SLAC – Science of Learning & Art of Communication

Book Launch: From Exploitation Back to Empowerment

Prof. Joseph Cooper, who was quoted recently in the Boston Globe about professional athletes in the article "Once Routine, Invitations to White Now a Political Minefield," will be presenting about his new book.

Previous critiques have documented the damaging effects of the current exploitative sporting and education structures in the U.S. on Black males and the broad Black community. However, largely missing from scholarly literature and popular discourses on this topic is a comprehensive analysis of the heterogeneity among Black male athletes’ lived experience and outcomes over their lifespans.

Second event: Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 6-7 p.m. at the UConn Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Hartford, CT.

Sponsored by the Kim Family Fund

"Inner ear mechanics: new techniques and new insights."

Presenter:
Marcel van der Heijden, Neurosciences Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands

Host: Dr. Leslie Bernstein, lbernstein@uchc.edu

Neuroscience Journal Club

Presenter:
Michal Ragan
Graduate Assistant


Paper to be presented:
"Dopaminergic neurons inhibit striatal output through non-canonical release of GABA"

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3944587/

Assistant Professor in Residence. Yale, School of Management.

From Exploitation Back to Empowerment: Joseph N. Cooper is an Assistant Professor in the Sport Management program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Prior to arriving at UConn, he earned in undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Recreation Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his master's degree in Sport Administration (Department of Exercise and Sport Science) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and doctorate in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Management and Policy from the University of Georgia (Athens, GA). His research agenda focuses on the intersection between sport, education, race, and culture with an emphasis on sport involvement as a catalyst for holistic development. He is also the faculty founder of Collective Uplift (CU), an organization designed to educate, empower, inspire, and support students across ethnic groups at UConn (and the world) to maximize their full potential as holistic individuals both within and beyond athletic contexts.

The Cognitive Science Colloquium Series is proud to present Richard Ashby Wilson, Professor of Law and Anthropology and Gladstein Chair of Human Rights at UConn.

Friday, February 22nd, 4pm, Oak 117

Title: The Psychology of Incitement and Hate Speech: A Dialogue Between Law and Social Science

We live in an era of nativist populism, characterized by speech that incites violence on social media, and an escalation in hate crimes. Recent social science research has identified a correlation between online incitement and offline hate crimes in the United States and Europe. What kinds of speech are the most likely to instigate acts of violence? The current research identifies revenge propaganda as the most likely type to instigate atrocities. We coded 242 speeches by a Serbian politician for references to revenge, nationalism, stereotyping, dehumanization, justice, victimization, past atrocities, political institutions and direct threats. After reading one speech or a control, participants answered questions about empathy, intentionality, and whether violence is morally justifiable. Only speeches focusing on revenge and past atrocities intensified justifications of violence. Only revenge speech increased overall negative attitudes towards the out-group. On the level of personality, those who are more politically conservative, feel the world is unjust, engage more in violent media and are male are more likely to justify violence. These findings have implications for the elusive goal of preventing atrocities. The regulatory framework established fifty years ago in the United States is showing signs of severe strain, and this research draws upon behavioral research to construct a systematic evidence-based framework for analyzing the risk that inciting speech will result in imminent lawless action.

If you are interested in meeting with Professor Wilson on 2/22, please contact Dr. Xygalatas: dimitris.xygalatas@uconn.edu

Sponsored by the Kim Family Fund

“Cellular and Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Depression and Resilience to Social Stress: From the Preclinical Model to the Patient”

Presenter:
Ming-Hu Han, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Director, Center for Neuropharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Host: Dr. Xin-Ming Ma, ma@uchc.edu

Relevant links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24744379

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Rapid+regulation+of+depression-related+behaviours