Edwina Taborsky

Mailing address
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Bishop's University
Lennoxville Quebec Canada J1M 1Z7
Phone: (819) 822-9600 ext. 2424
FAX: (819) 822-9661
Email: etaborsk@ubishops.ca

1. Education
2. Awards and Grants
3. ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS and ASSOCIATIONS:
4. ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS
5. CONFERENCES ORGANIZED:
6. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (past six years only):
7. PUBLICATIONS:
8. Research/Work in Progress :

• Ph.D., University of Toronto: Sociology in Education (1982)
  Thesis: The Sociostructural Roles of Industrialism,
  Literacy & Museums
• M.Ed., University of Toronto
  Educational Administration
• M.Museo., University of Toronto
  Anthropology/Museum Studies
• B.A., University of Toronto
  East Asian Studies; Chinese Language and Society

2- AWARDS:

• 1999-03 SSHRC. Strategic Grant. Social Sciences & Humanities Research
  Council of Canada. Theme: Challenges of a Knowledge-Based
  Economy. $390,000/ 3 years.
  For research in the 'virtual organization' of expertise and knowledge.
  Research Team: Principal Investigator: Rob Shields. Carleton University
  Co-Investigators: Edwina Taborsky, Bishop's University; Suzan Ilcan: University of Windsor; Dan O'Connor: University of Windsor; Partner: Public Service Commission, Ottawa.
  Title: The Impact of a Knowledge Based Economy on Work in The Public Service: The 'Virtual Organization' of Expertise and Knowledge.
  Position: Co-Investigator
  Status: Ongoing.
• 1999-03 SSHRC. RDI- Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.
  Research Development Initiatives Grant. $42,000/3 years.
  For establishment of electronic journal and colloquium on issues dealing with the generation and evolution of knowledge.
  Title: The Integration of Information Processing
  Position: Principal Investigator
  Status: Ongoing.
• 1997 SSHRC- Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada: Award for Occasional Research - Semiotics Conference. $10,000.
  Title: Semiosis/Evolution/Energy:Toward a Reconceptualization of the Sign. Held at University of Toronto, October 15-17, 1997.
  Position: Conference Organizer
  Status: Complete.
• 1980 Fellowship, National Museums of Canada
• 1978 Scholarship, Canada Council
• 1974 Scholarship, Ontario Graduate Studies

GRANTS:

• 2001 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference
• 1999 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference.
• 1998 Bishop's University Research Grant: Summer Research
• 1997 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference.
• 1995 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference.
• 1993 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference.
• 1991 Bishop's University Research Grant: Travel- Conference.
• 1990 SSHRC Grant (Team Research Grant: TADAC)
• 1986 Grant, York University, Short Term Research
• 1978 Grant, Canada Council

• 1998- Full Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bishop's University; and Director of Anthropology Programme.
• 1997- Associate Member, Graduate Faculty, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto.
• 1996 Winter term: Visiting Scholar, Semiotics Programme. Victoria College, University of Toronto.
• 1992 Associate Professor with tenure. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bishop's University
• 1990- Director of Anthropology Programme. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bishop's University
• 1990-91 Assistant Professor. Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Bishop's University
• 1989-90 Sessional Lecturer. Department of Sociology & Anthropology. Carleton Univ. 1988-89 Instructor (part-time), Department of Sociology. University of Ottawa
• 1985-87 Assistant Professor. Social Sciences Department, York University
• 1984-85 Assistant Professor. (part-time) Department of Communications, University of Windsor
• 1977-78 Lecturer. Anthropology Department, University of Toronto.

4- ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS

• 1984 Executive Director
  Ontario Association of Art Galleries
• 1982-83 Executive AdministratorProgram in Culture and Technology
  University of Toronto
• 1976 Acting Co-ordinator
  Photographic Services
  Art Gallery of Ontario
• 1975 Director
  Timmins Museum-Gallery

Further Administrative Experience/Professional Services:[see also SEE Research Institute, Conferences Organized and Professional Services].

