Vassar College Institue for Liberal Arts Signature Programs

About this event

The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts has announced four Signature Programs for the 2026–27 academic year. Beginning in November and continuing through April, the programs will explore source-based learning in an era of artificial intelligence and social media, nature-based climate solutions for the Hudson Valley, connections between art and environmental science, and the role of the liberal arts in understanding the social and ethical implications of AI.

The Institute for the Liberal Arts invites the Vassar and broader Hudson Valley communities to take part in these conversations and hands-on experiences focused on some of the most consequential questions facing society today.

Signature Programs are selected from proposals submitted by members of the Vassar community and are designed to foster collaboration across academic disciplines, the campus, and surrounding communities.

The 2026–27 Signature Programs are:

Going to the Source: Opportunities to Co-create Institutional and Individual Character

November 9–10, 2026

Drawing on Vassar’s longstanding ethos of “going to the source,” this program will examine how direct engagement with inventors, creators, discoverers, witnesses, and original materials can deepen learning and help cultivate individual and institutional character. At a time when AI-generated content and social media can make information more difficult to evaluate, the program will consider how careful investigation, thoughtful interpretation, and engagement with a wide range of voices can support more rigorous learning and dialogue.

The program is convened by Wendy Maragh Taylor, Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement; Chris Johnson, Assistant Dean for Grants Development & Administration; Leora Gansworth, Assistant Professor of American Studies; and Payton Small, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences.

Nature-Based Climate Solutions in the Hudson Valley: From Theory to Action

April 8–10, 2027

This program will bring together students, community members, and regional professionals to share knowledge and advance nature-based approaches to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With a focus on the Hudson Valley and beyond, participants will explore existing and emerging projects and consider how new partnerships can help move regional climate solutions forward.

The program is convened by Laura Haynes, Assistant Professor of Earth Science & Geography at Vassar, and Jonathan Lambert, Visiting Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Climate Science at NYU Gallatin.

Creative Connections: Exploring Nature through Science and Art

April 22, 2027

Artists, scientists, students, and community participants will come together for a day of conversation and hands-on experiences examining the relationships between people and the natural world. The program will include a panel discussion, artist-led workshops, and a showcase of work by students from local high schools who have explored nature through art in collaboration with the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center.

The program is convened by The Environmental Cooperative, The Preserve at Vassar, and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center.

Humans in the Loop: Artificial Intelligence, Society, and the Liberal Arts

April 23–24, 2027

This program will examine the opportunities created by artificial intelligence alongside questions about authorship, labor, environmental sustainability, creativity, justice, and institutional integrity. Bringing technical and humanistic perspectives into conversation, the program will consider how colleges can prepare students to engage critically and responsibly with technologies that are increasingly shaping education, work, and public life.

The program is convened by Vassar’s Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program; Computing & Information Services (CIS) ; Data Science and Society (DSS); and Vassar Libraries.

The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts is a convening space where scholars, students, community members, and professionals from the Hudson Valley and around the world engage in dialogue and collaborative work on contemporary challenges. It is located at 165 College Avenue in Poughkeepsie.

Registration information for the Signature Programs will be announced at a later date. Those interested in receiving updates may complete the interest form at https://www.vassar.edu/institute/signature-programs.