Free and open to the public. Advance registration required. Select title to register for seminar.

All seminars will be held on UVA grounds in Charlottesville, VA.
*Seminar locations now listed*

New Foundations in the Humanities

Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

Living Healthier and Longer

Negotiating Contemporary Gender Politics

New Directions in American Higher Education

Publicly Engaged Scholarship and Teaching

Continuing Legal Education

Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Education Units Session 1: Current Issues and Strategies for Healthcare

Continuing Medical Education Continuing Education Units Session 2: Cutting Edge Research in Healthcare and The Vision of Tomorrow

View seminar list by Time

New Foundations in the Humanities

What is Empathy and Why Do We Make Such a Fuss Over It?
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
Can we truly understand another person’s feelings? What if we don’t want to understand the feelings of people whose ideas or actions seem radically different from ours? Mitch Green, Associate Professor of Philosophy, will consider some leading theories of empathy and try to understand the reasons for thinking it a virtue. In the process, we’ll consider the evolutionary advantage that the capacity for empathy might bring, and discuss how certain forms of autism tend to correlate with empathetic deficiency. We’ll even see how one value we might find in forms of art as disparate as literature, painting, music, and film is their ability to cultivate empathy within us.

Fast, Fiction, and Friction: Teaching History at Colonial Williamsburg
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 102 | Map
How can Colonial Williamsburg and other Southern sites like Monticello teach visitors about the history of slavery while also providing them with entertainment, relaxation and fun? Like most museums, Colonial Williamsburg competes with theme parks like Disneyland for its “market share” of the vacationing public. Audiences are attracted to Colonial Williamsburg’s educational programs, but they also seek all the amenities of a good resort. Teaching history to this receptive but demanding audience is further complicated by the politics of history making. Richard Handler is Professor of Anthropology and Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Arts & Sciences. He and anthropologist Eric Gable (’90 GSAS) published The New History in an Old Museum: Creating the Past at Colonial Williamsburg.

Who's In, Who's Out? Anthologizing Modern and Contemporary Poetry
Friday, June 2, 3:30-4:20
Minor Hall, Room 125 | Map
How are literary canons formed? Who makes the decisions about which poems and poets should be remembered and what’s the criteria for inclusion and exclusion? To engage these and other questions, Jahan Ramazani (’81 COLL), Professor of English, will draw on his experience as editor of The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry (2003), third edition, discussing specific examples and drawing out their larger implications for the poetry canon today.

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Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

Digital Video in the Library
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Robertson Media in Clemons Library| Map
Libraries used to be all about books and journals. Now they include a wide range of different materials in a variety of formats. The U.Va. Library is building digital video collections, which include both unique materials (such as 1960s footage from local TV stations) and licensed commercial resources (such as documentaries and even feature films). Robertson Media Center Director Judy Thomas will describe some of the issues the Library confronts with digital video collection-building, and will explore the ways in which the availability of these new resources is changing the face of teaching in the 21st century.

The Nightly News Vision and Culture: A Look Through the Robertson Media Center's Archive
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Clemons Library, Room 407 | Map
Media Librarian Erika Day will present some of the unique film and video holdings of the University Library collection, including the WSLS news collection, Road to Brown and Technopolitics. Day will also discuss preservation and digitization efforts for these interesting and rare materials.

What's Happening to the Arctic?
Friday, June 2, 2-2:50
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
In April 2006, Time magazine warned its readers to “be worried, be very worried” about the global warming and the future of the Arctic. But how much do we know about the Arctic? Howie Epstein, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences and an ecosystem and plant community ecologist, will reveal how the Arctic is a unique and vibrant ecosystem that has changed over the past decades. His talk will also include information from his regularexpeditions to the Arctic.

Making the Connection: Development and Remodeling of the Human Brain
Friday, June 2, 3:30-4:20
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
Ever wonder how your brain is built? To function, the brain requires a highly complex wiring pattern that develops during our early fetal stages but continues to be somewhat remodeled as we age. Associate Professor of Biology Barry Condron and his research team focus on how brain patterns form and change, especially how those parts of the brain that control mood are wired up and maintained in the aging brain.

