Why Look at Animals (Still)?

Nearly a half-century ago, the art critic John Berger famously asked, “Why look at animals?” In this day-long symposium, regional animal studies scholars from RIT, the University of Rochester, Syracuse University, Cornell University, Colgate University, and Canisius College will re-pose Berger's query, discussing why we continue to look at animals in the humanities. What has the study of our relations with other animals revealed about the human condition, past and present, and what truths might yet be uncovered?

This symposium is organized by the Animal Studies Corridor Group, funded by the Central New York Humanities Corridor, and sponsored by the RIT Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Department of Science, Technology, and Society. It is open to all RIT students, faculty, and staff; no registration is required.

Please submit interpreting requests to myAccess.rit.edu.


Contact
Richard Fadok
This event may be photographed/videoed by RIT. By attending, you grant Rochester Institute of Technology (“RIT”) permission to use photographs and/or audio-visual recordings in which you appear, now and in the future, for illustration, promotion, art, editorial, advertising, and trade, or any other purpose.
Event Snapshot
When and Where
April 17, 2026
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Room/Location: SMT-1500 (Allen Memorial Chapel)
Who

This is an RIT Only Event

Interpreter Requested?

No

Topics
commitment to goodness
creativity and innovation
diversity
faculty
global engagement
interdisciplinary studies
research
sustainability
technology, the arts, and design