1994 Member, University Librarian Review Committee, Bishop's U.
1994-96 Member, Executive Committee of Corporation, Bishop's U.
1993-95 Member, Speakers Committee, Bishop's U.
1992-95 Member, Senate, Bishop's University
1991-95 Member and Chair, Library Committee, Bishop's University
1991-92 Chair, Audiovisual Committee, Bishop's University
1990-91 Member, Audiovisual Committee, Bishop's University
1986-87 Member, Executive Committee, Mass Communications Program, York University
1986-87 Member, YUFA, Health and Safety Committee, York University
1985 Member, Federal Conference on Museums & Galleries, Government of Canada
1985 Member, Research Grants Committee, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
1978-80 Member, Research & Development Committee, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
* The above administrative services do not include the normal work of being a member of various department committees, chairing/co-chairing sessions at conferences, organizing conference sessions, etc.

5- CONFERENCES ORGANIZED: 

• 1997 SEE I: Semiosis-Evolution-Energy. International Conference on SEE: Towards a Reconceptualization of the Sign. University of Toronto, October 1997

Funded by SSHRC, Connaught Foundation of the University of Toronto, physics, biology and mathematics departments of the University of Toronto, Victoria College of the University of Toronto, Bishop's University.
Twenty-six invited speakers from biology, chemistry, artificial intelligence, bioengineering, physics, mathematics, philosophy, literature and semiotics., dealing with the generation and evolution of information within different realms of knowledge. Over 250 members of an international audience attended this three day conference.

• 2001 SEE II: International Conference on The Integration of Information Processes. University of Toronto, October 2001

Focused on issues of information development and evolution within the natural, artificial and social realms. Funded by SSHRC. NSERC.
Thirty-six invited speakers from biology, chemistry, artificial intelligence, bioengineering, physics, mathematics, philosophy, business management and economics, dealing with the integration of information processes within different realms of experience.
Three day conference.

SEE [Semiosis. Evolution. Energy] RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Director and Founder: SEE (Semiosis, Evolution, Energy) Virtual Research Institute. Funded by SSHRC.
Web site: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/see
This centre operates workshop colloquia, an on-line peer-reviewed electronic journal SEED, hard copy publication, links, and
terminology glossary, on issues dealing with complex information processes in the physico-chemical, biological and socioconceptual realms. Members of SEE are from physics, chemistry, biology, bioengineering, mathematics, computer science, robotics, computational intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, and the social sciences.

Editor: SEED Electronic Journal, a peer-reviewed journal, ISSN: 1492-3157, devoted to the exploration of cutting edge themes within complex infor-mation processes. [Founder of journal; and co-editor with Dr. Peter Harries-Jones]. Web site: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/see. Click on SEED. By the end of 2002, there will be six issues on-line. Future issues will be made up of two-three papers and one article co-written by all authors in that issue, debating the key concepts.

6- PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (past six years only):                                    

2002 Review for Editors: Article for Journal of Theoretical Biology
2002- Member of Review Board: Journal of Brain and Behavioral Sciences
2002 Book Review. 'Invariances: The Structure of the Objective World' by Robert Nozick. In Space and Culture. June 2002.
2002 Invited Member: Scientific Advisory Board. FIS (Foundations of Information Science) for Electronic Conference on FIS. Theme: The Nature of Information: conceptions, misconceptions, and paradoxes.
2001 Review for Editors:: Article for International Journal of Plant Sciences
2001 Review for Editors: Article: for Journal of Theoretical Biology.
2001 Book Review ' Observing Complexity: Systems Theory and Postmodernity' by W. Rasch (ed). In: Space and Culture 7: 79-82.
2001 Observer: 'Crossing Boundaries National Conference: Opening the E-Government files: Governing in the 21st Century. Ottawa.
2000 Invited observer. Forum on Knowledge Management: The New Challenge for Firms and Organisations. Centre for Educational Re-search and Innovation and OECD. Ottawa. September 2000.
1999 Co-Organizer (with Dr. Leonid Perlovsky, Chief Scientist, Nichols. Research & Dr. Ricardo Gudwin, State University of Campinas,
Brazil) of two sessions on: Emotions and Intelligent Systems: IEEE/ISIC/ISAS. September 1999 Conference, Cambridge, MA.
1998 Review for Editors: Article: for Journal of Theoretical Biology.
1998 Review for Editors: Book Proposal for: Kluwer Scientific Press.
1997 Review for Editors: Article for journal RS/SI (Recherches semiotiques/ Semiotic inquiry)
1996 Review for Editors: Book Manuscript for University of Toronto Press, Semiotics series.

