Lecture & Scholars Series
Scholars Series 2011-2012
Engage your mind at one of our Scholars Series lectures, which brings in a wide range of recognized experts and leaders within their respective fields. All presentations are free and open to the public with unreserved seating. Free parking is located on the west side of campus.
The Great Duke Ellington
Sep 19, 2011 at noon in Perry Hall
Duke Ellington was considered one of the greats of jazz from the late 1930s, relatively early in his career. Late in the twentieth century, a consensus grew that he is in fact one of the greatest of American composers, regardless of style or genre. In a brief presentation, Kurt Dietrich, author of jazz books including an Ellington work, will discuss Ellington's rich and prolific life and career, also playing recorded excerpts from his works. There will also be some live Ellington jazz on trombone.
Kurt Dietrich
Professor of Music and
Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Chair in the Performing Arts
Ripon College
Climate Change and Climate Variability: What is it? How do we know? Why do we care?"
Oct 17, 2011 at noon in Perry Hall
Much has been written about climate change and the topic continues to engage a large part of the world’s people in an ongoing discussion. The topic is complex and difficult to understand. Politicization of the issue has created additional barriers to understanding. The purpose of this talk is to explain, from a scientific perspective, what is meant by climate change and climate variability, to present and explain some of the basic observational evidence that change is occurring and to briefly discuss possible future impacts of a changing climate.
James Brey
Director, Education Program
American Meteorological Society
Professor Emeritus
Geography and Geology
UW Fox Valley
Fishing Is(n't) Murder: The Ethics of Sportfishing
Nov 15, 2011 at 7:00pm in Perry Hall
Despite reluctance, individuals engaged in sport fishing are often challenged with ethical questions regarding moral constructs of right and wrong. Dr. Helfman, Emeritus Professor, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, will engage the audience in a science-based exploration of the ethical arguments and pros and cons of sport and other types of fishing. Included in those arguments, Dr. Helfman will deal with whether (or not) fish feel pain and how that issue influences our personal decisions about sport fishing. "A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with any fisherman's ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated." Zane Grey (1919), "Tales of Fishes".
Gene Helfman
Professor Emeritus
Odum School of Ecology
University of Georgia
Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and American Involvement in Afghanistan
Feb 13, 2012 at noon in Perry Hall
Dr. Ducksworth-Lawton will discuss how Sun Tzu and Clausewitz influence the current strategy in Afghanistan. She will also provide analysis on current NATO and regional issues with an emphasis on how those contributions shape the strategy, tactics, and mission for Afghanistan. Her conclusion will discuss what success would look like from a post 1945 historical perspective.
Selika Ducksworth-Lawton
Associate Professor of History
UW – Eau Claire
Local Foods Local Choices
Mar 12, 2012 Baehman Theatre 7:00pm (perhaps with local foods vendors advertising)
Our current food system is a fairy tale. A fairy tale with many villains, a few heroines (and heroes), lots of make-believe about how the world works, and the potential, if we make good choices, for happy endings. Join us to explore the opportunities and challenges of growing local food economies in Wisconsin. We’ll discuss the prospect for local food systems to meet our food demands and social needs, address the opportunities for food sovereignty, share the excitement and struggles of community food system organizations, and talk about our responsibility as eaters and community members to bring about sustainable food systems. This will be a dialogue between the panel members and the audience with initial comments provided by the panelist and will grow to include the interests and experiences of the audience. The panelists will share their experiences and backgrounds as farmers, local food advocates and organizers, ecologists, and seekers of delicious food.
Jeremy Solin
Co-founder, Central Rivers Farmshed
Stevens Point, WI
Joy Perry
Senior Lecturer of Biology
UW – Fox Valley
Erin Schneider
Co-owner Hilltop Community Farm
Fox Cities Book Festival - "Make the Impossible Possible"
April 16, 2012 at noon in Perry Hall
The UWFox Scholars Series presents, "Make the Impossible Possible, featuring guest speaker and noted author Bill Strickland. UWFox is a host site for the 2012 Fox Cities Book Festival, and Strickland is one of the Festival's guest authors. Strickland is also the CEO/President of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation as well as a community leader. Free and open to the public with unreserved seating.
Author: Bill Strickland
Writing, Publishing, and a Little Reading
Apr 23, 2012 at noon in room 1338
How poets make poems happen, how poems make poets happen, how those poems go out into the world on their own. Three poets of different styles, techniques, and backgrounds will read briefly from their poetry and discuss (again, briefly) their understandings of the origins, audiences, and paths to publication of their work.
Bill Gillard
Assistant Professor
UW-Fox Valley
J.D. Whitney
Emeritus Professor of English
UW – Marathon County
Peggy Rozga
Professor of English
UW – Waukesha
The Improvisational Basis of Chopin's 2nd Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 21
May 7, 2012 at noon in Perry Hall
The key to understanding Chopin's impact on music of today is his use of ornamental melody. Although many 19th Century European composers used this technique to decorate their works, none more so than Chopin. No one documented the creative process, through letters and diaries, as did this Polish composer. Romantic musical ornamentations of the period are in a direct line to 20th Century improvisational keyboard jazz. The piano is an ideal instrument to study this phenomenon. Comparisons between the two centuries help to clarify the technique.
Tony Garton
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pre-concert Lecturer