Saona invited as Purdue NW CHESS Distinguished Speaker
Margarita Saona, Professor and Head of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, has been invited by Purdue University Northwest to give a talk as part of their CHESS (College of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences) Distinguished Speaker Series. Her talk, "Art and Social Memory in Peru 1980-2000," analyzes works of art and other initiatives by activists in Peru who have attempted to foster empathy through their work in an effort to raise collective consciousness about the atrocities of the recent past, and demonstrates that there are specific mechanisms activated by works of art that trigger “memory like” effects in the viewers, promoting empathy in ways that can set the foundations for a common understanding of the traumatic past.
The CHESS Distinguished Series brings two speakers per semester to the PNW, with special emphasis on inviting internationally recognized academic professionals based at well-regarded local Midwest institutions. Invited speakers are asked to present their scholarly work in a 90-minute lecture-discussion focused on recent research that is open to all members of the university and the public. They also participate in one of the following: an interactive classroom visit with students in an appropriate course in CHESS to be specified by the faculty member who authors the proposal or a workshop focused on faculty development.
Prof. Saona's talk will take place on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 at 11am. More details can be found on the PNW website.