The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Higher Education Administration Department and the College Student Personnel Association of New York State (CSPA-NYS) will cosponsor a Coffee and Conversation event, "Afrofuturism: Exploring the Utility of Science Fiction in Supporting Underrepresented Students," facilitated by Bethany Jacobs, a consultant with Campus Labs in Buffalo, on Wednesday, November 20, at 9:00 a.m. in Rockwell Hall 202.

Dr. Jacobs will share her research on using science fiction to facilitate student learning. She will discuss key concepts of Afrofuturism and explain how this theory, or concept, is useful for underrepresented students to envision themselves in the future, and to recognize that there is, in fact, a place for them. Afrofuturism relies on science fiction as an accessible, nonthreatening genre to engage students in difficult conversations about complex ideas. Students and student affairs educators alike can apply this theory as a lens to reflect on their experiences and discuss both their vision for and role in a more socially just future.

Dr. Jacobs received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 2014. She was awarded a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Writing and Communication Program at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her courses at Georgia Tech used multiethnic science fiction as a lens for teaching students effective communication strategies. In this position, she has also organized campus events such as Afrofuturism and Environmental Justice.

Please register online for this free event.