UNL Speakers Bureau in 20th year of 'Free Speech'

UNL's Speakers Bureau enters its 20th year in 2014-15 with 21 speakers and several topics from which to choose.
UNL's Speakers Bureau enters its 20th year in 2014-15 with 21 speakers and several topics from which to choose.

UNL's Speakers Bureau enters its 20th year in 2014-15 with 21 speakers and several topics from which to choose. This free service connects faculty and other university experts with Nebraska citizens who want knowledgeable, interesting speakers on a variety of topics.

The Speakers Bureau features speakers available on a year-round basis as well as during the academic year only. This website, http://www.speakersbureau.unl.edu, provides access to each speaker's topic information with a form to submit to book a speaker for your event. For questions, please contact Kellie Wesslund, Speakers Bureau coordinator in the Office of University Communications, 202 Canfield Administration Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0424; telephone 402-472-0088 or email speakers2@unl.edu.

The members of the 2014-15 Speakers Bureau and their topics:

• Sylvana Airan, assistant director for business contracts and student services, University Housing -- "My Life Growing Up in Pakistan."
• Christian Binek, associate professor, physics and astronomy -- "Magnetic Refrigeration," "Magnetic Thin Films: From Basic Research to Spintronics" and "Physics Between High-school and High-tech."
• Charles Braithwaite, editor, Great Plains Quarterly, senior lecturer, communication studies -- "African Americans on the Great Plains," "The Global Classroom: Using New Communication Technology to Improve Education" and "Tribal Colleges: Culture and Higher Education on the Plains."
• Daniel Claes, professor, physics and astronomy -- "Comic Book Physics 101," "What the Heck is a Higgs Boson?!" "Are We Alone in the Universe?" and "What happened to the Faster-than-Light Neutrinos?"
• Don Costello, associate professor emeritus, computer science and engineering -- "The Bronx in the Middle of the Last Century," "Information Technology -- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," "Robotics: Status Today, Impact Tomorrow" and "Investment Vs. Gambling in a Digital Economy."
• Ken Dewey, professor of applied climate sciences, School of Natural Resources -- "Chasing Icebergs" and "Tornadoes!"
• Bob Diffendal, professor emeritus, Conservation and Survey Division -- "Amazing Geological and Archaeological Sites in Southern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada" and "Outstanding Geological and Archaeological Sites in the Great Plains of New Mexico and Texas."
• Stephen Ducharme, professor, physics and astronomy, and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience -- "Can a Photon Wave?" and "Nanoscale Science and Technology."
• Todd Duncan, assistant chief, UNL Police Department -- "Designer Drugs, a Cat and Mouse Game Between Clandestine Lab Chemists and Law Makers," "Nebraska Sex Offender Registration, It's Complicated" and "A Non-Partisan Look at Nebraska Gun Laws."
• Michael Hoff, professor, art history -- "Ancient Roman Religion and Nebraska Football," "Athens Under Roman Domination" and "Pirates and Romans Along the Cilician Coast of Ancient Turkey."
• Roger Hoy, professor, biological systems engineering, director, Nebraska Tractor Testing Lab -- "The Nebraska Tractor Testing Lab: Past, Present and Future."
• Gary Kebbel, professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communications -- "How to Use Social Networking like Twitter or Facebook or Foursquare as Reporting Tools," "Reaching Youth: If it's Not on a Cell Phone, it Doesn't Exist" and "The Changing News Ecosystem."
• Bradley Lubben, extension assistant professor and policy specialist -- "Growing Agriculture to Meet Society's Demands" and "More than Farm in the Farm Bill."
• Patrice C. McMahon, associate professor, political science -- "For Good or for Ill: The Return of Nation Building," "U.S. Power in the Networked Era" and "Partners in Peace: Nongovernmental Organizations in Peace-building."
• Tapan Pathak, extension educator for climate variability, School of Natural Resources -- "Current and Future Global Climate Change: What it Means for Nebraska."
• Wes Peterson, professor, agricultural economics -- "The Future of Capitalism," "U.S. and Global Economic Inequality" and "Huskers in Benin: Culture and Agriculture in West Africa."
• Paul Read, professor, horticulture and viticulture -- "Gardens of the World" and "Grape Expectations: Nebraska's Developing Grape and Wine Industry."
• John W. Richmond, professor and director, Korff School of Music -- "Does Music Make You Smarter? It Depends on What You Mean!" "Finding the Next Mozart! Music Composition Education in the 21st Century" and "Speaking the Universal Language Without an Accent: UNL in Our Global Musical Village."
• Greg Snow, professor, physics and astronomy -- "Cosmic Rays from Outer Space -- What Do We Know About Them?" "Did a Giant Asteroid Kill the Dinosaurs?" and "High Energy Physics and the Discovery of the 'God Particle.'"
• Sandra Stockall, professor emeritus, University of Nebraska Extension -- "You Are Who You Are Because" and "Wow, That Felt Great!"
• Joseph Weber, associate professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communications -- "Teaching Journalism in China: A Semester of Surprises."