Notes from No Man's Land author Eula Biss visits campus on Sept. 9 to discuss her book, the First Year Reading Program selection. Biss kicks off the fall Assembly Series program schedule.
Human health, human rights, technology, sustainability, diversity, the future of our region and the legacies of war and slavery are issues that are front and center these days, in the media, in the courts, in Congress and closer to home, in the classrooms at Washington University in St. Louis. Several Assembly Series programs this fall will feature individuals — many WUSTL faculty — chosen for their thought leadership on these and other relevant subjects. Created 60 years ago, the Assembly Series is Washington University’s premiere lecture series. Its chief mission is to present interesting and important voices, and it is designed to spark meaningful discussion and lead to greater understanding of our world today.
Assembly Series programs are free and open to the public. The fall 2013 schedule, below, opens with First Year Reading Program author Eula Biss on Sept. 9 and ends with feminist legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon on Nov. 14.
Because some information may change or be added at a later date, please check the website frequently for updates. Here, you also can subscribe to receive announcements and reminders.
FALL 2013 SCHEDULE
Monday, Sept. 9
Biss
“Notes from No Man’s Land”
First Year Reading Program Lecture
7 p.m., Edison Theatre
As the recent racial controversies make clear, Americans and American law still are grappling with slavery’s legacy. And as Biss’ essays in Notes from No Man’s Land, this year’s choice for the First Year Reading Program, make abundantly clear, that legacy is ambiguous, complicated, and tied inextricably with questions of identity that are deeply embedded in our culture.
Rudolph Clay, head of outreach services in University Libraries and co-host of the staff discussion groups held earlier this month, calls the book a provocative investigation of race and identity. He co-hosted the discussions with Alfreda Brown, Human Resources project manager for diversity.
“First and foremost, Notes from No Man’s Land is a great read,” Clay said, adding that “what makes the book so great is her creativity and how she looks at age, geography, all of the different things that divide people. Everyone is going to find something that speaks to them, that they will want to talk about.”
Biss’ first collection, The Balloonists, was published in 2002; Notes from No Man’s Land, published seven years later, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. Her essays have appeared in numerous literary anthologies, including The Best American Nonrequired Reading and The Best Creative Nonfiction, as well as literary journals such as the Seneca Review and The Believer.
Biss, who received a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College and a master's in fine arts from University of Iowa, teaches writing at Northwestern University.
Throughout the year, the Class of 2017 will participate in a variety of activities designed to mine the themes in Notes from No Man’s Land. To find out more about the selection as well as a list of reading discussion resources, visit http://fyrp.wustl.edu.
Friday, Sept. 20
Bomani
“NASA’s GreenLab Research Facility: A Potential Global Solution for Water, Food/Feed, Fuel and Energy.”
Chancellor’s Fellowship Lecture
11 a.m., Whitaker Hall Auditorium, Room 100
Bomani is the kind of research scientist whose low profile belies the significance of his work at NASA’s Glenn Research Center,where his team is creating biofuels that are sustainable, renewable and alternative. He uses the term “extreme green” to describe the objective: to develop the next generation of aviation fuels that do not use any of the Earth’s most precious resources – fresh water and arable land — but do use some of the safest and most plentiful products found in nature. (See Bomani's TED talk: http://www.ted.com/speakers/bilal_bomani.html)
Panel Discussion: "STEM Research and Education"
Bomani will join a WUSTL panel composed of: Marcus Foston, PhD, assistant professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering (School of Engineering); Jeff Catalano, PhD, associate professor of earth and planetary sciences and director of graduate studies; Brittni Jones, doctoral candidate in the Department of Education; and Kathryn Miller, PhD, chair and professor of biology; all in Arts & Sciences.
Palacio
"Government and Health Care: Perspectives from a President and a Physician"
Global Health Week Lecture
5 p.m., Graham Chapel
During his years as minister of health, vice president and president of the Republic of Ecuador, Palacio’s reputation as a reformer was well-founded. He led many efforts to initiate economic and social advancements, especially in health care. The cardiologist (who trained at Washington University’s School of Medicine) is a strong advocate for universal medical coverage and is credited with beginning the modernization of health care in his country.
Palacio’s appearance is part of WUSTL’s Global Health Week, which runs Sept. 23-27 and includes an international fair as well as a host of activities, demonstrations and talks designed to educate and entertain the public on a broad range of health-care issues, including nutrition and cooking. (Visit the website for details.)
Monday, Sept. 30
Simmons
“The State of Conscience in University Life Today”
James E. McLeod Memorial Lecture on Higher Education
5 p.m., Graham Chapel
There have been many “firsts” in Ruth Simmons’ life, chief among them being the first African-American president of an Ivy League university. Hers was an extraordinary transformation, which began as the 12th child of sharecroppers, and it was one fueled solely by education. The scholar and academic leader has been dedicated to expanding access to higher education and extolling the value of a liberal arts education, two overarching goals that reflect the philosophy of the late, beloved WUSTL teacher and administrator, Jim McLeod. Co-sponsors: The Center for the Humanities and the College of Arts & Sciences (More on Jim McLeod: http://pages.wustl.edu/figure/archives/october-2011)
Friday, Oct. 4
Gruber
“Health-care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works”
GlobeMed Lecture
6 p.m., Brown Hall, Room 100
Just a few days after the Affordable Care Act’s mandatory insurance component becomes law, the principal architect of the Massachusetts system and chief adviser to President Obama’s plan will be on campus to explain the costs and benefits of health-care reform. The title of his talk is the same as his comic book that explains in 140 delightful pages the 1,000-page legal document. Co-sponsors: Gephardt Institute for Public Service and the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy, both in Arts & Sciences; the Brown School and the School of Law. (See more on the comic book here.)
