What can broken bits of ancient Greek pottery reveal about the lives and culture of the Minoans, a Bronze Age civilization?

How can budding photographers capture compelling images?

These are among topics community members can explore during research talks and skill-building workshops celebrating Brock’s 60th anniversary.

“Developing and sharing knowledge, insights and abilities has been one of Brock University’s key strengths since its inception in 1964,” says Brock LINC Executive Director Farzana Crocco.

This rich tradition continues with the 60 Research Talks at Brock and the 60th Anniversary Community Learning Series, says Crocco, who heads up the 60th Anniversary Working Group for Community Engagement and Extension.

“This is an opportunity for community to be able to tap into the brain power we have at Brock and to learn about something they don’t know or hope to learn more about,” she says.

The 60 Research Talks at Brock series features presentations and events hosted by the Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMS), Goodman School of Business, Faculty of Social Sciences, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and Faculty of Humanities, among other hosts.

Some of the upcoming events include the FMS Research Colloquium Series, Department of Chemistry Seminar Series, Goodman Luncheon Speaker Series, Walker Cultural Leader Series, Social Sciences Research Colloquium and Brock Talks Un-talks.

Local history buffs will find Adjunct Professor of History Kimberly Monk’s Guest lecture celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Welland Canals fascinating, particularly her archaeological investigations at the 19th century Shickluna Shipyard in St. Catharines.

Travelling further back in time, Professor of Classics and Archaeology Angus Smith will discuss pieces of ancient Minoan pottery from the Brock University Cypriote Museum in his talk, My Life in Fragments: The Story of a “Sherd Nerd” in Piecing Together the Minoan Past.

To explore advances in social science research, Brock and Niagara community members can attend the annual Social Sciences Research Colloquium, where they can hear from recipients of the Faculty’s Distinguished Researcher and Early Career Researcher awards.

For those seeking to build hands-on skills, the 60th Anniversary Community Learning Series offers a range of workshops hosted by the Brock University Library Makerspace, Digital Scholarship Lab and Brock LINC.

These free events will help members of the community to develop skills in a variety of areas, such as starting a small business and web page construction.

Budding photographers may wish to check out the Intro to Professional Photography workshop, while those interested creating unique items out of vinyl, leather, card stock and other materials can attend the Learn the Cricut events and take home their projects.

“There’s so much activity that’s already happening through different departments and Faculties, and this is a chance for us to open the doors to community to experience that impressive work,” says Crocco.

“Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill or take in a fascinating talk on a topic of interest, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” she says.

A list of the upcoming talks and workshops is available on the Brock 60th Anniversary Events page.