Programs for Fall 2010

Arsalan Iftikhar: "The Pacifist Fundamentalist"
Mon., September 13, 7 p.m., College Hall, WUSTL Residential Area (South 40)
Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer, prominent political commentator and author of the popular blog, TheMuslimGuy.com, will explore some of the themes found in the novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mosin Hamid, which is this year's reading selection of the Freshman Reading Program. The event is co-sponsored by the First Year Center. More

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Matthew Bishop: "Philanthrocapitalism"
Thurs., September 16, 6 p.m., May Auditorium, Simon Hall
In this era of financial morass, is it odd that "mega-giving" is thriving? Not according to Bishop, who with co-author Michael Green has coined the term philanthrocapitalism. As the recent pledges made by billionaires demonstrate, the concept of using a person's wealth, business savvy, and influence to address the world's gravest ills has taken a firm hold on our collective psyche, and it will only grow stronger. Bishop is the U.S. business editor and New York bureau chief of The Economist, and author of many books. His talk is sponsored by the Skandalaris Center and kicks off its two business plan competitions, the Olin Cup and the YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition. Registration and a pre-reception is at 5:30, with the program at 6pm. For more information on the Skandalaris Center and the competitions awarding a total of more than $200,000, visit their website at sc.wustl.edu. The program will be followed by a reception. More

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Kevin Washburn: "Improving Criminal Justice for American Indians."
Thurs., September 23, 12 p.m., Anheuser-Busch Hall, Trial Courtroom #309
As a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, Washburn knew firsthand about racial disparities. He now uses his legal expertise to help develop law policy on behalf of American Indians, such as the Tribal Law and Order Act, recently signed by President Obama, that bolsters justice resources for reservations. Washburn is also one of the country's leading experts on gaming law. Co-sponsors of Washburn's presentation are the School of Law, the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the Brown School of Social Work, and the Native American Law Student Association. More

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Jonathan Safran Foer: Reading and Commentary
Thursday, September 30, 7 p.m.
LOCATION CHANGE: GRAHAM CHAPEL
Foer is widely regarded as one of the most important and most unconventional writers of our time. Hailed by many critics as a work of genius, his first novel, Everything Is Illuminated, was published when he was 25 years old. It was followed by another critically acclaimed novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, in 2005. His most recent work, the non-fiction Eating Animals, is an account of his personal journey toward vegetarianism. Foer's reading and commentary is a Neureuther Library Lecture, and is co-sponsored by the University Libraries, the Campus Bookstore and Mortar Board honor society. More

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Nicholas Kristof: "Half the Sky: From Oppression to Opportunity for Women Worldwide"
Mon., October 4, 4 p.m., Graham Chapel
In his search to shed light on the profound challenges people living in underdeveloped countries must endure, Kristof has frequently placed himself in danger. Despite the atrocities he's witnessed, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning op-ed columnist for the New York Times and co-author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, remains committed to giving a voice to the most vulnerable. Kristof's talk will be this year's Youngdahl Lecture; co-sponsors include the Brown School of Social Work, the School of Law, the Association of Women Faculty, Women and Gender Studies, and the Women's Society. More

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Cynthia Enloe: Fri., October 8, 4 p.m., Steinberg Auditorium, Steinberg Hall
As Enloe's research has shown, the effects of globalization on women are vastly different from that of men. She has travelled the globe, talking to women about their everyday lives and analyzing their situations from a distinct feminist perspective. In her many books, Enloe, who teaches at Clark University, exposes the human side of what it means to be female in a global economy. She is this year's Spencer T. Olin Fellows lecturer. More

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Adam Ross: Reading and Commentary
Tues., October 19, 7 p.m., Women's Building Formal Lounge
Although Ross's debut novel, Mr. Peanut, bagged the #1 spot on the Huffington Post's "best summer reading," it's anything but lightweight. The graduate of WUSTL's Writing Program uses a murder investigation as a way to create a sophisticated, complex, funny and brutally honest rumination on the institution of marriage. Stephen King put it best when he called Mr. Peanut "The most riveting look at the dark side of marriage since Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Ross's reading and discussion is a Neureuther Library Lecture, and co-sponsored by the University Libraries and the Writing Program. More

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Colette Avital: Friday, October 22 , 11 a.m., College Hall, South 40 Campus
The former deputy speaker of the Knesset and former Israeli ambassador has dedicated her career to the service of Israel, to which she emigrated from Romania in 1950. Elected to the 15th Knesset in 1999 as a member of the Labour Party, she served in a number of capacities and chaired committees on ethics, foreign relations, women's issues, and immigration. She held her seat for three legislative terms. Furthermore, she was instrumental in creating a committee that located and restored stolen assets of Holocaust victims. Avital's appearance is sponsored by Students for a Peaceful Palestinian and Israeli Future.

Mott Greene: "Alfred Wegener and the Origins of Modern Earth Science in the Theory of Continental Drift"
Wed., November 3, 4 p.m., McMillan 149
With the sophisticated methods scientists now access, it's interesting to think about how great discoveries were made a century ago. Greene, a geologist and MacArthur Fellow, has done just that. In his soon-to-be-published book, Greene examines the work of Alfred Wegener, the first earth scientist who recognized the importance of using data from other disciplines. Greene believes this widening of focus was key to Wegener's discovery of continental drift. This presentation is the Thomas Hall Lecture in the History of Science. More

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Marianne Hirsch: "Rites of Return: The Afterlife of the Holocaust in Jewish Memory"
Mon., November 8, 4 p.m., Graham Chapel
Iconic images of the horrors of the Holocaust are a part of our culture's collective memory. Hirsch studies the ways in which these images became part of one's unconscious understanding of the world and how the past is processed and remembered. Hirsch ‘s most recent book, Ghosts of Home: The Afterlife of Czernowitz in Jewish Memory, co-authored with Leo Spitzer, offers a profound analysis of memory's echo across generations. Hirsch will deliver this year's Holocaust Memorial Lecture. More

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Jonathan Zimmerman: "Beyond Bedrooms and Borders: What a Historian of American Sex Education Learned by Looking Overseas"
Thurs., November 11, 5 p.m., Women's Building Lounge
As Zimmerman often notes in his books, op-ed pieces, and blogs, the classroom has always been the battleground for America's culture wars. Although the Scopes trial occurred nearly a century ago, the fight over teaching evolution in the classroom, as well as the ongoing conflicts over prayer, sex education, and which "side" gets to tell the story of America in its textbooks -- is as fervent as ever. Zimmerman's solution? Teach all sides of a cultural issue. His talk is presented by the Phi Alpha Theta history honorary. More

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Mia Farrow: Wed., November 17, 5 p.m., Graham Chapel
The acclaimed actress is also a devoted humanitarian who advocates for African children devastated by armed conflict and civil unrest. As a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Farrow has helped raise awareness and funds for the millions of children caught in the middle of violent clashes in such countries as Chad, Uganda, and Sudan. For her compassion and service, Farrow was recognized in 2008 as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine. This is the annual Elliot Stein Lecture in Ethics. More

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Van Jones: "Beyond Green Jobs: The Next American Economy"; Tuesday, November 30, 12 p.m., Graham Chapel
As he outlines in his 2008 best seller, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, the leading environmentalist believes America's economic restoration lies in the development of clean energy. The former special advisor to President Obama and founder of Green for All has been profiled in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" (2009) and in its 2008 issue featuring "Environmental Heroes." The program is co-sponsored by Green Action, Law & Culture Initiative, Energy & Environmental Law Society, and the Black Law Student Association. More

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