Risky Business

More than 50 members of the Moravian community participated in this year’s edition of the faculty reading group. “The Social Impact of Science” turned out to be an inviting topic for often vigorous discussion.

With the forthcoming departure of Amy Baehr, associate professor and department chair of philosophy, who has coordinated the group, Heikki Lempa, assistant professor of history, agreed to be its shepherd next year.

An ad hoc committee chose “The Perception of Risk” as the topic.
A dozen faculty and staff have submitted ideas, some with readings, for group discussion sessions. Here’s a preliminary list:

• Diane Radycki, director of Payne Gallery: “Picasso and Risks.”

• Clarke Chapman, religion: “Theology of Risk.”

• Rosalind Remer, history: “Risk and Early Capitalism.”

• Heikki Lempa, history: “Risk Society.”

• Dana Dunn, psychology: “Knowing with Certainty: The Appropriateness of Extreme Confidence.”

• Carl Salter, chemistry: “The Prisoner’s Dilemma: The Risk of Cooperation.”

• Sylvia Forman, mathematics: “Calculating Risk.”

• Eva Leeds, economics and business: “Risk and Adam Smith.”

• Joe Gerencher, earth sciences: “Risk in Earth Sciences.”

• Linda Ravelle, economics and business: “Risk Management.”

• Karen Keim, English: “Tortoise Trickster: Taking Risk in Cameroon.”

• George Diamond, English. “ ‘The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber’ by Ernest Hemingway: Risk-Taking and the Existential Challenge.”

Further thoughts and suggestions: hlempa@moravian.edu.
Amy will spend the summer adding a new member to her family. When she has recovered from that, she will join the faculty of Hofstra University on Long Island. “She has guided our discussions with an ease and intellectual excitement that makes it hard to replace her,” Heikki said. “We will all miss Amy, but I will do my best as the new coordinator of our group.”