7- PUBLICATIONS:  

• Forthcoming Articles/Chapters/Books

Articles:
With J. Maze and C. Finnegan. 'A search for conceptual congruence between individuals and species'. Forthcoming: BioSystems. Elsvier Press. Date of Acceptance. August 2002.

'The Natural Dynamics of Semiotic Realism'. BioSemiotics II.

'Semiotic Realism in Organizations'. Organizational Semiotics V.

'Complex Information Systems'. Forthcoming. R. Clarke et al. Eds.

'The Emergence of Societies'. In: Proceedings: ECHOIV Conference. (Emergence, Complexity, Hierarchy, Organization). Odense, Denmark. July 31-August 4, 2000.

'The Emotional Infrastructure of Intelligence'. In: Proceedings: International Seminar on Computation Intelligence and Semiotics. Campinas, Brazil. May 31-June 3, 2000.

'Evolution des Bewubtseins'. In: Wilhelmshaven Symposia. 2nd Volume. Date of Acceptance: July 23, 1999.

'Desires of the Organic Text'. In: S. Ilcan and B. Gabriel (eds.). Postmodernisms and Ethical Subjects. Montreal:McGill-Queen's UP.

• PUBLISHED:

Books
1999 (ed). Semiosis.Evolution.Energy: Toward a Reconceptualization of the Sign. Aachen, Germany: Shaker Verlag. Vol. 3 in BBS: Neue Folge

1998 Architectonics of Semiosis. New York: St. Martin's Press.

1997 The Textual Society. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

1991 Man/Deer Hunt: Cognitive Patterns Underlying Social Behaviour. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.

Articles - Reviewed
2002d 'The Impact of a Knowledge-Based Economy on Work in the Public Service: The Virtual Organization of Expertise and Knowledge'. With R. Shields, S. Ilcan and D. O'Connor. In: Alliances, Cooperative Ventures and the Role of Government in the Knowledge Based Economy. Edited by Masao Nakamura. Centre for Japanese Research: University of British Columbia: Pp. 143-180

2002c 'Semiosis, Information and Knowledge'. In: Organisational Semiotics: evolving a science of information systems. Eds. K. Liu et al. Kluwer Academic Press.

2002b 'Semiosis and Energy Transformation'. In: International Journal of Computing Anticipatory Systems. CHAOS. Institute of Mathematics. University of Liege, Belgium.

2002a 'Energy and evolutionary semiosis'. In: Sign Systems Studies 30 (1): 361-381. Tartu University Press.

2001d 'Energy Transformation and Semiosis' Digital Encyclopaedia of Charles S. Peirce. Brazil. Www.tr3s.com.br/peirce.

2001c 'What is a Sign?' In: Journal of Literary Semantics. Mouton de Gruyter. 30: 83-94.

2001b [with R. Shields]. 'The New 'Knowledge-Speak': The Implications of Contested Definitions of Knowledge and Information'. In: Australian Journal of Information Systems. (AJIS) Edited by. R. Clarke. May 2001, Vol. 8(2): 129-141

2001a 'Internal and External Semiosic Properties'. In: SEED. On-line peer reviewed journal. www.library.utoronto.ca/see.

