2016 Paré Medallist Dr. Janine Rogers to present at annual event

This year’s Paul Paré Medal Lecture will examine the connections between science and literature.

Dr. Janine Rogers, the 2016 recipient of the Paul Paré Medal, will give a lecture entitled The Nature of Knowledge: the Shared Material Life of Science and Literature on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Brunton Auditorium. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Rogers, a professor in the Department of English, holds the Rev. William Purvis Chair in English and has taught at Mount Allison since 1999. She is an award-winning teacher and researcher whose research interests include medieval and 16th century literature and science. Her work includes the study of medieval literature in the context of modern science, looking specifically at natural history museums around the world.

“Many of us think of literature and science, or science and the humanities, as opposites — as if they had nothing in common. But my research is making connections between these different realms by looking at their histories, where they share an interest in how we interpret our world, and how we come to understand our world,” Rogers says. “I’m especially interested in objects, buildings, and materials as the stuff that links the history of science with literature and other humanities subjects.”

Although the Paul Paré Medal has been in existence for more than 20 years, this is only the second annual lecture. The tradition began in 2015 as a way to further acknowledge and honour the recipient, as well as to showcase their work.

“The Paul Paré Medal Lecture is an opportunity for one of our top teachers and researchers to share their work with the community,” says Dr. Jeff Ollerhead, provost and vice-president, academic and research. “Janine’s research is of particular interest because it not only crosses disciplines, but different time periods, and explores how seemingly unrelated ideas or subjects connect.”

Presented at Convocation, the Paul Paré Medal recognizes contributions of outstanding quality that demonstrate a balanced approach to teaching, research/creative performance, scholarship, service, and outreach. Established in 1994, it is funded by the Paul Paré Endowment Fund.