Monday, Oct. 7
Hall
“Embryos in Evolution and Evolving Embryos: An Historical Overview”
Thomas Hall Lecture
4 p.m., Umrath Lounge
For most of the 20th century, scientists attempting to understand how body structures change focused on either developmental biology or evolutionary biology. Then, during the 1970s, scientific trailblazers such as Hall, Stephen Jay Gould and Gunther Wagner began to merge the two concepts. It was in this new field called evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) where breakthroughs occurred in understanding how body structures change — and advance — through evolution. Hall’s research, predominantly in the area of the early vertebrate embryo known as the neural crest and its derived craniofacial skeleton, has led to a greater understanding of how cellular differentiation works.
Thursday, Oct. 10
Lessig
“Republic Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress – and a Plan to Stop It”
School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series
Noon, Anheuser-Busch Hall, Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom
“Libraries and Technology”
Jack E. and Debbie T. Thomas Inaugural Library Lecture
5 p.m., Simon Hall May Auditorium
Legal scholar, author and political activist Lessig approaches societal problems with a pragmatism firmly rooted in a philosophical idealism. Whether it’s advocating for sensible intellectual property law that more aptly reflects the needs of a digitized citizenry, or taking up a cause he now carries close to his heart — removing the corrupting influence of money from American politics — Lessig finds a pathway to progress. His first address will focus on how our political system is broken and his proposal to fix it. In the second program, he will discuss aspects of technology that are changing the ways libraries are run and used. Co-sponsors: School of Law and University Libraries. (Visit Lessig's blog here.)
Wednesday, Oct. 16
Nawa
“Afghanistan, Heroin and Women”
6 p.m., Umrath Lounge
Afghanistan’s $65 billion a year opiate industry destroys thousands of lives each year by creating addicts, by killing the addicted, by violence associated with the drug trade, and in many other, less obvious ways. When Afghan-American journalist Nawa traveled back to her native land between 2000 and 2007, she was shocked by stories such as Darya’s, the 12-year-old daughter of a dealer sold into marriage with a middle-aged drug lord to pay off her father’s debt. On the other hand, she found that some women farmers were benefiting from the drug trade. These stories compelled her to write Opium Nation: Child Brides, Drug Lords and One Woman’s Journey through Afghanistan.
Panel Discussion: Date to be announced
“Aftershocks of the Afghanistan War: What's Next for Those Who Left and for Those Left Behind”
As America’s longest-running war winds down, Afghanistan is coming back into focus. What lies ahead for this country and its people? What have the traumatic effects of war wrought on those who have left and who are left behind? The October 2013 edition of Washington Magazine will feature Nawa’s interviews with several WUSTL faculty and alumni, and the professors featured in the story will participate in a panel discussion.
Friday, Oct. 25
Basij-Rasikh
Olin Fellowship Lecture
4 p.m., location to be announced
“If we have to spill our blood to pay your school fees, then we will,” Basij-Rasikh’s father told her many years ago when she was illegally attending a secret school during the Taliban’s reign in Afghanistan. To receive an education, great risks were taken, but she grew up in a family where education was prized and daughters were treasured. Now the graduate of Middlebury College provides educational opportunities for the next generation of girls through the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) a boarding school she co-founded and runs, and through other global initiatives for women’s education.
Friday, Nov. 1
Alexander
“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”
School of Law Public Interest Law Speaker Series
Noon, Anheuser-Busch Hall, Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom
Although Jim Crow laws institutionalizing segregation were overturned decades ago, Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow observes that it’s perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals, a group predominantly made up of African-American men. Today’s U.S. criminal justice system has relegated millions to permanent second-class status, effectively creating the same racial caste system as Jim Crow, as felons are denied basic civil and human rights long after they are released. Co-sponsored by the Missouri History Museum and the School of Law. (On the book: http://newjimcrow.com)
Tuesday, Nov. 5
“Srebrenica’s Legacies of Loss and Remembrance”
Holocaust Memorial Lecture
6 p.m., Umrath Lounge
Wagner
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Panel Discussion: “The Future of the St. Louis Region”
Clayton Centennial Celebration
7 p.m., Simon Hall May Auditorium
The St. Louis region has much to offer, but what about its future — a future tied closely to Washington University’s? To celebrate the centennial anniversary of Clayton’s founding, experts will offer their thoughts on how our region will fare in the future. They include WUSTL provost Holden Thorp, PhD, who will address education, and plant conservationist Peter Raven, PhD, who will explore environmental sustainability. A third panelist to discuss medicine and health care will be announced on the Assembly Series website.
Thursday, Nov. 14
MacKinnon
“Trafficking, Prostitution, and Inequality”
School of Law Public Interest Speaker Series
Noon, Anheuser-Busch Hall, Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom
Perhaps no one person has changed the legal landscape of sex equality in the United States more than MacKinnon. She pioneered the concept that sexual abuse violates equality rights, as well as the legal claim that sexual harassment is sex discrimination. In the international arena, she represented Bosnian survivors of sexual atrocities, winning legal recognition of rape as an act of genocide and a $745 million settlement. Co-sponsors: Law, Identity & Culture Initiative in the School of Law; the Brown School; Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, in Arts & Sciences; Association of Women Faculty; and the Office of the Provost (Here is MacKinnon on the film Lovelace.)
For additional information on the Assembly Series, visit the website or call (314) 935-4620.