College of Engineering’s Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies; and School of Communication
Faculty: Ali Habashi, M.S., Edmund Talavera, M.F.A.
Student: Alex Pantín

Taping of the expert panel session

AS THE WORLD’S POPULATION AGES, new challenges are expected to arise that would impact societies and their value systems. This is in part the basis for the forthcoming global feature-length documentary film and initiative The Silver Mirror, http://www.thesilvermirror.org, originated by the University of Miami College of Engineering Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies. Along with the relevant topic of aging populations this initiative addresses, is how the topic will be introduced into the educational setting to trigger thoughtful academic discourse. In parallel with the launch of The Silver Mirror, it is essential to create related educational material that could be used as a classroom aid to support teachers and students in triggering the discussion of issues at the core of this initiative.

The purpose of the project “Ethics, Aging and Public Policy: New challenges for the 21st Century Surrounding the Health Span of Aging Populations” is to therefore leverage the power and impact of educational media in the classroom to generate thought provoking dialogue and optimal learning surrounding a topic that has wide human appeal.  Utilizing this approach (what’s referred to as blended learning), the format for this project comprises the production of a series of six (6) media episodes focused on one question per episode for discussion on the topic of “the critical and ethical issues surrounding the increasing health span of aging populations” specifically targeting the possibility and reasons for extending the human life/health span through scientific intervention and the potential impacts of that on populations, the environment, resources, health care systems, economies, the shrinking workforce, societies, generational succession and more notably - life’s purpose.

The series of the professionally produced film episodes, along with the creation of complementary educational literature/discussion questions derived from the sessions, would be made available via a dedicated on-line platform to serve as educational aids for classroom interaction, thus supporting a blended learning approach.

An accompanying panel discussion (the filming of which is depicted in the photo above) features the following participants:

• Dr. Bonnie Blomberg, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
• Dr. Marin Gillis, Moderator, Florida International University Associate Professor; Director, Integrated Ethics and Medical Humanities at Florida International University; Affiliated Faculty at Women’s Studies Program
• Dr. Colin McGinn, University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Philosophy
• Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky, University of Miami School of Education, Dean and Professor of Psychology
• Dr. Bernard Roos, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Professor of Medicine; Director, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine; Executive Director, Center on Adult Development and Aging Professor of Medicine

For more information, please contact
Christina Delphus
Associate Director
Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies, University of Miami College of Engineering
Phone: (305) 607-0020
Fax:    (305) 284-4044
Email:  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)