In the Know – Issue 59

Why All the Chatter About ChatGPT?

The whole world is trying to figure out the best ways to approach the new wave of artificial intelligence. Our professors say the use of ChatGPT in the classroom may reshape teaching and learning.

Cans For Citations

Need to pay a parking ticket? Parking Services’ Spring Parking Citation Food Drive is underway – through March 24. Bring in canned and dry goods to clear a parking violation and support the Red Hawk Pantry at the same time. Find out more here.

University Galleries Partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Hawk+

Exhibitions are now available for free through the Bloomberg Connects App and the School of Communication and Media’s streaming platform. Check out how the partnership is taking the hands-on learning experiences offered by the University Galleries and bringing them into a virtual space.

In the News

• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in the New Jersey Monitor, NorthJersey.com and NJ Spotlight News in coverage about the killing of anti-violence activist Najee Seabrooks at the hands of Paterson police.
• Hugh Curnutt (Communication and Media) is quoted in The New York Times for a piece about the cultural impact of Top Chef, the Bravo reality competition franchise.
• Glen Robert Gill (Classics and General Humanities) is quoted in this post-Oscars article by USA Today about why fans get upset when their favorite stars are snubbed; the story was also picked up by AOL.com, Yahoo! and other outlets.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) is quoted alongside other health experts for this Jersey’s Best article discussing the latest on COVID. Silvera is also quoted in an Asbury Park Press article about a COVID-19 outbreak in Monmouth and Ocean county nursing homes.
• Ashley Ermer (Family Science and Human Development) is quoted in this NorthJersey.com article that is part of a series called “Aging in New Jersey.” Ermer’s quote was also excerpted in the POLITICO newsletter, New Jersey Playbook.
• Jessica Henry (Justice Studies) spoke with Josh Breslow on LiveNOW from FOX about whether former president Donald Trump could face charges in the case involving Stormy Daniels.

Reminders

• It’s time for our annual cybersecurity training. Check your emails for information and registration instructions.
• If you suffered property damage or other losses from Hurricane Ida in September 2021, the State of New Jersey has programs designed to help. For more information visit www.nj.gov/idaprograms.
• The University will host U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s 12th Annual Women’s History Month Celebration and the Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Awards on March 26 at 3 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium. RSVP at this link.
• This year, we will have three Commencement exercises at Prudential Center in Newark on May 23. If you are a volunteer staff member working the event or a faculty or staff member participating in the processional, please follow those links to register. Order your regalia by March 31. Check email for more information.
• First-Gen Initiative faculty and staff will hold a discussion with current and prospective first generation students and their families via Zoom, on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. Topics include the value of a degree, navigating both worlds and how families can support students. Registration is required.
• The departments of Anthropology, History, Linguistics and Religion along with the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Project and the University Senate Land Acknowlegement Committee, are sponsoring a screening of The Meaning of the Seed, an environmental justice documentary, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and tribal leaders on Wednesday, March 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in University Hall 1040.
• Join Brigid Harrison (Humanities and Social Sciences) and Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC on Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. in University Hall 1070, as they discuss political polarization and the future of party politics in the U.S. Attendance is free and open to the public but registration is required.
• The Center for Writing Excellence hosts weekly English Conversation Groups aimed at strengthening English speaking and communication. The in-person group meets 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays in Bohn Hall 494 and the online group meets 7-8 p.m. on Thursdays on Zoom. All students, faculty, staff and alumni are welcome.
• 25Live, which enables the University to optimize the use of classrooms, meeting rooms and other spaces available on campus, will soon be used as the University calendar on montclair.edu. To register for online or in-person training, click here.
• You now have access to print and download your 2022 W-2 form in Workday.
• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for University employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, see the attached CONCERN brochure.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the new nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.
• You can find the latest campus COVID-19 data, including case numbers, on the COVID-19 Dashboard.

Kudos

• To Blanca Vega, Román Liera and Patricia Virella (Educational Leadership) for being accepted into the Diversity Scholars Network, a scholarly community operating within the National Center for Institutional Diversity at the University of Michigan.
• To Michael Chiappa (University Facilities) for being selected to serve on an accreditation team with the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) this spring for the University of Oklahoma.
• To Fernando Naiditch (Teaching and Learning) who was elected chair of the Research and Evaluation strand of the National Association for Bilingual Education. He will bring together scholars from all over the country in developing research to support the implementation of bilingual education programs in schools across the country.

Social Media Post of Note

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Use this form to tell us about it. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.