Fall 2021 Honors College Forums to Explore Topics Ranging From Ancient Artifacts to Blockchains

Peter Aaron

Subsequent fall, honors college students could have a chance to step behind the scenes on the College of Arkansas Museum, examine the most recent tendencies in computing and comply with runway trend by the ages. The 75-minute, one-credit-hour Honors College Forums, designated HNRC 300VH within the College of Arkansas catalog, deliver star school and high directors along with honors college students on a weekly foundation to debate key matters, from local weather change to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The boards permit our college students to succeed in past the silo of their main or school and take a deep dive into matters that curiosity them,” mentioned John Deal with, director of interdisciplinary and curricular studying. “The objective is for them to grow to be broad, revolutionary thinkers as they be taught in regards to the points which can be reshaping our society right this moment.” 

College students needn’t apply to take part, however seats are restricted in these seminar programs. honors college students are inspired to enroll as quickly as doable. 

The Fall 2021 Honors School Boards are:

Artifact: On this course college students will discover, expertise and have interaction with the College of Arkansas Museum, guided by the museum’s curator Laurel Lamb. With cultural and pure supplies from world wide, the museum’s collections will intrigue college students with quite a lot of pursuits who’re pursuing majors throughout campus. This course is ideal for these fascinated about a museum profession, which extends past curating a group. It takes quite a lot of talent units to function a museum, together with promoting, writing, instructing, designing and developing, researching, managing funds and constructing group relations. There are stunning methods you may mix your pursuits with museums and this discussion board will present hands-on expertise with a collection of them.

Artificial Intelligence: This class will put together college students on present and rising synthetic intelligence matters, together with basis of machine studying, deep studying, cloud computing, massive knowledge analytics and blockchain. Justin Zhan, an Arkansas Analysis Alliance Scholar and professor of knowledge science within the Division of Pc Science and Pc Engineering, will lead this discussion board. 

Blockchain: This discussion board, cosponsored by the Sam M. Walton School of Enterprise’ Blockchain Heart of Excellence and the Honors School, will characteristic networking alternatives with leaders in trade. Blockchains are the following evolution of the Web. Bitcoin, the primary blockchain utility launched in January of 2009, and different blockchain improvements that adopted, are transferring us from an “Web of Info” to an “Web of Worth,” the place individuals transact worth — cash and different belongings — instantly with one another with out counting on trusted third events like banks. The post-blockchain world is digital, automated, cheap and distributed, promising to empower people to regulate their very own knowledge. Firms are already utilizing them to hint meals from farm to fork, to stop blood diamonds from getting into provide chains, to permit neighbors to purchase and promote extra photo voltaic capability and far more. Blockchains are revolutionizing trade in the identical means the web overturned conventional modes of doing enterprise. LinkedIn has cited blockchain because the primary talent sought by employers in 2020. 

This discussion board can be led by Mary C. Lacity, Walton Professor of Info Techniques and director of the Blockchain Heart of Excellence.

Runway: This discussion board will current an interactive examine of runway trend all through the ages. Guided by Stephanie Hubert, an teacher within the Attire Merchandising and Product Growth Program within the Faculty of Human Environmental Sciences, college students will examine the historical past of trend exhibits, focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the runway, and work together with visitor audio system about precise trend present experiences. The course will concentrate on several types of trend exhibits and can permit college students to research previous exhibits and create concepts for exhibits within the post-pandemic world. Different matters of debate will embrace variety on the runway, utilizing trend to create social change, and consuming problems within the modeling trade.