The fifth talk in the 2019 Nebraska Lectures: Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker Series is May 7. Kari Ronning, research associate professor of English and editor of the Willa Cather Scholarly Edition, will present "Willa Cather on Campus," 3:30 p.m., at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, small theater, 313 N. 13th St.
Ronning will explore how the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus appeared through the eyes of Cather, one of Nebraska's most notable alums. Beginning in 1890, Cather's college years marked a time of tremendous growth, as the university introduced the seminar method of instruction, graduate courses and intercollegiate football. It also celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Ronning received her bachelor's and doctoral degrees from UNL. She has worked on the Willa Cather Scholarly Edition since 1990 and is especially interested in Cather's Nebraska life and connections. Ronning is associate editor of the Willa Cather Archive.
The Nebraska Lectures are a platform for Nebraska's top faculty to share their work across campus and the broader community. The 2019 lectures are a yearlong, history-focused series aimed at celebrating the university's 150th anniversary.
The series is sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development, Office of the Chancellor and the Research Council, in collaboration with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Special thanks to Humanities Nebraska and the National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman's Statehood Grants Initiative for making the expanded series possible.
Live Webcast: https://research.unl.edu/nebraskalectures/