Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. — RUTLAND — Images of energy—what it is, how we get it, what it does—have been part of the American cultural landscape since the Industrial Revolution. For a unique and fascinating “look” at energy, join Green Mountain Power on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Energy Innovation Center in downtown Rutland.
The free public event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will last approximately an hour. Light refreshments will be served. The talk is part of the GMP College Connections lecture series.
College of St. Joseph’s Dr. Jonas Prida will look at the various ways that images of energy have been presented and articulated. From the earliest images of gas pumps to 1970s energy crisis public service announcements to more modern images of responsible energy use, Prida will examine some of the motivating forces and cultural fears that these images represent.
“Energy drives our 21st-Century lives, but I am interested in how various images of energy help shape our understanding of energy. Even the now commonplace gas station was once a technological marvel, and we still use the term ‘horsepower’ to measure a car’s performance. Seeing energy as an image that has changed over time shows that similar changes exist in why we use that energy,” Prida said.
Dr. Prida, interim vice president for academic affairs at College of St. Joseph, teaches a variety of courses in English and cultural studies, ranging from survey courses to literary theory. His area of focus is American popular culture from 1840-1940 with an emphasis in pulp and genre fiction. He earned his Ph.D in English from Tulane University in 2006 and has taught at College of St. Joseph since 2008.
The GMP College Connections is a lecture series created as part of an agreement between GMP and all four Rutland County colleges to work together to bolster economic, educational and community development. Talks are authored and presented by faculty from each of the institutions. The presentations explore a variety of energy issues, including the science of energy, renewable power, financial concerns and the psychology of energy use. All talks are held at GMP’s Energy Innovation Center in Rutland.
In addition to College of St. Joseph, the other participating schools are Castleton University, Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Green Mountain College.
For more information on the series contact gerri.harrison@greenmountainpower.com. The GMP EIC is located at 68-70 Merchants Row, Rutland.
