Contact Information

Charles Button
Professor
Geography, Anthropology, & Tourism
Professor
Geography
Ebenezer D. Bassett Hall
417-08

Past Events

Strategies for Peace, Global Sustainability, & Conflict: Transformation Teaching Peace Across Disciplines

April 3, 2009

Achieving global peace is inherently a multifaceted and multidisciplinary objective. Higher Education has a pivotal role to play in reaching this objective. The challenge for educators is to articulate the nexus between peace and particular fields. The goal of this interactive symposium is to present college and university faculty with leading edge information and proven pedagogies to allow them to include peace in as many courses as possible. Our focus will be on the complex relationships among peace, environmental sustainability, global communications, economic empowerment, social justice and public health.

The Greater Hartford Consortium for Peace Education or the Central Continuing Education & Community Engagement office.

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Lecture - Don't Shoot the Messenger: Women taking the lead to save our Planet

March 10, 2009

In support of the Annual Women's History Month program, the Committe on the Concerns of Women, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Ruth Boyea Women's Center presented the following event:

Luncheon Speaker, Judith Helfand, Professor of Film and Television at New York University, followed by a screening of her latest film, "Everything's Cool", which describes growing concern about global warming in the wake of the most dangerous chasm ever to emerge between scientific understanding and political action.

Artist Michael Pestel's Eco-Art Exhibit Aviary

February 5- March 5, 2009

AVIARY was a multi-media art installation and hands-on performance space for the conceptual exploration of bird sounds we can no longer hear and a study area for those that we can. The exhibition brought together a variety of music ensemble set-ups, architectural structures, video projections and audio installations aimed at evoking an aviary experience in image, sound and interactive motion.

February 25 featured a Students' open performance workshop and on March 4th, there was a closing student performance titled "Ornithoptera".
an aviary experience in image, sound and interactive motion.

Gesac Logo Contest

End Date: March 1, 2009

GESAC held a logo contest for our new logo. The winning design will be featured on our website and on promotional materials. The winner was announced April 15th and won a $250 scholarship.

National Teach-In on Global Warming

February 5, 2009

This educational Teach-In on Global Warming took place at more than 800 colleges. We engaged students, faculty, and members of the public in a national dialog regarding the global climate change crisis.

At Central, artist Michael Pestel provided a lecture and eco-art exhibit. This exhibit was a collaboration between the CCSU GESAC and the Central Art Galleries. All events took place at the 2nd floor art galleries located in Maloney Hall (Chen Art Gallery) and were free and open to the public.

3:00 - 4:00 PM. Artist Michael Pestel will spoke about global climate change, bird extinctions, and aviaries.

4:00 - 7:00 PM. Opening reception for artist Michael Pestel's Eco-Art Exhibit, AVIARY. Free wine and refreshments were served. Michael Pestel’s AVIARY is a multimedia art installation and hands-on performance space for the contemplation of birds we can no longer hear and a celebration of those that we can. The exhibition juxtaposes a variety of music ensemble set-ups, architectural structures, video projections and audio installations aimed at evoking and problematizing the aviary experience in the context of
bird extinction.

4:30 - 4:50 PM. Artist Performance

Election 2008: Will the Environment Win or Lose?: A Panel Discussion

September 15, 2008

Global Warming. Mass Transit. Energy. Green Collar Jobs.
Natural Resources Conservation. Water Quality. Air Quality.

The November 2008 elections were fast approaching. We provided a forum for students, faculty and the public to engage our political leaders in a discussion about pressing environmental issues facing Connecticut and our country. They heard from experts and political leaders and were able to speak their minds.

How we vote in state and national elections makes a difference!

The November 2008 elections were fast approaching. We provided a forum where students, faculty and the public were able to engage our political leaders

Panelist:

Ned Lamont, 2006 Democratic candidate for US Senate

Daniel Esty, Director of Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy

Rev. Tom Carr, Co-Founder of Interreligious Eco-Justice Network

Chris Donovan, CT Speaker of the House

John McKinney, CT Senate Minority Leader

Moderator: Tom Condon, Hartford Courant Columnist and Deputy Editorial Page Editor

Sponsors: CCSU Global Environmental Action Coalition, WTIC-AM 1080, Hartford Advocate, CT Clean Water Action, CT Sierra Club