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Jun 16, 2025

Since the early 1990’s Salem State professors and staff have been giving lectures at the Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) affiliated with Salem State University (https://explorerslli.org/). Salem’s Explorers Institute is one of over 400 such organization in the United States and Canada associated with The Road Scholar Institute Network (formerly Elderhostel). Since 2014 Salem State faculty and staff have been giving lectures at the Explorers Institute through the My Favorite Lecture – A Taste of the Liberal Arts program which runs each spring semester. Any member of the Salem State community interested in giving a lecture through this program, please contact Professor Stephen Young (syoung@salemstate.edu). Below is a list of presenters over the past 11 years.

 

2025   

Stephenie Young (English / Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies) “The US – Mexican Border

Lisa Delissio (Biology) “From Oral Histories to Cutting-edge Science: The Revival of Salem’s Historic Cemetery Arboretum

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Biomes of the World”

Erkan Toraman (Geological Sciences) “It’s about time

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Geographic Curiosities

 

2024

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Journey to Central Asia” 

Amy Everitt (Healthcare Studies) "Breaking the ageism barriers" 

James Gubbins (Interdisciplinary Studies) “Creating your best life.” 

David Silva (Provost and Academic Vice President) “Language and Culture” 

Lorri Krebs (Geography and Sustainability) "Ecotourism & climate change: exploring changing landscapes." 

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “The science of climate change and our future” 

 

2023

Van Pham (Economics) "Irrationality, the hidden forces behind our economic decisions." 

Claire Keyes (English) ”Nature’s Poetry: A Study of Poetry in the Anthropocene.”  

Jamie Wilson (History) “More than a Dream:  Martin Luther King, Poverty, Race, and War in the 1960s.” 

Sara Mana (Geological Sciences) “Volcanos!”

Jennifer Robinson (Criminal Justice) "Seductions of Crime"

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Geography”

Haig Demarjian (Art + Design) “Printmaking and the Allure of Antiquated Technologies”

 

2022

Kristin Pangallo (Chemistry) “The Best Bad Option: Using Science to Guide Public Schools’ Pandemic Response”

Steve Matchak (Geography and Sustainability) “Folk Houses and Gravestones in New England”

Barbara Poremba (Nursing) “The Unsung Heroes of WWII: The US Cadet Nurses Corps”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “So you think you know World Geography?”

Anne Barker (Development Office) “Life and Work in Senegal”

Steven Silvern (Geography and Sustainability) “Religion & Climate Change Faith-Based Calls for Action”

           

2021

Ryan Fisher (Biology) “Life at the Beach: What moves beneath the sand.”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “A Geographer’s Travels: Pictures & Stories.”

Stephenie Young (English) “Boarder Problems: A photographer’s view of the disputed republics of Transcaucasia.”

Steven Silvern (Geography and Sustainability) “Geographies of the Holocaust.”

 

2020

Elizabeth Kenny (School of Graduate Studies) “Why Bother with Hamlet?”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “So you think you know the geography of Asia.”

Rest of series cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic

 

2019

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “A Geographer’s sabbatical.”

David Silva (University Provost) “Language, Thought, and Culture.”

Christopher Fauske (Media and Communication) "Finding the fun in Twitter without joining in."

Van Pham (Economics) “Vietnam - A country at a Crossroads.”

Michele Louro (History) “World War One and India.”

Pierre Walker (English) "Henry James."

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Biomes of the World.”

 

2018

Gretchen Sinnett (Art + Design) "Art and Social Change."

David Silva (University Provost) “linguistic brainteasers.”

Jennifer Jackman (Political Science) "Changing Views of Wildlife: Will Public Policy Catch Up?"

Keith Ratner (Geography and Sustainability) “Issues in Urban America.”

Darlene Crone-Todd (Psychology) “Behavior Change as an Evolutionary Process.”

 

2017

Jeffrey Theis (English) “Shakespeare”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Our Earth as seen from Space”

Brad Hubeny (Geological Sciences) “Human Impacts on our Environment: A Geologist's Perspective”

David Silva (University Provost) “Language, Identity, and Culture”

Rebecca Hains (Communications) “Children and Media Culture”

 

2016

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “What’s up with the Atmosphere: Understanding our Weather and Climate” a 6-week class.

 

2015

Nancy Schultz (English) “Bridges Between Lands and Cultures: Salem's Surprising Connections to Poland”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “The Distribution of Life on Earth”

William Cornwell (Philosophy) “Puzzles in the Philosophy of Time”

Paul Kelly (Biology) “Reptiles and Vertebrate Evolution”

Christopher Mauriello (History) “War, Memory and Meaning: Reflections on the Great War 100 Years Later.”

Vanessa Ruget (Political Science) "Why We Should Increase Foreign Aid"

 

2014

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Overview of Asia”

Vanessa Ruget (Political Science) “Issues in Central Asia”

Steven Silvern (Geography and Sustainability) “Issues in the Middle east and Southwest Asia”

Kanishkan Sathasivam (Political Science) “Issues in South Asia”

Stephen Young (Geography and Sustainability) “Issues in East and Southeast Asia”

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