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You're invited to participate in our second annual summer lunchtime lecture series. Free and open to the public, the weekly series of presentations will take place at Skyline Park (16th and Arapahoe) in downtown Denver. Bring your lunch, make some friends and learn something new.
Skyline Park at 16th and Arapahoe Streets (by the Clock Tower on the 16th Street Mall Downtown Denver)
June 5 - Climate Change: UC Denver’s Contribution to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
Herman Sievering, Geography and Environmental Sciences
Professor Sievering will discuss the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recent 4th Assessment Report, which was jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Sievering, an IPCC member scientist, will review key points in the Summary for Policymakers. Highlights include:
- Main greenhouse gases (it's not just carbon dioxide)
- Global temperature changes during the 20th and 21st centuries (it’s mostly us!)
- Sea level rise (it’s only just begun)
- Some of Colorado climate change projections (where has all the skiing gone?)
June 12 - The Complex Way in Which Ant Colonies Operate: Unlike Humans, Worker Ants Regulate their Tasks without a Boss
Michael Greene, Biology
Assistant Professor Michael Green’s current research involves the investigation of how ants utilize chemical recognition cues in order to inform behavioral decisions. He will lead a discussion on how unlike humans, worker ants regulate their tasks without a boss.
June 19 - Cultural Diversity Awareness in the Workplace
Resa Cooper-Morning, Ethnic Studies
Ms. Cooper-Morning, cultural diversity coordinator, will lead a discussion on creating a Diversity Awareness Guide for the workplace. The talk will review awareness of our own self attitudes and self programming in relationship to others whose attitudes, backgrounds and beliefs may be different than our own. Through various exercises, we will endeavor to appreciate our differences and guide them into a positive and productive outcome, not only in the workplace, but within our daily lives as well.
June 26 - Within-Party Factions of the Democrats and Republicans and their Possible Effects on the Election
Michael Cummings, Political Science
Description to come
July 10 - Why Feminism Matters
Marjorie Levine-Clark, History
We often hear that we live in a postfeminist era, suggesting that we have attained gender equality and that feminism no longer matters. Supporters of the idea of postfeminism not only claim that feminism is irrelevant, but that it is dangerous and has failed in its promises of happiness for women. Professor Levine-Clark, Co-Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at UCD, will explore the resistance to feminism in recent US culture, and discuss the continuing significance of feminist perspectives to our understandings of politics, economics, and social relationships.
July 17 - Einstein: History’s Hero or History’s Victim
Bob Damrauer, Chemistry
Einstein appears to have lived more than one life if you compare early biographies with more recent ones. Professor Damrauer will lead a discussion to explore the reasons for this, as well as examine how various factors can influence the public’s perception of a famous figure. How do we judge the truth concerning historical figures? Does it matter?
July 24 - Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics: Expectations and Tips for the City, Language and Culture
Kuan-Yi Rose Chang, Modern Languages
Having just returned from Beijing, Dr. Kuan-Yi Rose Chang from the Department of Modern Languages will share the latest excitements surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympics. Learn about the auspicious Olympics starting time of 8:08 pm, August 8, 2008. Experience a virtual tour of The Nest, The Bubble and The Egg. Explore the city of Beijing via the subway, city buses or on-foot. Learn practical Mandarin phrases to effectively greet others, ask directions and bargain (with the proper tones!).
July 31 — Preparing for the Democratic National Convention: The Democratic Party's Nominating Process and the Institution of the Superdelegate
Tony Robinson, Political Science
The 2008 battle for the Democratic Presidential nomination has exposed the institution of the "superdelegate" to unprecedented scholarly, media and popular attention. Who are these super-delegates and how did they get such extraordinary super-powers, so that each of their votes for presidential candidates is equal to about 10,000 votes of normal citizens? Associate Professor Tony Robinson’s presentation will explore a bit of the history and intention of the Democratic Superdelegates, and will examine whether superdelegates performed as intended in 2008. The talk will also introduce the question of whether it is time to abolish the superdelegate in favor of an unfiltered popular vote for future presidential nominees.
August 7 — The Western Discovery of Buddhism in the Nineteenth Century
Jeff Franklin, English
The Western encounter with Buddhism took off as recently as the mid nineteenth century. As a product of European colonial occupation of India and Southeast Asia, comparative religious studies emerged at mid century, and Buddhism was its primary object. In the 1860s to 1890s, hundreds of authors asked questions like “Who was the Buddha?” and “What are the strengths and weaknesses of Buddhism relative to Christianity?” Buddhist concepts of karma, reincarnation, and nirvana began to appear in literary works. Multiple book-length poems narrating the life of the Buddha were published, one of which became an international bestseller. In many ways, the debates about Buddhism that started in the 1860s set the stage for the New Age movement of the 1960s and determined how we still think about Buddhism. This talk with summarize some of the finds of Jeff Franklin’s book The Lotus and the Lion: Buddhism and the British Empire (Cornell 2008).
Questions? Contact Katy Brown via email or by phone at 303-556-666.
Click here for more events in Skyline Park
Programming or to find out how you
can hold your event here, contact John Kerns via email or call 303.571.8224.
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