As part of the celebrations of our 10th anniversary year, Trent's Bachelor of Arts and Science Program was proud to introduce a new annual lecture series named after Dr. David Ellis, a great champion of arts and science studies and an open-minded supporter of students at Trent.
"Prof. Ellis joined Trent University in 2004 as an assistant professor in Chemistry, later becoming an associate professor in 2008, then acting Dean of Arts and Science – Science in 2017. While fighting a courageous battle with cancer, Prof. Ellis enthusiastically took on the role of Dean of Humanities in 2019, with the collegiality, wit and optimism his coworkers came to expect from him – and will greatly miss.
Prof. Ellis described himself as a scientist with a passion for the importance of the pursuit of the humanities. Prof. Ellis was the proud originator and coordinator of the University’s popular and innovative Medical Professional Stream.
Prof. Ellis’ passion for humanities and science was expressed in his own words in his “Meet the Dean” biography for the Faculty of Arts and Science – Humanities. Always available to guide students on their educational and life path, Prof. Ellis’ bio concludes with a message to students: 'Ask me anything.'"*
Dr. Ellis passed away on November 6, 2019. This lecture series honours his memory, his commitment to promoting arts-sciences interdisciplinarity, and his sincere care for students.
*www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/peterborough-on/david-ellis-8916801
2023-24 David Ellis Lecture
Who the computer sees: Race, gender, and AI
Guest Speaker: Dr. Carla Fehr
Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy
Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo
Carla Fehr holds the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo and leads University of Waterloo’s Gender and Social Justice Program. She is a member of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Consortium for Engendering Success in STEM. Dr. Fehr is a co-founder and co-editor of Feminist Philosophy Quarterly. Dr. Fehr’s research, which focuses on values in science and the role of diversity in developing excellent scientific and technological research, has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Fehr is the principal of Championing Women in STEM, an enterprise that provides leadership and career coaching for women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Facial recognition systems can do a lot more than open your smartphone. They can sort faces into many categories, including emotional state, age, race, and sex. Most Americans are, without their consent, included in government face recognition databases. This paper develops a case study in which scholar, activist, and public figure Joy Boulamwini diagnoses a now-famous failure of facial recognition systems to ‘see’ and accurately classify Black women’s faces. This case is important because it provides a detailed story and rich evidence to help us understand how technology can reproduce human values and the significance of attending to who creates and uses this technology.
** Thank you to the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics for their contributions to this year's event.
Previous Ellis Lecture Guest Speakers and topics
2022-23 - Dr. Leo Groarke, President, Trent University
Topic: The Vital Importance of Critical Thinking Across the Arts and Sciences