Why I Paid $4000 for a Clock that Doesn't Even Tell Time: Clocks, A Physical Scientist's Perspective
Saturday, June 3, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 101 | Map
Humans have a fascination with being able to mark the passage of time. The quest to build high-accuracy clocks throughout history has consistently merged the best basic science, materials technology, engineering, and art of the era. Human ingenuity has progressed from the use of pendula, to springs, to quartz, and finally to atoms and molecules as the working material for clocks. Brooks Pate (’87 COLL), William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Chemistry and 2001 recipient of the MacArthur genius award, will examine the basic principles behind clock making with an emphasis on the scientific advances that have come from better clocks and the goals for future clock makers in the fields of chemistry, physics, and astronomy. The talk will also highlight the drive for improved clocks in computing, electronic warfare, and global positioning systems.

Discovering the Hidden Universe: Extrasensory Astronomy
Saturday, June 3, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 107 | Map
The human eye gives us only an extremely narrow perspective on the vast range of astronomical phenomena. Observations using gammaray, x-ray, ultraviolet, infrared, and radio light have revolutionized our view of the universe at an accelerating pace revealing, for example, monster black holes in the centers of galaxies and probing conditions that prevailed when the universe was brand-new. As a specialist in the construction of equipment to image and analyze light from the infrared portion of the spectrum, Mike Skrutskie, Professor of Astronomy, will provide an insider’s perspective on unveiling what has been, until recently, a hidden universe.

Live from Africa: From Safari to Savannah
Saturday, June 3, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
Research Professor of Environmental Science Bob Swap will join you in this live, interactive Webcast from Southern Africa. You can meet and talk to U.Va. undergraduates and faculty conducting research and public service in Africa. Learn about U.Va.’s environmental science work with the University of Venda, the SAVANA and SAFARI projects, and U.Va.’s new and innovative approaches to international collaboration with the developing world.

Primordial Sound:Eavesdropping on Big Bang
Saturday, June 3, 1:45-2:30
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
Big Bang Acoustics is just one of the extraordinary developments that make modern cosmology one of the most rapidly developing fields in science today. Mark Whittle, Professor in the University’s Astronomy Department, has been using some of the most recent astronomical observations to reconstruct the sound that was present during the universe’s first million years of age—a time equivalent to the first day in the life of a human. Come “listen” to the universe being born, and discover how this sound ultimately evolved to become all the stars and galaxies we find around us in our present-day universe.

Hurricanes and Climate Change
Saturday, June 3, 3-3:50
Clark Hall, Room 108 | Map
Jose Fuentes, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and winner of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s 2006 Outstanding Faculty Award, will provide an overview on the processes leading to the formation of the hurricanes impacting the eastern coast of the United States. He will discuss some of the infamous historic hurricanes that have caused significant property damage and loss of life. The seminar will also examine how hurricane intensity has changed in response to the most dramatic climate changes that have occurred during the last fifty years.

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Living Healthier and Longer

Making Good Decisions About Long-Term Care for Yourself and Others
Friday, June 2, 2-2:50
Clark Hall, Room 101 | Map
Making good decisions about a long-term care facility for a loved one or oneself is not easy. What are the critical questions to consider when searching for the best long-term care facility? Learn how to answer this question from Dr. Courtney H. Lyder, Professor of Nursing, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, the inaugural holder of the University of Virginia Medical Center Professorship in Nursing, and a nationally recognized expert on minority aging.

Is 50 really the New 30? It Can Be If You Make It So
Saturday, June 3, 11-11:50
Maury Hall, Room 209 | Map
Science and medicine are bringing new opportunities to live better and longer. Dr. Jorge Plutzky (’81 COLL), who directs the Preventive Cardiology Program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston) and is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, will lead a panel of Class of ’81 doctors and healthcare professionals in a discussion of how people can translate these scientific advances into their own lives. Topics will range from diet, preventive cardiology, and women’s health. Sponsored by the Class of 1981.

