C.W. Post Honors Program Conference Aims to Find a Balance Between Work and Play

Learning to balance the rigors of work with the joys of play will be the focus of the annual Honors Conference at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University on Friday, November 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dr. Joan Digby, Honors Program director, will deliver the keynote speech, "Life is a Balancing Act: Personal Reflection and Great Performances." Her speech will be followed by music and dance performances by C.W. Post staff and faculty members. The address will be presented from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Hillwood Recital Hall.

"The theme of this conference is an essential theme in all of our lives," said Dr. Digby. "Students see most faculty and staff only through the roles they play at work, but all of us have other sides, other passions, other interests that make for a balanced life. I will offer up my own story and introduce three campus people who will come out from behind their desks to share their creativity in music and dance. We hope it will give our students and the public ideas about their own lives and a chance to think about people in richer way."

The 2006 Honors Conference will feature a wide-ranging menu of seminars, including:

• Accounting Has Supported My Diving Habits:  Professor Sally Wahrmann of the School of Professional Accountancy discusses how the dedication required in her profession has been transmitted to her SCUBA adventures— both require discipline and following the rules. She will illustrate her presentation with underwater photography and some maritime history.

• Writing Your Tutorial and Thesis in Two Semesters or Less and Still Have Time for a Life: Dr. Karen Megay-Nespoli, a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, gives students an opportunity to plan for their tutorial and thesis by beginning with a two-semester timeline of activities and examining common roadblocks and strategies that will help keep students on path to success.

• Balancing Work and Play on the Web: Patrick Aievoli, a professor of digital art and design, discusses CampusCenter.com as the academic alternative to Facebook and MySpace and addresses students’ needs for an online community that fulfills all of their academic and social needs.

• My Work is My Play and My Play is My Work: Dr. Anne Burns, professor of mathematics, will share how she turns mathematical theorems into formulas for creating art work. She will show some of the programs she has written that use mathematics to draw realistic-looking natural forms such as clouds, trees, mountains and flowers as well as abstract geometric artwork.

A complete roster of seminars is available for review at the Honors Program web site at http://www.cwpost.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/honors/conference.html. For more information, call 516-299-2840 or e-mail joan.digby@liu.edu. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The conference takes places in various academic buildings on the C.W. Post Campus, located at 720 Northern Boulevard in Brookville, New York.

Posted: October 16, 2006