SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University will host the spring Honors Program Speakers Series beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 10, followed by events on March 3 and March 31. The series is open to the Bryant community and will address important issues including the cultural impact of social media, racial injustice and immigration, and the economic development challenges in a post-pandemic era.
The Honors Program Speaker Series – a requirement for completing the Honors Program – is an opportunity for students to learn from a diverse range of speakers on important topics including leadership, innovation, and complex problem solving.
Below is the full lineup for the spring Honors Program Speaker Series.
Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 4:00 p.m. | Briana Trifiro ’17, ’18 MA | Social Media & Cultural Impact
Additional information and link to join>>>
Briana Trifiro is a second-year doctoral student in the Division of Emerging Media Studies at Boston University's College of Communication. She received both her bachelor’s degree and master's degree in Communication from Bryant University.
Her research interests focus on the individual and societal impacts of social media use. She is primarily interested in how social media platforms impact the ways in which individuals perceive themselves, as well as the world around them. Her current research seeks to uncover the role of media framing in individuals' perceptions of major current events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 US presidential election. Most recently, her work has been published in The Agenda Setting Journal, Social Media & Society, and Mass Communication and Society.
Wednesday, March 3, at 4:00 p.m. | Jose Batiste ‘11, Esq | Racial Injustice & Immigration
Additional information and link to join>>>
Jose Batista is an attorney in his own practice specializing in immigration law. He also served as a public defender and as the Executive Director of the Providence External Review Authority, an independent and impartial board tasked with reviewing Providence Police policies and procedures, engaging in community outreach, and maintaining a process by which members of the community can file complaints regarding the Providence Police Department. This fall, Batista was elected to serve his hometown community of South Providence in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing the twelfth district. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bryant University in 2011.
Wednesday, March 31, at 4:00 p.m. | Keynote: Otaviano Canuto, Ph.D., | Economic Development Challenges in a Post-Pandemic Era
Additional information and link to join>>>
Otaviano Canuto, Ph.D. is a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. He is also principal of the Center for Macroeconomics and Development, a well-respected researcher, thought leader, and published author in economics with experience in managing knowledge networks and providing strategic advice to senior management of multilateral institutions, governments, and private investors.
His experience includes 15 years as Vice President, Executive Director, or Senior Adviser in Multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Canuto’s long experience includes a period as Deputy Minister for International Affairs in Brazil’s Ministry of Finance and as a Professor of Economics.
About Bryant University
For 158 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. Bryant delivers an innovative and uniquely integrated business and liberal arts education that inspires students to excel. With approximately 3,700 graduate and undergraduate students from 38 states and 49 countries, Bryant is recognized as a leader in international education and regularly receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, and Barron's. Visit www.Bryant.edu.