Evaluating Quality in Health Care: What You Need to Know
Saturday, June 3, 1:45-2:30
Minor Hall, Room 125 | Map
This panel discussion offers some of the best guidance on selecting health insurance, choosing doctors and hospitals in a crisis, and how to navigate a sea of information to find good care. The panel features Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Delos M. Cosgrove (’66 MED); R. Edward Howell, head of the U.Va. Medical Center; Dr. William A. Knaus, department chair at U.Va.’s Medical School; and Darden professor Elizabeth O. Teisberg (’81 GEAS). Moderated by Dr. Arthur Garson, Jr., Vice President and Dean of U.Va.’s Medical School. Please join us as we explore how to be wise consumers in the complex U.S. healthcare system. Sponsored by the Class of 1966.

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Negotiating Contemporary Gender Politics

Taking Sex Differences Seriously: Why it's Good for Men, but Better for Women
Saturday, June 3, 3-3:50
Clark Hall, Room 107 | Map
Men are more interested in casual sex, more aggressive and competitive, and less inclined to nurture the young than women are. These differences are large, deeply rooted, and consequential. Steven Rhoads, Professor of Politics, will explain why he believes that Taking Sex Differences Seriously—the title of his recent book—will improve men’s lives but improve women’s lives still more.

What Do I Say to My Son? What Do I Say To My Daughter? Preparing College-Bound Children for the Realities of Sexual Assault and Dating Violence
Saturday, June 3, 3-3:50
Minor Hall, Room 125 | Map
Ninety percent of college-aged victims of sexual assault are attacked by a friend or classmate, and the most vulnerable time is the first six weeks of the first year. As much as parents try to prepare our children for a healthy, safe college experience, they ultimately have no control over their children’s behavior, or that of others who may do our children harm. Claire Kaplan, Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at the U.Va. Women’s Center, will offer pointers to parents who would like to know how to broach this difficult subject with their children.

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New Directions in American Higher Education

An Introduction to AccessUVA: The University of Virginia is Accessible, Affordable, Possible
Friday, June 2, 2-2:50
Peabody Hall | Map
In 2004, the University of Virginia launched AccessUVA, an ambitious financial aid initiative designed to make higher education affordable to all admitted students. Yvonne Hubbard, Director of Student Financial Services, will discuss the University’s historic commitment to need-based financial aid and the ways meeting financial need has enhanced the undergraduate student experience.

Diversity at the University of Virginia
Saturday, June 3, 3-3:50
Peabody Hall | Map
In September 2005, President Casteen named William B. Harvey to be the University’s first Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity. Join Vice President Harvey in a discussion on diversity at the University—where we are now and where the future will lead us. Sponsored by the Class of 1981.

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Publicly Engaged Scholarship and Teaching

ecoMOD: Ecological, Modular, and Affordable Housing
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Clark Hall, Room 101 | Map
John Quale, Assistant Professor of Architecture, is the Project Director for the ecoMOD project, a multiyear research and design project at the School of Architecture. Over the next several years, U.Va. students and faculty are designing and constructing three 1,000- to 1,250-square-foot ecological modular homes, to be placed in local communities and sold to low-income homebuyers. The goal of ecoMOD is to create well-designed and well-built homes that cost less to live in, minimize damage to the environment, and appreciate in value.

Rebuilding New Orleans and the Challenge of Affordable Housing
Saturday, June 3, 1:45-2:30
Maury Hall, Room 209 | Map
William Morrish, the Elwood R. Quesada Professor of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Environmental Planning, will discuss the possibilities for rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. His design and policy research focuses on the future of America’s aging suburban communities and urban working-class neighborhoods.

