Lecture Previews

Identities in Conflict: The Recognition of Migrants presents Nancy Foner: “How Exceptional is New York as an Immigrant City?”

Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m.

Adamson Wing (Baker Hall 136A)

Nancy Foner, distinguished professor of sociology of the City University of New York, will present a lecture on the unique quality of New York as a city receptive of immigrants. Foner will specifically focus on New York’s history of immigrants and distinctive ethnic and racial diversity.

In the lecture, she will speak of the changes that immigration has had on the social structure of race and ethnicity within New York, as well as the intergroup relations that the country refers to as a “New York way.”

ULS Journeys presents Nadine Aubry: Lessons from Living Life on the Boundary

Dec. 3 at 4:30 p.m.

Gregg Hall (Porter Hall 100)

Nadine Aubry, the head of the mechanical engineering department and Raymond J. Lane distinguished professor of mechanical engineering, will present a lecture on her professional and personal life experiences “on the boundary.”

In terms of her research and work, mechanical engineering encompasses many fields, including physics, mathematics, engineering, and the arts, while also providing a foundation for aerospace, automotive, nanotechnology, and bioengineering, among other fields. In addition, she will explain her research group’s contributions to the field of mechanical engineering in the division of fluid mechanics.

Specifically, her research in fluid dynamics has included pioneering the modeling of open flow turbulence and other systems using advanced decomposition techniques and dynamical systems theory. According to www.cmu.edu/uls/december/aubry.html, current research with her team has suggested novel methods for effective mixing, droplet generation, and assembly of micro- and nano-sized neutral particles at fluid-fluid interfaces in 2-D arrays.

Aubry will explore her life experiences through her lecture as well. Aubry grew up in both Paris and a rural farm in the French Loire Valley. She has also been shaped by working in a male-dominated field, migrating to the United States, and raising her children in the midst of her career as a faculty member and an administrator. She defines her life as “living on a boundary.”

Furthermore, she will include her impression of being a minority and how this feature of her life has been a valuable aid in her profession and her family.

Through her lecture, Aubry hopes to convey her life experiences to the diverse young students of Carnegie Mellon who are also living “on the boundary.”