Lectures engage the mind

Photo by Megan Raymond

The Engaging the Mind Lecture Series has been well received in its inaugural 12-lecture season. It’s estimated that more than 1,000 people throughout the Commonwealth will have attended the talks when they’re completed in May. (Above) Some 200 people took part in a forum last month on “Human Rights in the Contemporary World,” led by Michael Smith, U.Va. professor of political and social thought, held at the Fairfax County Government Center.

By Fariss Samarrai

Who would want to go to Roanoke on a Friday night? Steve Majewski would, as long as he gets to talk about the Milky Way to a crowd of people who are interested in the stars. Majewski, a renowned U.Va. astronomer, went to the Star City last fall as part of the University’s Engaging the Mind lecture series, a free program custom-tailored for auditoriums full of Virginia citizens around the state.

“The response to this statewide program in its first year has been deeply gratifying,” said Laura Hawthorne, public service coordinator. “We sensed there was an intellectual hunger in communities throughout the state and, as our numbers increase with each lecture, I grow more convinced we have created an offering that illustrates the best of University outreach.”

Last fall the series included three lectures, two in Richmond and Majewski’s in Roanoke. This semester features nine lectures — three in Northern Virginia, three in Virginia Beach and one each in Lynchburg, Roanoke and Charlottesville. Topics include U.S. policy in the Middle East and the changing face of the Supreme Court.

James Childress, professor of religious studies, spoke last month to a packed house at the central library in Virginia Beach on the ethics of war, and Michael Smith, professor of political and social thought, spoke about human rights in the contemporary world at the Fairfax County Government Center.

The series is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Public Service, in partnership with the Faculty Senate Speakers Bureau.

“We try to select topics that resonate with each region of the state and current events,” Hawthorne said. “Following the events of Sept. 11, the director of U.Va.’s Northern Virginia Center, Steve Gladis, advised us to choose topics for the spring series that connect somehow with the aftermath. He said, ‘People drive by the Pentagon every day and that’s what they’re thinking about. Help them understand and you’ll have a packed house.’”

“The speakers and their topics have been well-received by our Northern Virginia audience,” said Cari Dellinger, director of marketing and public relations at U.Va.’s Northern Virginia Center, part of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

“The March event was attended by more than 200 people who provided rave reviews. The audience appreciated the opportunity to participate in a forum that featured a speaker who challenged them with new ideas.”

Likewise in Roanoke.

“The director of the Roanoke center, Linda Linnartz, knew that her region has a high concentration of science enthusiasts, so we invited Steve Majewski to visit and talk about the Milky Way,” Hawthorne said. “Over 75 people turned out that evening.”

“It was a nice crowd, and they asked good questions,” said Majewski. “I was impressed. I would definitely do it again. The community deserves to know what goes on at a university like this. Outreach is an important role for us to take on. Taxpayers fund our grants, and this is one way to give back for what they invest.”

Hawthorne agrees.

“The program works because faculty believe in it,” Hawthorne said. “They want to contribute to intellectual life throughout the state, and we try to make it as easy as possible for them to do that. By creating a venue that brings together our talented faculty with intellectually curious citizens throughout the state, we hope to continually engage Virginians in the classroom experience and to fulfill one of our goals as a research university: that is, the discovery and creation of new knowledge and ideas.”

Faculty participants volunteer their time, but they are provided accommodations for overnight trips.

Rich Hoehlein, director of U.Va.’s Hampton Roads Center, said, “We’re also touching the lives of folks who otherwise might not be involved in the regular for-credit courses we offer. This is a wonderful intellectual enrichment opportunity for people in our service area.” The center’s April 5 program featured Farzaneh Milani, associate professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, discussing women in the Islamic world.

Last spring, anthropology professor Fred Damon gave a lecture about U.S. elections as ritual from an anthropological point of view.

“This was not long after the 2000 election controversy,” he said. “The audience had a great interest in what I was saying. It was a rewarding experience for me and I’d do it again. I firmly believe that people at the University have an obligation to contribute to public discussions. This kind of program helps to make the learning process a part of life for people, rather than just a four-year period in their lives.”
Hawthorne and Raymond are always looking for new topics and faculty members to participate in the series.

“We invite ideas,” Hawthorne said. “People can call us or visit our Web site to let us know they are interested in participating in this program. We’re already planning our series for next year. We want to expand to new towns and cities and continue to present a diverse array of topics.”

“We estimate that, in its inaugural 12-lecture season, the Engaging the Mind series will serve over 1,000 people throughout the Commonwealth,” Raymond added.