2000c [with R. Shields, K. Jones, C. O'Hara]. 'A Critical Analysis of Knowledge Management Initiatives in the Canadian Federal Public Ser-vice. Innovation Management Research Unit: Carleton University.

2000b 'Semiotics and Theory'. In: Semiotics as a Bridge Between the Humanities and the Sciences. Eds. P. Perron, L. Sbrocchi, P. Colilli, M. Danesi. Ottawa: Legas Press.

2000a 'The Complex Information Process'. In: Entropy. www.mdpi.org/entropy ISSN 1099-4300 On-line journal. Vol 2, 81-97.

1999e 'Evolution of Consciousness'. In: BioSystems.(51) Elsevier Press. Pp. 153-168.

1999d 'Emotions as Forms of Consciousness'. In: Proceedings: 1999 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control/Intelligent Systems
and Semiotics. (ISIC/ISAS '99). Cambridge, MA. IEEE Catalog Number: 99CH37014. Pp. 58-63.

1999c 'On the Nature of Evolution'. In: Proceedings. 43rd Meeting of ISSS (International Society for Systems Sciences). In Session:
'Foundations of Information'. June 27-July 2/99. Asilomar, CA.

1999b 'Biosemiotics of the Social Text'. In. C. Emmeche & J. Hoffmeyer. (eds.) Special issue of Semiotica. Indiana UP.

1999a E. Taborsky and R. Sommer 'Scientific and Fictive Sociology: The Viability of Research'. In journal Sexuality and Culture. Rutgers University. Pp.117-144.

1997 'Stasis and Heteroglossia in the Textual Society'. In R. Alvarado (ed.) Voices at the Threshold: Bakhtin and Dialogue Across Cultures. Mexico: UAM-Xochimilco Press.

1993 'Dialogos y fronteras: La recepcion critica de la obra de Mijail Bajtin en el mundo'. In L. Zavala and R. Alvarado (eds.), Dialogos y Fronteras Universadad Autonoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, 255-282.

1992 'Dialogical Time'. Literature and Criticism. Vol.I, Nos. 1 & 2. Department of English: Berhampur University, Pp. 35-50.

1990b 'The Discursive Object'. In S. Pearce (Ed.), Objects of Knowledge. The Athlone Press: University of London. Pp.50-77.

1990a 'The Action of Textuality'. Epistemologia: Journal for the Philosophy of Science. Genova, Italy. Pp. 31-54.

1989b 'Three Realities and Two Discourses'. Methodology and Science, 22, Pp. 159-167.

1989a 'Society as Text.' Recherches Semiotiques/Semiotic Inquiry, 7, Pp.315-326.

1988 'The Semiotic Structure of Societies: The Four Verbs of Cognition.' Methodology and Science, 21, Pp. 202-214.

1987 'Chinese Galleries, Royal Ontario Museum,' Toronto. Culture, 7, Pp.64-66.

1985 'Syntax and Society'. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 22, Pp. 80-92.

1983 'The Syntax and the Museum'. Recherches Semiotiques/ Semiotic Inquiry, 3, Pp. 363-374.

1982b 'The Sociostructural Role of the Museum'. The International Journal of Museum Management & Curatorship, 1,Pp. 339-345.

1982a The Syntax and Society. Monograph No. 7, Programme in Culture and Technology, University of Toronto.

1979 Opinion. Gazette: Canadian Museums Association, 12, Pp. 4-6.

1975 'Museums and the Local Artifact Vocabulary.' Gazette, Journal of the Canadian Museums Association, 8, Pp. 16-20.

