New Faculty Seminar Series Kicks Off with an Eye on the Arctic

Babson faculty member Joanna Carey conducting research in the field
Listen

“The situation is severe,” said Joanna Carey, Babson assistant professor of environmental science, speaking about how humans influence the movement of carbon.

“Academics are usually pretty tame in the way we talk about our data, (but) there is an urgency to this issue that is really unprecedented in human history. It also presents us with an opportunity to unite and solve a pending crisis.”

Carey, who was the first to share her research at a brand new faculty seminar series, said her findings affect every sector.

“Even if you teach marketing or accounting, this area will touch your research and it will certainly touch your life,” she said.

Come One. Come All.

Starting Oct. 23, renowned experts, both Babson and external speakers, took center stage in front of their peers and the College community to share their knowledge and insights as part of this seminar series.

The concept came to life this semester thanks to Dean of Faculty Ken Matsuno and Professors Marjorie FeldVikki Rodgers, Sid VedulaDanna Greenberg, and Steve Gordon. They call themselves “the instigator team.”

“Many of our peer schools are doing this kind of seminar series all the time, if not every week,” Matsuno said. “We don’t see that at Babson as often as we should. Why not? We are a vigorous intellectual community.”

To encourage a wide range of seminars, there will be no predetermined, underlying themes to the series, which also feature faculty members’ network of external colleagues and scholars—friends of Babson.

“No topic is better than others,” said Matsuno. “Any knowledge is of interest to the audience.”

“We are all scholars in different shapes and forms,” Matsuno added. “We want to learn new things all the time … it’s a great reminder that there are a number of things we don’t know and we can learn.”

Carey has been researching in the Arctic for five years, driven by the fact that temperatures in the region are rising about three times faster than they are on the rest of the planet.

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Side-by-side screenshots of the moment caught on camera
When Scandal Strikes the C-Suite: What Two Babson Professors Say Companies Should Do  A viral Coldplay kiss cam moment involving a CEO and human resources leader at a tech startup rocked the company to its core. Babson management professors provided insight into how ventures can survive a leadership scandal.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
July 21, 2025

Posted in Insights

Businesswoman practices deep breathing exercise at workplace desk
How Employees Navigate Mental Illness in the Workplace and What Employers Can Do to Help Emily Rosado-Solomon, an assistant professor at Babson, looks at how employees with mental illness handle their symptoms while at work, a topic that is understudied.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
July 17, 2025

Posted in Insights

Amazone Prime van
Prime Day Breaks Records as Shoppers Race Against Tariff Uncertainty Record Prime Day sales were powered by promotions and an atmosphere of economic uncertainty driving an urgency for early purchases, Babson retail expert Lauren Beitelspacher said.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
July 16, 2025

Posted in Insights