Natural Landscapes and Human Meaning Part Four — The Frozen Realms

In the fall of 2022, the Humanities Center commenced an ambitious three-year exploration of the connection between the human imagination and the diverse array of landscapes in our world. In the first three parts of this series, we focused on the ocean, the desert and the forest. This semester, we investigate the frozen realms — the wintry worlds of icefields, ice plateaus, glaciers and polar landscapes. Aspects of these strange and dreamlike environments will be showcased in our gallery exhibitions, while in a wide-ranging series of panel discussions and presentations, scholars from a diverse array of disciplines will reflect upon the qualities and the evocative appeal of the earth’s icy regions.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall, Room 200

February 13 |
The Frozen Realms: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Opening Reception
Brian Clack, PhD | Philosophy
Ron Kaufmann, PhD | Environmental and Ocean Sciences

The Science of Ice and Coldness|
February 20
Sue Lowery, PhD | Biology
Michael Mayer, PhD | Biology
Maren Mossman, PhD | Physics

Illume Guest Lecture: Arctic Art Now |
February 27
Christopher P. Heuer, PhD | University of Rochester

Imagining the Cold in Literature and Music |
March 5
Christopher Adler, PhD | Music
Fred Miller Robinson, PhD | English (ret.)
Lisa Smith | English

After Icebergs: Mark Dion and Farrah Karapetian in Conversation with Derrick Cartwright|
March 12
Derrick Cartwright, PhD | Art, Architecture + Art History
Mark Dion, BFA | Artist
Farrah Karapetian, MFA | Art, Architecture + Art History

Human Communities in Frozen Realms |
March 19
Jennifer Parkinson, PhD | Anthropology
Thomas Reifer, PhD | Sociology
Meaghan Weatherdon, PhD | Theology and Religious Studies

The Fate of the Ice |
April 9
Michel Boudrias, PhD | Environmental and Ocean Sciences
Colin Fisher, PhD | History
Sarah Gray, PhD | Environmental and Ocean Sciences

Exploring the Frozen Realms |
April 16
Hugh Ellis, PhD | Biology
Ron Kaufmann, PhD | Environmental and Ocean Sciences
Bryson Patterson | Alum, ‘22 (BA) and ‘23 (MS)

For information on parking, visit www.sandiego.edu/parking/parking-information/guests.php