Philosophers' Jam: From Ivory Towers to Public Squares: Post-Secondary Education's Role In Increasing Scientific Literacy

Join the Philosophy Department for the next Philosophers' Jam Dialogue Series.

Speaker: Dr. Johanne Penafiel
Topic: From Ivory Towers to Public Squares: Post-Secondary Education's Role In Increasing Scientific Literacy
Date: April 5, 2024
Time: 4-6 PM
Location: Room L224 at Langara College
Refreshments: Complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks provided.

Abstract: If we look at recent years, it seems that science and society are in a love-hate relationship. Public trust in science has declined, but more and more societal issues look for answers in science. What happened? How did we get here? Maybe post-secondary institutions can play a role in healing this interdependence. Institutions of higher education not only support students to achieve their career goals, they also help students develop critical thinking skills needed for a constructive relationship between science and society.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Johanne Penafiel studied organic chemistry at Ecole Européenne de Chimie Polymères et Matériaux, Strasbourg (FR) and obtained her PhD in organometallic chemistry at the Rijksuniversiteit, Groningen (NL) and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen (DE). After different teaching opportunities around BC, she is now at Langara College, Vancouver, sharing her passion for chemistry and her interest for understanding of the natural world. As soon as she arrived in BC, she fell in love with its wilderness and when she is not exploring, she loves to apply her chemistry skills and knowledge in the kitchen.

REGISTER to join us for this session.