F3B. Bard Masters of Math and Science
Science,Tech,Econ & Math | Registration closed 9/13/2025
Each week, a member of the Bard College faculty will present an aspect of math or science.
Week 1. The Chemistry of Photography
Presenter: Simeen Sattar, PhD, professor of chemical physics
Week 2. Exquisite Rainbows and Their Subtle Lessons for Observing and Practicing Physics
Presenter: Harold Haggard, PhD, associate professor of physics
Week 3. Math and Art
Presenters: Lauren Lynn Rose, PhD, associate professor of mathematics
Beth Goldberg, retired middle school math teacher and head of Red Hook Math Dept.
Week 4. Global Warning: Linking Climate Change, Food Security, and Antifungal Drug Resistance
Presenter: Robert Todd, PhD, assistant professor of biology
Week 5. AI and Misinformation
Presenter: Sven Anderson, PhD, associate professor of computer science
Week 6. Nanotechnology
Presenter: Christopher LaFratta, PhD, professor of chemistry
- Image Courtesy of Shutterstock
Simeen Sattar
Presenter
Simeen Sattar, PhD, Professor of Chemical Physics, has taught both general and physical chemistry to science majors and laboratory-based courses for nonscience majors that are inspired by her interests, including paints and the examination of paintings, photographic processes, starlight, the science of cooking, and nuclear and chemical weapons. Current research projects include replicating some early experiments in photography and using thin-layer chromatography to identify natural textile dyes. Her publications include articles in J. Chem. Educ., including “Characterizing Color with Reflectance” (cover article, 2019); “Writing with Sunlight: Recreating a Historic Experiment” (2018); “The Chemistry of Photography: Still a Terrific Course for Nonscience Majors” (2017); and “A Unified Kinetics and Equilibrium Experiment: Rate Law, Activation Energy, and Equilibrium Constant for the Decomposition of Ferroin” (2011). BA, Rosemont College; PhD, Yale University. At Bard since 1984.
Sven Anderson
Presenter
Anderson, PhD, associate professor of computer science
Beth Goldberg
Presenter
Beth Goldberg is a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus. After receiving her MBA, Beth worked in the banking industry for about 20 years. When she moved to the Hudson Valley, Beth decided to embark upon a new career in education and attended the Bard Master of Arts in Teaching Program. She was a secondary school mathematics teacher for nearly 20 years and math department chair until her retirement in June 2024.
Hal Haggard
Presenter
Hal Haggard, PhD, Associate Professor of Physics Hal Haggard and his fellow researchers were awarded a 2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 6. The annual prize series, created by Dr. Ari Buchalter in 2014, seeks to reward new ideas or discoveries that have the potential to produce a breakthrough advance in our understanding of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. Professor Haggard and his colleagues were recognized for research testing the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes.
Christopher LaFratta
Presenter
Christopher LaFratta, PhD, professor of chemistry
Collin Lovas
Session Manager
Gretchen Lytle
Class Manager
Lauren Rose
Presenter
Lauren Rose, PhD, is associate professor of mathematics at Bard College. She teaches throughout the mathematics curriculum, supervises undergraduate research, and specializes in algebraic combinatorics, discrete geometry, and recreational mathematics. She is co-founder of the Bard Math Circle and Mid-Hudson Math Teacher's Circle, Senior Fellow in the Bard Center for Civic Engagement, Director of the Math Major in the Bard Prison Initiative, and the Director of Outreach for CubingUSA.
Robert Todd
Presenter
Robert Todd, PhD, assistant professor of biology