The College of Humanities' second annual Dorrance Lecture Series June 3-5 drew large crowds for presentations on the intersection of humanities and advanced technologies. 

For the closing night, UA President Robert C. Robbins led the question-and-answer period following the lecture from April Rinne, Head of the World Economic Forum’s Sharing Economy Working Group. Rinne's presentation, "Future Forward: Humanities, Leadership & The New Economy," discussed the necessity of understanding the past in order to navigate the future, empasizing the need for different perspectives to come together in solving the world's grand challenges. 

"Humanities are the glue and the connective tissue that holds us together and illuminates the path ahead," she said. 

On June 4, the College of Humanities; 2018 Young Professional Achievement Award winner Autumn DiGaetano-Fedoruk discussed with Dean Alain-Philippe Durand her work in Consumer Lending, Business Operations and Strategy for SoFi in a presentation titled "Humanities & High Tech: The Perfect Pairing."

The opening night of this year's series featured Neil Jacobstein, Chair of Artificial Intelligence & Robotics at Singularity University, who spoke on "AI Implications: Technical, Business & Ethical Questions Behind the Revolution." The challenge in adapting to a future with increased automation and aritficial intelligence, Jacobstein, will be centered on using our value system to manage the technology in a responsible, sustainable way.