Honoring Jefferson's Vision: UVA's Contributions to Homeland Security
Saturday, June 3, 3-3:50
Maury Hall, Room 209 | Map
Since September 11, 2001, our society has faced no more important challenge than the protection of the lives, welfare, and values of the American people against the perpetrators of international terrorism. Well before 2001, the Critical Incident Analysis Group (CIAG) began sponsoring interdisciplinary research and analysis of threats to free institutions and democratic values and today is in the forefront of efforts to understand the nature and consequences of the challenge of acts of terrorism and other critical incidents, including natural disasters. Concepts and practices originated at the University are being adopted as public policy as CIAG continues to demonstrate its capacity for dealing with real-world problems. Presented by the Honorable Nathaniel Howell (’61 COLL), former ambassador to Kuwait. Sponsored by the Class of 1961.

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Continuing Legal Education

Oral Advocacy: How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills for the Legal Profession
Friday, June 2, 11-11:50
Minor Hall, Room 125 | Map
Join Robert W. Sayler, professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, for this seminar designed to help you improve your ability to communicate persuasively in the wide variety of settings in which people are called on to speak including client meetings, business negotiations, and presentations to public agencies. The goal is to provide all participants—including those who do not consider themselves naturally gifted public speakers—the tools to become more capable and confident oral communicators. Continuing Legal Education credit is available for this seminar.

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Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Education Units Sessions

Session 1- Current Issues and Strategies for Healthcare

Healthcare, Workforce Challenges: Developing Short and Long-Term Strategies for Education, Patient Care, and Public Service
Friday June 2, 8:30-9:15
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
Dr. Arthur Garson, Jr., Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine, and Jeanette Lancaster, Dean of the School of Nursing, will discuss the challenges in the healthcare workforce and its potential impact on patient care and safety. The discussion will also include short- and long-term strategies for education and coordination of care.

The Role of Telemedicine in Healthcare Delivery/Access/Education
Friday, June 2, 9:15- 10:00
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
New technologies such as telemedicine provide opportunities for medically underserved and all populations to receive timely and appropriate care regardless of their geographic location. Dr. Karen Rheuban will discuss the advances and role for telemedicine in the delivery of healthcare to patients, and for promoting education to healthcare professionals and patients.

Technology, Education, and Outcomes in Healthcare
Friday, June 2, 10-10:45
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
The promotion of quality patient care can be effectively analyzed, implemented, and learned through new strategies for education and healthcare that integrate information technologies and tools with opportunities for creative education and outcomes measurement. Sarah Farrell (’81 NURS), PhD RN, will provide an overview of some of these advances and their overlapping roles in education and improvements in patient care.

Integration of Web-based Education into the Continuum of Medical Education: CardioVillage in Action
Friday June 2, 10-11:30
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
This seminar will discuss the strategies used in the development of CardioVillage, an award-winning Continuing Medical Education Web site, into the continuum of medical education. Dr. Larry Gimple will talk about the integration of self-paced learning with traditional educational formats and strategies that CardioVillage is utilizing to create measurable educational and patient care outcomes.

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Continuing Medical Education Continuing Education Units Sessions- Session 2

Cutting-Edge Research in Healthcare: The Vision of Tomorrow

A Service-Based Research Program: Making Clinical Research Come Alive
Friday, June 2, 2:45-3:30
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
Nursing research focuses on many issues associated with improved patient outcomes. Many of these projects combine scientific inquiry and knowledge with efficient and timely interventions that promote quality of care. Suzanne Burns, professor at the School of Nursing, will highlight some current nursing research projects and their potential impact on healthcare delivery.

Engineering New Tissues: A New Frontier in Medicine
*For medical professionals only*
Friday, June 2, 3:30-4:20
Jordan Hall Conference Center | Map
Scientists are re-creating the environment that encourages cell growth inside the body, offering patients access to living tissue—an option that radically expands healthcare alternatives for injuries and diseases from broken bones to diabetes. Join Dr. Cato Laurencin, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, the Lillian T. Pratt Distinguished Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration and Repair, for a discussion on recent advances in this exciting and controversial field.

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