Flows of Reflectivity
Art + Science talk by Patricia Maurides and Karina Yager
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 5:30 pm
Simons Center Lecture Hall 102
Flows of Reflectivity unites artistic and scientific perspectives to examine glacier change and the dynamics of reflectivity through photography and video. Merging art and science, the exhibit deepens our understanding of the natural world, utilizing photography as both a medium for artistic exploration and a tool for scientific observation. A central theme of the exhibition is albedo—the measure of incident light reflected by a surface, and a key factor in Earth’s energy budget, playing a crucial role in everything from glacier fluctuations to long-term climate trends.
Patricia Maurides, Professor of Practice in the Department of Art at Stony Brook University, teaches photography and studio art courses integrating art and science. Her photographic work extends into digital media, performance, and installation, featuring investigations into perception, memory, and origins. Previously, Prof. Maurides taught at Carnegie Mellon University, where she served as the first director of Intercollege Degree Programs. She has received several awards and grants, including a Heckscher Museum Biennial Merit Award, NYFA NYS Keep Creating Project Grant, and grants from The Nature Conservancy, Andy Warhol Visual Arts Program, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. Maurides holds an MFA in Art from Carnegie Mellon and a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina. www.patriciamaurides.com
Karina Yager (PhD Yale University) leads transdisciplinary research on human dimensions of climate change, with a focus on socio-ecosystems of high-altitude regions. Recent work weaves together aerial photograph and satellite image analysis of glacier change with botanical surveys and ethnographic fieldwork in the Andes. Dr. Yager collaborates with indigenous pastoral communities and local stakeholders, fostering a shared understanding of adaptive strategies for the sustainable stewardship of mountain ecosystems. She is a lead researcher of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA). Her research has been supported by NASA ROSES, Chile’s CONICYT (La Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica), Stony Brook Foundation, CONDESAN and the National Geographic Society. Dr. Yager is an Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, New York. www.karinayager.org
