Camelia Dewan

Uppsala University

The 2026 Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture examines the lived concerns of residents and workers in the industrialising zone of Sitakunda in southeast coastal Bangladesh who are subject to toxic exposures both at work and at home. I argue that worries about health and pollution highlight the unevenness of the “promises of development to come” (Li 2017)—a powerful discourse of growth and prosperity in which many are asked to make significant sacrifices in the name of progress. In Sitakunda, industrial development generates economic growth for those able to mobilise capital and land—wealthy businessmen and landowners who can sell property, open shops, or relocate. Others, including fishing communities and landless workers, cannot afford such mobility. My interlocutors describe unnayan (economic development, modernization) as bishakto (poisonous, toxic). Building on these emic terms, I propose the concept of toxic development to draw attention to how ordinary people without capital, land, or influential social networks must endure industrial activities that both create livelihoods—and destroy them. In doing so, the project contributes to anthropological debates on development by bringing insights from environmental anthropology and medical anthropology into conversation.

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Abstract:

Biological and molecular systems can learn surprisingly diverse computational tasks, but straightforward abstractions of learning with artificial neural networks often map poorly onto these noisy and decentralized substrates. In this talk, I will discuss a different approach for achieving computation and learning, one which leverages the natural dynamics of physical systems. I will show how plasticity and high-pass filtering can combine to produce a form of contrastive Hebbian learning; how related molecular processes can support Pavlovian conditioning and supervised classification in single cells; and how exposure to changing training tasks can produce physical systems that rapidly switch between otherwise incompatible functions. Together, these results suggest new frameworks for understanding how learning can arise from simple physical processes, and how even in simple physical systems, the ability to learn can be shaped and evolve over time.

Bio:

Martin Falk is a Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at the University of Chicago, working with Arvind Murugan and William Irvine. Prior, he completed his Ph.D. in the MIT Physics Department as an NDSEG Fellow, supervised by Michael Brenner and Leonid Mirny. He received his B.A. in Math and Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Bio: Vivek runs Accenture’s Resources strategy business globally and specialized in large scale digital transformation at energy clients with AI at the core. He also serves as Vice Chair on Accenture’s Reinvention Executive Advisory. With a background across heavy industries, he looks for an industry back approach to AI rather than a technology forward approach – deploying systems thinking to energy, utilities, mining and chemicals clients. His work typically focuses on value, ways of working and talent just as much as Technology platforms/AI/features as part of the reinvention. His industry expertise spans Energy, Utilities and Auto. As a result of this cross-industry expertise, he is passionate about the emerging energy transition, and the potential convergence of industrial sectors (e-mobility, industrial clusters, carbon, energy system models etc.) and the impact AI will have to accelerate this.

On these topics, Vivek is a regular speaker at major industry events (CeraWeek, PESA, SPE, CAPA, EWTC, American Energy Society ), and prolific developer of leading industry ideas referenced in the media and major publications. Outside the workplace, Vivek serves on the board of the World Affairs Council in Houston. This role allows him to work with students, and on global commerce/travel and innovation in the city of Houston. He is also on the board of the National Association of Corporate Directors, connecting regularly on the topics of disruption and technology.

Vivek graduated from the University of Michigan with an MBA and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute with an MS. He has lived and worked in India, France, South Korea and several states in the US. He, his wife and daughter enjoy traveling and working on causes close to education. He was Chairman of the World Affairs Council Houston in 23 and 24, driving connectivity with Houston Corporations and the organization to improve education, global dialogues and business in Houston.

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About the Researchers:

Yukun Ma is an Assistant Professor of Economics and Data Science at University of Rochester. Her research focuses on econometric theory and its practical applications, specifically, robust inference for clustered data, machine-learning and high-dimensional methods, and weak identification in IV regression.

Marc Porosoff is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Rochester. His research interests include CO2 capture and conversion, heterogeneous thermal catalysis, catalyst representation with large language models, and reactive separations.

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Abstract:

The concurrent revolutions in generative AI and spatial computing are fundamentally transforming how we work, communicate, and live. While AI research is accelerated by mature frameworks and benchmarks, inventing AI-driven XR interactions remains a high-friction process. This raises a critical question: how can we make AI + XR technology more accessible and useful to creators?
This talk first explores a continuum of research designed to augment human abilities in XR, including Geollery, Depth Lab, Visual Captions, Sensible Agent, and Agent Hands. Building upon foundational systems like Visual Blocks and InstructPipe, we empower creators with visual programming tools that better align with human intent.
Finally, we present XR Blocks (https://xrblocks.github.io), a cross-platform framework to accelerate human-centered AI + XR innovation. Driven by the mission of “minimizing code from idea to reality,” XR Blocks provides core abstractions and samples that empower creators to move from concept to interactive AI + XR applications. We conclude the talk with live demonstrations of Vibe Coding XR (https://xrblocks.github.io/gem), offering a visionary glimpse into the future and the automatic evolution of the AI + XR flywheel.

Bio:

Ruofei Du serves as the Interactive Perception & Graphics Lead at Google XR, where he drives AI + XR innovations. An established expert in his field, he served as an Associate Chair on the program committees for both ACM CHI (2021-2026) and UIST (2022-2026), and an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology. Dr. Du's contributions includes 8 US patents and over 45 peer-reviewed publications in top venues across HCI, Computer Graphics, and Computer Vision. His research has garnered significant recognition, including the Auggie Award at AWE USA 2026, a Distinguished Paper Award in ACM IMWUT, Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH Web3D 2016, and multiple Honorable Mentions Awards at CHI and TVCG. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. Website: https://duruofei.com

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Talk details will be added here closer to the date of the event.

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Talk details will be added here closer to the event.

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This event is sponsored by the Politics and Markets Project. Follow the Politics and Markets Project on Instagram @pmprochester.

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Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Wegmans Hall Auditorium | University of Rochester
Application Deadline: October 27th

What makes a business idea more than just a good idea?

The Mark Ain Business Model Competition challenges University of Rochester student entrepreneurs to prove that their venture has the potential to become a real, sustainable business.

Teams will present their business models and make the case for the problem they are solving, who needs their solution, how they will create and capture value, and why their approach can succeed. Rather than focusing solely on the product, the competition puts the business model at the center.

Student teams will deliver a short pitch to a panel of experienced judges, followed by questions designed to test their assumptions, customer insights, competitive advantage, revenue model, and path to growth.

This is an opportunity for student founders to put their ideas to the test, receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders, and compete for $13,500 in prize money.

Application Deadline: October 27th

A reception will follow the competition in the Wegmans Hall Collaboration Space.

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Talk details will be added here closer to the event.

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Talk details will be added here closer to the event.

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About the Researchers:

Yasemin Basdogan is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Rochester. Her research combines molecular simulations (MD) and quantum chemistry (QC) calculations to generate smart, reliable, and efficient computational data that informs molecular design and leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to design new materials for sustainability and energy applications.

Lisha Chen is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Rochester. Her research interests include optimization, machine learning theory, and statistical signal processing.

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