2017 April 19 Conversations in the Disciplines

The University Writing Program hosts its annual roundtable conversation about faculty research and writing practices. Professors from diverse disciplines at DU present their research projects and writing approaches, and then engage in open discussion with the audience.

Dr. Michael Brent (philosophy) researches central metaphysical issues that arise at the intersection of philosophy of action and philosophy of mind. The guiding thread that unites much of his current work is the notion of effort. A paper defending an account of bodily action in which your exerting effort plays an ineliminable causal role in every action that you perform is forthcoming in the Canadian Journal of Philosophy.

Dr. Ana Babic Rosario (marketing) is interested in ways to maximize the effectiveness of social media monitoring and investment strategies, such that they improve firm performance. She is also concerned with the role of online social interaction in consumers' lives-especially in the context of food consumption.

Dr. Elizabeth Sperber (political science) specializes in comparative and international politics, with regional expertise in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently completing a book manuscript about the politicization of new religious movements in Africa, with a focus on Pentecostal Christianity, and working on several paper-length studies in the political economy of foreign aid.

Dr. Barry Zink (Physics) uses micro' and nanofabrication techniques to control and measure the thermal, magnetic, and electronic properties of systems to study the fundamental physics of new materials and apply this knowledge for new technologies. The possible applications of his research group's work range from improved thermoelectric materials for solid -state power generation and cooling to better tools to identify and control illicit nuclear materials.