UCR Faculty Lecture Series Archives

Spring 2007:

February 22, 2007 Thursday, 11:00
JOE MARCHESANI – Program Director (UMR)
Students as Consumers: Rights and Responsibilities in a Complex Marketplace
This lecture will focus directly on college-age students who are among the most intensely-targeted consumers in our society. What choices they make, and the rights and responsibilities that those choices create, will be the focus of this lecture presented by Joe Marchesani, a lawyer on the UMR administrative staff.

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March 28, 2007 Wednesday, 10:00
LORI STOLTZ – English (RCTC)
Beyond Esmeralda: Demystifying the Fictitious Portrayal of Gypsies.
This lecture, based on a manuscript in progress, will focus on the stereotypes of the Gypsies from the past to the present with an attempt to correct those negative portrayals of a people both romanticized and reviled. The lecture materials will come from research, personal family history, and information garnered from leading “Gypsy” authorities in the United States and Europe.

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April 24, 2007 Tuesday, 1:00
CHAD ISRAELSON – History (RCTC)
The Times They Are a Changin’: Rock and Roll Cultural and Social History
This lecture will focus on the social/cultural history of rock and roll, including the historical events and topics of the past 50 years in relation to rock music. These issues/ topics include race issues/civil rights, anti-war, youth culture, environmental and economic issues.

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Fall 2006:

September 27, 2006 Wednesday, 1:00
JEFF TAYLOR – Poly Science / Library Science (RCTC)
Where Did the Democratic Party Go?: Bryan, Humphrey, and the Jeffersonian Legacy
The Democratic Party has changed. More often than not, it loses national elections, and we have seen the erosion of important parts of its base. Dr. Taylor looks beyond the shortcomings of individual candidates to focus on the party’s real problem: Its philosophical underpinnings have changed in ways that turn off many Americans. This lecture is based on a book that Dr. Taylor has recently had published.

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October 25, 2006 Wednesday, 10:00
ROD MILBRANDT – Physics (RCTC)
Physics and Medicine: Radiology and the Mixing of Scientific Disciplines
The growth of medical physics is an example of the ever-increasing trend of interdisciplinary science. Both imaging and radiotherapy rely on the interaction between physics and medicine; this kind of work across discipline boundaries is exciting and increasingly important. This talk will touch on radiology, medical physics, interdisciplinary work, and Dr. Milbrandt’s experiences in the teaching, research, and clinical worlds.

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November 28, 2006 Tuesday, 11:00
DIANE FORSYTH – Nursing (WSU)
Families and the Life Transition of First-Time Mental Illness: Swept Along on the Waves
This lecture grows from research done through WSU’s nursing division. When a person seeks treatment for mental illness, the family frequently gets involved as well. This qualitative study explored the uncertainty of a first time hospitalization for a mental illness for family members. In this lecture, the stigma of mental illness, resources needed, and what might help family members in this situation, such as allowing them to tell their stories about the illness process, will be discussed by Dr. Forsyth.

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Forsyth Lecture Resources:

Families and the Life Transition PowerPoint

Lecture Outline Document

Lecture References and Bibliography Document

SPRING 2006:

FEBRUARY 23

Dr. STEVE BEIN (RCTC):
Compassion, Self, and Morality

Compassion is a word we use a lot, but rarely do we use it with a precise sense of what it means. What exactly is compassion, and what role does it play in our ethical lives? Dr. Bein will discuss the link between compassion and the concepts of self and other, and show how Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist philosophies of selfhood contribute to a robust account of compassion.

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MARCH 23

 Dr. JULIE RODAKOWSKI (RCTC)
Colonialism and its Effects on Women in the Arts in India

Dr. Rodakowski was a Fulbright Scholar in India during the summer of 2005. While there, she studied the effects of British colonialism and post-colonialism on women in the arts, particularly literature. In her lecture, she will discuss her trip and what she learned from her study project.

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APRIL 27

PAT COSTELLO (RCTC):
Into the Maze: The Labyrinth and Contemporary Fiction

The image of the labyrinth, which has been around since practically the beginning of fiction, underwent dramatic changes as it became relevant for 20th, and now 21st, century readers. Costello’s presentation begins with Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentinian writer who, influenced by Einstein and the new developments in quantum science, created a body work filled with new types of labyrinths. Then presentation will show how Borges’ influence has spread and how the labyrinth continues to be a favorite image of postmodern writers. The discussion will be somewhat interdisciplinary, including the work of M. C. Escher's art to show how the developments in science are spreading throughout art and literature.

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FEBRUARY 24

DARLENE VOELTZ (RCTC):
Up and Coming: Emerging Entrepreneurs of Developing Countries

Economics and business professor Darlene Voeltz traveled to Peru and Argentina as a Fulbright Scholar during the summer of 2005. Her study project dealt with the entrepreneurial economics of those two developing countries. In this lecture, Voeltz will discuss the economics of the two countries and why the governmental structure lends itself to entrepreneurs — of all ages.

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MARCH 24

Dr. RUTH CASPER (RCTC/WSU):
Come Laugh with Me: The Effects of Humor on Mood

Dr. Casper has done considerable research on the effects of two different kinds of humor on mood, especially in people who have experienced an event of some significance to them. Some of the research focused on students in stressful situations such as right after major exams. Currently, she is undertaking similar research on the effects of these two kinds of humor on mood in the elderly. In her presentation, Dr. Casper will present data and results of her studies.

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APRIL 28

MIKE MUTSCHELKNAUS (RCTC):
Somali Motivations for Attending College: The Moment of “Epiphany”

Mike Mutschelknaus is currently finishing his dissertation. Soon-to-be Dr. Mutschelknaus will present to us the results of his interviews and research with Somalis at RCTC over the past year. Mutschelknaus discovered that Somali students must develop internal motivations during their college experience in order to offset the external pressures they face. To do this, they develop support groups and seek out significant relationships with counselors and teachers. Those who succeed have an “I can do this” epiphany at some point during their college experience.

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Fall 2005:

SEPTEMBER 22

Dr. VIRGINIA WRIGHT-PETERSON (RCTC)
Arriving in Algiers before McDonalds

Dr. Wright-Peterson spent spring semester 2005 teaching at the University in Algiers, Algeria on a Fulbright program. In her lecture, she will present observations on the global impact of the American Dream on developing nations and how cultural assimilation modifies the impact.

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OCTOBER 27

Dr. BARRY JOHANSEN (UMR)
Human Resource Practices in Iceland

Dr. Johansen will take a University of Minnesota Human Resource & Development class to Iceland in May of 2005. The goal is to look at training and human resource development practices in Iceland, and Dr. Johansen will discuss the results of the trip.

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NOVEMBER 17

Dr. PHYLLIS GASPAR (WSU)
Nursing Home Closure: Consequences Affecting Each of Us

The increasing numbers of nursing homes being closed over the past several years has generated interest in the concept of closure and relocation. Yet the consequences of these closures have not been determined. In this lecture, Dr. Gaspar will present the results of a research study addressing the effect of nursing home closure on nursing home residents their families, the nursing home staff and administration.

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