On Wednesday, November 13th in the Providence Lecture Theatre, the annual ProvTalks event took place – with addresses by a number of University College faculty, two current students, and representation from both the Seminary and Staff. Encompassing a wide range of topics and interests, ProvTalks highlights the diversity of thought within our Providence community. This year, an unofficial throughline uniting all presentations was the value of questioning our biases and shifting our perspective in order to see things in a new light. In other words, what we see at the surface is only one facet of actuality. Through investigation we discover that reality is much deeper and more complex than our common assumptions about God, the natural world, and of human nature itself.
Explore some of these ideas again or for the first time in the following nine ProvTalks of 2024.
Morning Session
“Instructive Impressionism in the Works of Claude Monet” (VIDEO)
Ian Wiebe – 3rd-Year BA Humanities Student
By considering both the over-all scene and distinct fragments of Claude Monet’s paintings – as well as taking into considering aspects such as colour, time and energy – Wiebe describes how an appreciation for Impressionism can be instructive in one’s personal life.
“Meet Austin Farrer (1904-1968): Inklings-Adjacent New Testament Scholar and Man of God” (VIDEO UNAVAILABLE)
Dr. Michael Gilmour – Distinguished Professor of New Testament & English Literature
While many people are familiar with Oxford Fellows C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, another key figure from that era was the Anglican priest and biblical scholar Austin Farrer. In his talk, Gilmour shares how Farrer is an example of one who equally valued faith and academics.
“Women in STEM” (VIDEO)
Dr. Rebecca Dielschneider – Department Chair (Natural & Social Science); Associate Professor of Health Science
While women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math have made significant strides towards equality, Dielschneider communicates that multiple systemic injustices remain – such as significant discrepancies in pay, imbalanced citation practices, and uneven expectations.
“I am Autistic, Autistic I Am: Exploring Autism as Intentional Design” (VIDEO)
Holly Ammerman – Financial Aid Administrator
For many years, Autism has been defined as a disorder based on particular deficits and scientific study has been conducted primarily by non-Autistic researchers. In her talk, Ammerman exposes various stereotypes regarding Autism and reframes neurodiversity as positive and purposeful.
Afternoon Session
“Uncanny Metaphors: What do Eyelids, Lions, and Midwives have to do with God?” (VIDEO)
Dr. Heather Macumber – Department Chair (Biblical and Theological Studies & Humanities); Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
Metaphors function as a way to explain what something is like by bringing two ideas together; however, some are employed more often to the exclusion of others. In this ProvTalk, Macumber spotlights three lesser-known biblical metaphors for God: the eyelid, the lion, and the midwife.
“The Search for Kelp: Ocean Research in the Hudson Bay” (VIDEO)
Anabella Perez – 2nd-Year BSc Environmental Science Student
In the summer of 2024, Perez travelled to Sanikiluaq, Nunavut as part of a research trip examining kelp in the Hudson Bay. The study included taking pictures of the ocean floor, collecting water samples, and making observations about this cold-water environment.
“I am Ironweed: Introducing Providence’s Endangered Species” (VIDEO)
Dr. Bruce Friesen-Pankratz – Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Based on a 2024 survey conducted along the Rat River by Friesen-Pankratz and his Field Methods students, it was discovered that Providence’s Otterburne campus supports a sub-population of the endangered species Vernonia Fasciculata (a.k.a. Ironweed).
“Behind the Screens in the Middle East” (VIDEO)
Dr. Jeff Anderson – Dean of the Seminary
Through a variety of lenses – i.e. popular culture, language, politics and theology – Anderson presents a view of the Middle East that emphasizes the complexity and nuance of historical and contemporary issues, and provides some practical application regarding steps forward.
“Catching Feelings: Emotional Backlash and Male Supremacism” (VIDEO)
Ryan Coulling – Assistant Professor of Sociology
Coulling presents sociological research related to the primary function of emotion in the process of hegemonic masculinity and supremacy. To this end, he describes a cycle of men feeling under attack, which leads to border work, shame and discomfort, and then back to paranoia.
