The Life-Long Learning Lecture Series at Fort Lewis College will continue at 7 p.m. Thursdays this fall in a new format. Twelve one-hour presentations will be presented as webinars directly to home computers.
“We want to continue a well-regarded tradition,” said Gary Rottman, leader of the Life-long Learning team that has organized the series of free town-gown lectures at the College over the last two decades.
“Our regular audience members believe these presentations enrich our community dialogue on important issues,” Rottman said. “This semester, we’ll continue to be part of the new Colorado Humanities initiative, HISTORY LIVE! Durango. All September programs will feature historical topics, and five FLC faculty members have joined our semester roster.”
To access the fall webinars, visit www.fortlewis.edu/LLL. This will direct you to join the webinar at 7 p.m. Thursdays. Attendees will be muted and off screen. Attendees will only see the moderator or speaker. Those with questions will be able to access a feature at the end.
Co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the volunteers of the FLC Professional Associates, the series is modeled on similar projects at colleges and universities across the country.
The schedule is:
Sept. 10: Firing Toward the Future, Steam Locomotive Technology. Adding to Durango’s high interest in all things related to Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, retired nuclear engineer George Niederauer will survey the technological history of steam locomotion. Sept. 17: Lessons from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Drawing from his book, Bayfield author Curt Brown will give an overview and compare the 1918 health crisis to today’s COVID-19.Sept. 24: Beyond the Postcard: Public Health and Landscape Imagery. Professors Cory Pillen and Sara Newman will discuss how Western imagery and social conceptions of public health and race overlapped in surprising ways in the early 20th century.Oct. 1: RISK, When You Come to a Fork in the Road. Retired engineer and adjunct FLC faculty member Chuck Carson will explore some of the tricks our minds play that contribute to miscalculations and/or errors in judgment.
Oct. 8: What is the Fake News Crisis and Why Do We Face It? Philosophy professor Justin McBrayer will discuss our polluted information environment and argue that purveyors and consumers often have incentives that mislead. Oct. 15: Saving Creation: The Story of the Sixth Extinction. Environmental scientist Robin Smith will summarize Earth’s five previous mass extinctions and outline actions and reforms necessary for Americans to save life on Earth.Oct. 22: A Modern Man: The Genius of George Carlin. Former radio broadcaster and lifelong fan Bob Griffith will look at Carlin’s career as America’s comedic icon and senior American social observer.
Oct. 29: A Garden on Paper: Drawing on a Scientific Legacy. Art professor Amy Wendland will review the history of botanical art and illustration with a nod to the FLC Herbarium and her creative interaction with the archive.Nov. 5: How to Find Happiness in the Age of COVID-19. Psychology professor Brian Burke will examine how the pandemic has caused us to question everything and then unpack the science on how to live a good life. Nov. 12: GMOs: The Science and the Non-Science. Retired professor of molecular biology Deborah Lycan will compare new and old methods for making GMOs and discuss the science behind genetically modified organisms. Nov. 19: Making Democracy Work in the 21st Century. Political science professor Paul DeBell will analyze the collision of ancient tensions within the ideal of democracy and contemporary information technologies.Dec. 3: Cohousing: Finding Community in the Modern World. Mac Thompson, co-founder of Heartwood Cohousing, will examine how to restore human connections that have been lost in contemporary society.
If you go
WHAT:
Fort Lewis College Fall Life-Long Learning Lecture Series.
WHEN:
7 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 10 to Dec. 3.
WHERE:
Remotely at www.fortlewis/edu/LLL.
TICKETS:
Free.
More information:
Visit www.fortlewis/edu/LLL or call FLC director of community relations at 247-7207.
