The focus of the UI Theme Semester in spring 2017 is the internet, the global system of connectedness that has literally made the world smaller. It enables the efficient processing of complex information, the transfer of knowledge and ideas beyond the borders of language and geography, technological advances few would have dared imagine possible mere decades ago, and rapid communication that can save lives, start a revolution, crowdfund research, and play to both our better and worse natures in interpersonal exchange. WorldCanvass guests will talk with host Joan Kjaer about “Our Lives Online” on January 17, from 7:30-9:00 p.m., in the Recital Hall of the Voxman Music Building. The public is invited to attend both WorldCanvass and the catered, pre-show reception (6:30-7:30 p.m.).  You can RSVP for the event here.

WorldCanvass participants will explore the power of social media, discuss the societal and economic importance of internet access, help us understand big data and what our online behaviors tell others about us, and describe how new and rapidly changing technologies are altering the way we live.

WorldCanvass: Our Lives Online

Part 1 (7:30-8:00)  

Social media

Jennifer Fawcett—playwright, Working Group Theatre

Katie Hassman—librarian, UI Libraries

Lena Hill—senior associate to the president; associate professor, UI Departments of English and African American Studies

Part 2 (8:00-8:30)  

Access and the power of influence

Nicholas Johnson—former FCC commissioner; adjunct professor, UI College of Law; media analyst

Kajsa Dalrymple—assistant professor, UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Part 3 (8:30-9:00)  

New and Rapidly Changing Technologies

Dan McGehee—director, National Advanced Driving Simulator

Mark Ginsberg—M.C. Ginsberg Objects of Art

WorldCanvass is recorded before a live audience for later broadcast on YouTube, iTunes, and the Public Radio Exchange. Free podcasts can be downloaded from iTunes and past programs are available through IP’s website.

WorldCanvass is a production of UI International Programs in collaboration with the UI School of Music and the UI Office of Strategic Communication. For more information on WorldCanvass, contact Joan Kjaer (joan-kjaer@uiowa.edu) or visit the WorldCanvass web page.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa- sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Amy Green in advance at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or 319-335-1433.