Limited Circulation Documents: Unreviewed:

2002 Basic Semiotics. Lecture Notes; photocopied for professional distribution.

2002 Key Concepts of Information KBE Project. 6 pages.

2000 Outline of Information Concepts and Annotated Bibliography KBE Project. 15 pages.

1987 Access to Justice Report No. 2. Department of Justice Ottawa.

1984 The Cree: a presence in the Community. Grand Council of Quebec Cree Pp. 1-30.

1980 Images of Immigration. Slide Show. Produced by E. Taborsky; Photography: J. Chambers. University of Toronto.

1979 Primary-Junior Teams Project: Interim Report. Monograph No. 2, York County Board of Education

1978 Regional Structures. National Museums of Canada.

• CONFERENCE PAPERS:

2002 Semiotic Principles of Computation 10th International Congress: German Semiotic Association. Kassel, Germany. July.

2002 The Natural Dynamics of Semiotic Realism: BioSemiotics II, Tartu, Estonia, June.

2002 Semiotic Realism in Organizations Organizational Semiotics/FIS Conference. Delft, The Netherlands. June

2002 Dynamics of Data, Information and Knowledge Within an Institution SSHRC-Sponsored Workshop on Knowledge-Based Economy, Memorial University of Newfoundland. May.

2001 'The Evolution of Semiosic Dynamics'. International Workshop on Semiotic Evolution and Cultural Dynamics. Groningen, The Netherlands. November.

2001 Invited Plenary Speaker. What is Semiotics and is it of any use to Science? AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science. Arctic Science Conference. Anchorage, Alaska. September.

2001 'Complex Information Systems'. IFIP Working Conference: Organizational Semiotics: evolving a science of information Systems. Montreal, Canada.

2001 Semiosis and Energy Transformation'. CASYS Conference. Liege,
Belgium.

2001 'Complex Semiosis'. BioSemiotics Conference. University of Copenhagen.

2000 'The Emergence of Societies'. ECHO IV Conference: Emergence, Complexity, Hierarchy and Organisation. SDU-Odense University, Odense, Denmark. August 3, 2000.

2000 'The Complex Information Process'. In session on 'Infodynamics'. World Congress of the Systems Sciences. Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario. July 18, 2000.

1999 October 1999 'Simple to Complex Semiosic Properties'. 7th IASS-AIS (International Association for Semiotic Studies) Congress, Dresden. October 7-11. In Session I.1. A Typology of System Complexity. Invited participant in post-session Round Table on 'Semiotics of Complexity'.

1999 October 1999. 'Internal and External Semiosic Properties'. Invited Guest Speaker. 9th International Congress of the German Association for Semiotics. October 3-6, 1999. Dresden.

1999 September 15-17 1999.'Emotions as Forms of Consciousness'. In: Special Session on 'Emotions and Intelligent Systems'. IEEE Interna-tional Symposium on Intelligent Control/Intelligent Systems & Semiot-ics. Cambridge, MA.

1999 March 1999. 'Evolution of Consciousness'. Invited Guest Speaker. Symposium Kulturen und Religionen des Meeres. Internationale Semiotische Herbstakademie/Semeion-Institut fur semiotische Praxis. Universitat Oldenburg, at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. March 5-7, 1999.

1998 Information and Evolution. SSA (Semiotic Association of America) Annual Meeting. University of Toronto. October 1998.

1998 Architectures of Intelligent Systems. IEEE Joint Conference on the Science & Technology of Intelligent Systems. NIST, Gaithersburg, MA. September 1998.

1997 Architectonics of Semiosis Semiotics Conference. Victoria College University of Toronto.

1996 Popular Culture and Semiotic Regimes. Popular Culture Foundations and Futures. Semiotic Conference, Victoria College, University of Toronto.

1996 The Architectonics of Bileveled Reality. The TADAC Annual Conference, The Learneds, St. Catherines.

1995 The Textual Society. Semiotics as a Bridge between the Humanities and the Sciences. Conference at Victoria College, University of Toronto.

