Fall 2026 Faculty Lecture Series to Explore AI, Creativity and Public Opinion
Hartwick College’s Faculty Lecture Series returns this fall, featuring talks that explore artificial intelligence, creativity, public opinion and contemporary American politics.
The series begins Friday, Sept. 11, with Joseph Von Stengel’s presentation “AI-Empowered Creativity.” Von Stengel will share a four-month case study exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can serve as a creative partner through a process called context coding. During the project, he created a portfolio that included six retro-style video games, atmospheric synthesizers, an artificial intelligence chatbot and an AI course. His presentation will examine the workflows, challenges and breakthroughs involved in using AI to accelerate creative work and explore what this new approach means for the future of digital artistry.
Von Stengel is a digital artist, designer and professor at Hartwick College who explores the intersections of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and traditional art forms. He is the founder and director of Augmented Reality Community Art Galleries, which develops augmented reality exhibitions in public spaces, including San Francisco’s West Bluff and New York City’s High Line.
On Friday, Oct. 9, Laurel Elder will present “Public Opinion on Abortion in Post-Dobbs America.” Elder’s recent book, “Not Going Back: Public Opinion on Abortion in Post-‘Dobbs’ America,” co-authored with Steven Greene and Mary-Kate Lizotte and published by Temple University Press in 2026, will be available for purchase at the talk.
Drawing on national survey data, Elder will examine how public opinion on abortion has changed following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision. The presentation will explore the roles of gender, generational change and personal reproductive experiences in shaping attitudes toward abortion policy, as well as the broader political implications of changing public opinion.
Elder is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, Law and International Relations at Hartwick College and co-director of the Hartwick Institute of Public Service. Her research focuses on American politics, gender and public opinion, and she has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and four books.
All talks in the Faculty Lecture Series will take place in Eaton Lounge, Bresee Hall, from 12:20 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
For more information, visit the series webpage or contact Bradley J. Fest, associate professor of English, at [email protected].
