. Ellis described himself as a scientist with a passion for the importance of the pursuit of the humanities. Prof. Ellis was the proud originator and coordinator of the University’s popular and innovative Medical Professional Stream.
Prof. Ellis’ passion for humanities and science was expressed in his own words in his “Meet the Dean” biography for the Faculty of Arts and Science – Humanities. Always available to guide students on their educational and life path, Prof. Ellis’ bio concludes with a message to students: 'Ask me anything.'"*
Dr. Ellis passed away on November 6, 2019. This lecture series honours his memory, his commitment to promoting arts-sciences interdisciplinarity, and his sincere care for students.
*www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/peterborough-on/david-ellis-8916801
2024-2025 David Ellis Lecture
The Beauty in Mathematics
Guest Speaker: Dr. Cathy Bruce
President and Vice-Chancellor, Trent University
Dr. Catherine (Cathy) Bruce, Trent University’s ninth President & Vice-Chancellor, is a distinguished educator, researcher, and administrator with a 35-year career in education, including over 20 years in higher education. Joining Trent in 2003, she has significantly contributed to its growth, serving as a professor, director of graduate programs, founder of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, dean of Trent’s School of Education, and vice-president of Research and Innovation.
As vice-president, Dr. Bruce oversaw all research activities at Trent, developed strategic research priorities, established the Early Career Researcher Awards, and created a Research Grant Incentive Program. Her efforts in expanding international research collaborations earned Trent the top spot for growth in international partnerships in the 2023 Research Infosource rankings.
Dr. Bruce has received numerous accolades, including the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award. Her research on spatial reasoning in mathematics learning has gained national and international recognition. She has co-authored several books and has an extensive record of peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Bruce’s leadership extends beyond Trent, including roles with Peterborough’s regional Innovation Cluster, the Ontario Council on University Research, and the Association of Canadian Deans of Education. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. and B.Ed. from York University.
The beauty of mathematics has been a topic of discussion as far back as the discipline itself. Aristotle is referenced as saying: “the mathematical sciences particularly exhibit order, symmetry, and limitation; and these are the greatest forms of the beautiful”. Mathematicians, scientists, philosophers and enthusiasts have consistently described this phenomenon in their writings, their research and in their wonder of the Universe. But young children and young adults can also experience this wonder. Mathematical beauty comes in many forms, whether in identifying patterns in nature, pursuing elegant solutions to complex number problems, or producing visually and aesthetically pleasing fractal designs. In this lecture we will explore the beauty in mathematics through a few simple visual-spatial examples, and with a particular nod to Chemistry, the academic home discipline of Dr. David Ellis himself. No math background is required for this lecture. It is intended to bring joy, just as David did throughout his time at Trent.
Previous Ellis Lecture Guest Speakers and topics
2023-2024
Who the computer sees: Race, gender, and AI
Guest Speaker: Dr. Carla Fehr
Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy
Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo
Carla Fehr holds the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo and leads University of Waterloo’s Gender and Social Justice Program. She is a member of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Consortium for Engendering Success in STEM. Dr. Fehr is a co-founder and co-editor of Feminist Philosophy Quarterly. Dr. Fehr’s research, which focuses on values in science and the role of diversity in developing excellent scientific and technological research, has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Fehr is the principal of Championing Women in STEM, an enterprise that provides leadership and career coaching for women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Facial recognition systems can do a lot more than open your smartphone. They can sort faces into many categories, including emotional state, age, race, and sex. Most Americans are, without their consent, included in government face recognition databases. This paper develops a case study in which scholar, activist, and public figure Joy Boulamwini diagnoses a now-famous failure of facial recognition systems to ‘see’ and accurately classify Black women’s faces. This case is important because it provides a detailed story and rich evidence to help us understand how technology can reproduce human values and the significance of attending to who creates and uses this technology.
** Thank you to the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics for their contributions to this year's event.
2022-2023
The Vital Importance of Critical Thinking Across the Arts and Sciences
Guest Speaker: Dr. Leo Groarke
8th President of Trent University
