Endicott faculty will put their scholarship in the spotlight at the upcoming Seaside Symposium, showcasing the research, creative work, and innovative ideas taking shape across the College.
Sponsored by Academic Affairs, the symposium will take place on Wednesday, October 28, at the Klebanoff Auditorium and surrounding campus locations, bringing together faculty from across disciplines to share their work with the Endicott community.
The day will kick off with Coffee & Connect at 9 a.m. in the LSB Lobby, where faculty and attendees can catch up over coffee and pastries before a full day of presentations, conversations, and idea-sharing begins.
Sabbatical Presentations
The first presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m., with Larry Volk, Professor of Photography, presenting “Re•Cognition.” Through two bodies of work, Volk explores family history and the changing nature of memory, drawing from personal archives, photographs, and ephemera. His work reflects on his mother’s experiences during the Holocaust and examines how photographs, personal experiences, and the passage of time can reshape our understanding of the past.
At 10:15 a.m., Michael Kilburn, Professor of Politics and International Studies, will share insights from his sabbatical research, “Geosophy: The Science and Art of Geohumanistic Practice.” His project explores the roots and evolution of human geography, with the goal of creating an accessible field guide to geosophy for a general audience. Blending geographic concepts with hands-on learning, the guide also features practical exercises designed to help readers better understand the relationship between people, place, and the world around them.
At 11 a.m., Sergio Inestroza, Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Communication, and Humanities, will present “The Process of Developing a Medical Spanish Textbook,” offering a behind-the-scenes look at a project that grew out of Endicott’s Spanish for Healthcare Professionals micro-credential. After developing the curriculum and teaching its first courses, Inestroza identified a need for a Medical Spanish resource that could serve not only nursing students, but also doctors and allied health professionals. His presentation will explore the process of developing, writing, and refining the textbook’s first draft.
At noon, Sara Allen, Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Communication, and Humanities, will present “House of Many: Found Objects and Connected Narratives from a 1668 Hand-Carved Banister to the 2026 Ipswich Boys LAX Scandal” in the Hempstead Commons Seminar Suites. Allen’s presentation traces the stories uncovered through artifacts found in a First Period home, from medicine bottles and an iron bed frame to fragments of centuries-old dishes. Using historic ledgers, letters, journals, and court documents, she pieces together the lives and secrets of the home’s former occupants while drawing connections between the challenges of the past and those facing communities today. Lunch will be provided; RSVP is required.
At 1:15 p.m., Grace Kwan, Associate Professor in the School of Science and Technology, will present “Back to School in the Age of AI: A Data Science Sabbatical” in Klebanoff Auditorium. During her sabbatical, Kwan expanded her data analysis skills in SQL and R before applying them to a project examining how urbanization affects squirrel microbiomes. Using AI as a coding assistant throughout the project, she explored both its benefits and limitations in data science.
The day will conclude with a presentation at 2 p.m. by Chris McDaniel, Professor in the School of Science and Technology, titled “Lessons Learned from L.L.M.s.” McDaniel explored the growing role of AI in mathematics, using large language models to tackle his own research problems with some surprising successes. His presentation will share lessons from that experience and examine the possibilities of using AI as a tool for mathematical research and problem-solving.
The Seaside Symposium is open to all faculty, staff, and students who wish to engage in intellectual discourse and celebrate the accomplishments of Endicott’s esteemed scholars. Register here.