UNL Speakers Bureau in 18th year of 'free speech'

Released on 08/31/2012, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Lincoln, Neb., August 31st, 2012 —

            The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Speakers Bureau is in its 18th year this fall with 25 speakers and several topics from which to choose. This free service connects faculty and other university experts with Nebraska citizens through service organizations, schools and other groups who want knowledgeable, interesting speakers on a variety of topics.

            The 2012-13 Speakers Bureau features speakers available on a year-round basis or during the academic year only. This website, 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 Mitzi Lenz, Speakers Bureau coordinator in University Communications, 202 Canfield Administration Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0424; by telephone at 402-472-0088 or by email.

            The members of the 2012-13 Speakers Bureau and their topic(s) are:

  • Sylvana Airan, Assistant Director of Housing, Business Contracts and Student Services, "My Life Growing Up in Pakistan"
  • Andrew Benson, W.W. Marshall Professor of Biotechnology, "The Amazing Ecosystem in Your Gut and its Critical Roles in Human Health," "Personalized Medicine--A Story of the Human Genome and the Genomes of its Symbionts" and "Producing Foods for Health"
  • 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 of Physics and Astronomy, "What the Heck is a Higgs Boson?," "Are We Alone in the Universe?," "Comic Book Physics 101, Part 1: Secret Origins," "Comic Book Physics 101, Part 2:  Physics Disassembled" and "What happened to the Faster-than-Light Neutrinos?"
  • Donald C. Costello, Lecturer, Computer Science and Engineering, "The Birth, Death and Resurrection of Computers in Banking," "The Bronx in the Middle of the Last Century," "Computer Games," "Information Technology -- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and "Systems Thinking in an Apple-like World"
  • Kenneth Dewey, Professor of Applied Climate Sciences, School of Natural Resources, "Chasing Icebergs," "North to Alaska and Across the Canadian Arctic: A Photographic Journey," and "Severe Storms 101"
  • Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Professor Emeritus, Conservation and Survey Division, "New Mexico Geology and Life in the Art of Georgia O'Keeffe," "Pleasures and Perils of Owning Beach-Front Property" and "The Past, Present and Future of the Platte River System”
  • Stephen Ducharme, Professor and Vice Chair, Physics and Astronomy, Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, "Can a Photon Wave?" and "Nano-scale Science and Technology"
  • Galen Erickson, Professor, Beef Feedlot Extension Specialist, "How Ethanol and Cattle are Good Together (i.e., alcohol and beef)," "What is the Real Impact of Feedlots on the Environment?" and "Finishing Cattle Issues and Ways to Improve Profits of Feedlots"
  • Michael Hoff, Professor of Art History, "Ancient Roman Religion and Nebraska Football," "Athens Under Roman Domination" and "Pirates and Romans Along the Cilician Coast of Ancient Turkey"
  • Roger M. Hoy, Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, and Director, Nebraska Tractor Testing Laboratory, "The Nebraska Tractor Testing Lab: Past, Present and Future"
  • Gary Kebbel, Professor, 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"
  • Meg Lauerman, Director, University Communications, "Research, Recruitment and the Big Ten Conference: An Overview of What's New at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln”
  • Peter Levitov, Emeritus Associate Dean of International Affairs, "International Students in the United States"
  • 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, "A New Age of Colonialism? Land and Resource Deals in Low-Income Countries," "The 2012 Farm Bill: Prospects for Reform" and "The Implications of Increased Regional and Bilateral Trade Agreements for World Trade"
  • Paul E. 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, UNL 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," "'Speaking the Universal Language' Without an Accent: UNL in Our Global Musical Village"
  • "Kelli K. Smith, Assistant Director, Career Services, "Developing a Top Internship Program" and "How to Effectively Recruit College Students"
  • Greg Snow, Associate Dean of Research, College of Arts and Sciences, "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, "Communication is a Contact Sport" and "Wow, That Felt Great!"
  • Joseph Weber, Associate Professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, "Teaching Journalism in China: A Semester of Surprises"

Writer: Mitzi Lenz

 

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