1995 Desires of the Organic Text. Annual Conference of the Society for Textual Analysis, Discourse and Culture. The Learneds, Montreal.

1995 Bakhtin and Lacan. Seventh International Mikhail Bakhtin Conference. Moscow, Russia.

1994 The Nature of Power within the Textual Society and the Existence of Good & Evil, Annual Conference of the Society for Textual Analysis, Discourse & Culture, The Learneds, Calgary.

1993 Stasis and Heteroglossia in the Textual Society. Sixth International Mikhail Bakhtin Conference, Mexico.

1993 Otherness as Shared Energy. Annual Conference of the Society for Textual Analysis, Discourse & Culture, The Learneds, Ottawa.

1992 Otherness in the Production of Meaning. Annual Conference of the Canadian Anthropology Society, Montreal.

1991 Dialogical Time. Fifth International Mikhail Bakhtin Conference, University of Manchester, England.

1991 The Need for the Stranger. Annual Conference of the Canadian Anthropology Society, London, Ont.

1989 The Action-of-Textuality. Annual Conference of the Canadian Semiotic Association, The Learneds, Quebec City.

1989 The Logistics of the Textual Society. Conference on"Writing the Social Text", Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

1988 The Social Text. Annual Conference of the Canadian Semiotic Association, The Learneds, Winnipeg.

1987 The Three Realities: Material, Individual and Group Reality. Annual Conference of the Canadian Semiotic Association, The Learneds.

1986 The Three Discourses: The Object as a Unit of Cognition. Conference on North American Material Culture, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Memorial University.

1986 The Four Verbs of Cognition. Annual Conference of the Canadian Semiotic Association, The Learneds.

1986 Popular Culture and Cognitive Change. Toronto Semiotic Circle, University of Toronto.

1985 Northern Native Communication. Annual Conference of the Canadian Communication Association.

1985 The Communication of the Social Object. Keynote Speaker, Canadian Museums Association, Annual Conference.

1984 The Structure of Popular Communication and Cognition. Annual Conference of the Popular Culture Association (U.S.A.).

1984 The Collection, Storage and Display of the Social Image. World Congress of Philosophy, Annual Conference, Montreal.

1984 Actions of Communication. Keynote speaker, Ontario Museums Association, Annual Conference.

1982 The Oral and Industrial Syntaxes. Third International Institute for Semiotic and Structural Studies, Toronto.

1980 The Sociostructural Role of Cultural Institutions. Annual Conference of the American Association of Museums, Boston, Mass.

• Other Presentations:

2000 Presentation: Information in KBE (Knowledge Based Economies): SSHRC conference; University of British Columbia.

1999 Complex Processes of Semiosis and Information Graduate Seminar; Philosophy Department, UQAM - University of Quebec at Montreal. December 1999.

1996 Modernism & Postmodernism. Semiotics Program, University of Toronto.

1987 Syntax and Advertising. Carleton University: Communications Department.

1986 The Agent of Change in Society. Graduate Seminar Series, Department of Art Education, Concordia University.

1985 The Communication of the Social Object. Keynote Speaker, Canadian Museums Association, Annual Conference.

1985 On Cognition. Faculty Seminar Series, Department of Communication, University of Windsor.

1984 Actions of Communication. Keynote Speaker, Ontario Museums Association, Annual Conference.

8- Research/Work in Progress :                               

• Papers, member of scientific advisory groups for proposed conferences: on energy dynamics within measurement.
• Research Project: Large international project dealing with The Interface, the dynamics of information generation and processes at junctures.
• Research Group: I am a member of a team of international researchers (Germany, Australia, The Netherlands, Brazil) who are working on a book dealing with information management in businesses, including virtual work groups. I will be dealing with the theoretical infrastructure of information, its definition, expansion, relations, and functionality.
• Book: collation of papers of the last few years on Semiosic Realism, an analysis of the dynamics of information and knowledge processes within the physico-chemical, biological and socioconceptual realms.