The two closely related Celtic languages Breton and Welsh represent an interesting comparative laboratory for exploring language contact phenomena, since much of the period of their divergence from a common ancestor has been accompanied by intense language contact: Breton with French, and Welsh with English. A number of the ways that the modern forms of the two Celtic languages differ from each other, including reflexive and reciprocal constructions and the encoding of motion events, can be seen as cases in which the two languages have, over time, moved in the direction of aligning their patterns with those of French and English respectively, in a process of convergent evolution which is distinct from, though related to, grammatical borrowing. In neither modern language do the patterns match those of the contact language perfectly, but the isomorphy with French and English is nonetheless striking, especially when seen against the background of other effects of intense contact in these languages.

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Dr. Kevin Moeller of Washington University in St. Louis will be presenting a seminar titled From Molecules to Microelectrode Arrays to Lignin Conversion: Electrochemistry as a Tool for Synthesis.  To read the full abstract, click here.

Faculty Host: Dr. Susan Odom

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Martha Peterson, the Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Kentucky, will be presenting a talk titled Exploring Administration from a Faculty Perspective.

Faculty Host: Dr. Edith (Phoebe) Glazer

The Department will host a reception to mark David Adams' retirement. 

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED.

The Committee on Social Theory is excited to announce the fourth lecturer of the Spring Lecture Series, Drucilla Cornell. Drucilla Cornell is Distinguished Professor in Political Science Dept, Rutgers. Dr. Cornell's lecture is entitled “Negotiations and the Claims of Justice.”

Please check back for more details about this lecture.

The Committee on Social Theory is excited to announce the third lecturer of the Spring Lecture Series, Richard Wolff. Richard Wolff is Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs, New School University. His lecture will address "Capitalism vs Democracy: Facing/Solving the Contradiction." Reception to follow at 5:30 p.m. in the Gaines Center Commonwealth House.

The Committee on Social Theory is excited to announce the second lecturer of the Spring Lecture Series, Miriam Ticktin. Miriam Ticktin is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of Zolberg Center on Global Migration, the New School. Dr. Ticktin's talk is entitled“What Does Innocence Have to do with Justice?” Reception to follow at 5:30 p.m. in the Gaines Center Commonwealth House.

The Committee on Social Theory is excited to announce the first lecturer of the Spring Lecture Series, Lori Watson. Lori Watson is Associate Professor of Philosophy and director of the Gender Studies Program, University of San Diego. Dr. Watson's lecture will address "Sex Equality and Public Reason." Reception to follow at 5:30 p.m. in the Gaines Center Commonwealth House.