College Of Liberal Arts To Host Fallon-Marshall Lecture Set For Feb. 26

Three Texas A&M University College of Liberal Arts faculty members will explore social media’s impact on democracy during  a panel discussion as part of the 2019 Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. in the Rudder Forum.

Award-winning author and Hagler Institute for Advanced Study Fellow Robert Putnam will moderate the conversation titled “Trust in the Age of Social Media,” which relates to this year’s Common Ground Reading Initiative selection #republic by Cass R. Sunstein.

The event is free and open to the general public.

“Our endowed Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series gives us the opportunity to showcase the research interests of our exceptional faculty in the College of Liberal Arts,” College of Liberal Arts Dean Pamela Matthews said. “This year, we are particularly pleased to present a panel of our distinguished faculty discussing the topic ‘trust’ for a broad audience.”

The discussion panel will feature José Cheibub, Sandra Braman, and Catherine Eckel.

• José Cheibub, Mary Thomas Marshall Professor in the Department of Political Science, researches comparative politics. Cheibub’s research focuses on the effects of democratic institutions, and his book Democracy and Development received the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book published in the U.S. on government, politics, or international affairs from the American Political Science Association in 2001.
• Sandra Braman, Abbott Professor in the Department of Communication. Her expertise is in the effects of the use of information technology, and the co-construction of law, society, and technology. Her book Change of State: Information, Policy, and Power is used around the world and viewed as defining the field of information policy.
• Catherine Eckel, Sarah & John Lindsey Professor in the Department of Economics, is the director of the Behavioral Economics and Policy Program. She studies field economics as it relates to both policy makers and academics, including studies in charitable giving, gender differences in behavior, and counter-terrorism policy.

The Fallon-Marshall Lecture was established in 1994 by Mary Marshall as an event to discuss current issues in the humanities and social sciences. Named after Marshall and former dean Daniel Fallon, the annual lecture provides the College of Liberal Arts the opportunity to share the outstanding scholarship happening within the College.

The panel and audience discussion will be followed by an informal reception in Rudder Exhibit Hall.