Upcoming Lectures

Nonsense on Stilts about Science: Field Adventures of A Scientist-Philosopher - Massimo Pigliucci
5:10 PM @ 101 Carver Hall - An intrepid debater, blogger and podcaster as well as a professor of philosophy at the City University of New York, Massimo Pigliucci focuses on science, pseudoscience and how ordinary citizens can tell the difference. In this talk, he explores what scientists, philosophers and citizens themselves need to do promote a better understanding of science. Pigliucci earned a PhD degree in biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Tennessee.

Black Box Arguments and Accountability of Experts to the Public - Sally Jackson
4:10 PM @ 101 Carver Hall - Sally Jackson is a professor of communication and former CIO at the University of Illinois. Winner of numerous awards in the communication and argumentation fields, she focuses on the design and engineering of processes to promote effective communication in complex situations. In this talk she will examine the public knowledge infrastructures that our increasingly complex, technological society relies upon, and why citizens can reasonably trust them.

Shaping American Landscapes: Jens Jensen and the Prairie Spirit - William Tishler
7:00 PM @ Garden Room, Reiman Gardens - William Tishler has been involved in the design and planning of the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park at The Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa, and is emeritus professor of landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin. He is the editor of Midwestern Landscape Architecture. This program is presented in partnership with The Danish Immigrant Museum, which this year will be exploring the life, career, and ongoing legacy of landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951).

The Yellow Rose of Suffrage - A One-Woman Play performed by Jane Cox
2:00 PM @ Ames City Auditorium, 520 6th Street - The Yellow Rose of Suffrage is a one-woman play about Carrie Chapman Catt, an 1880 graduate of Iowa State who devoted thirty-three years of her life to the women’s suffrage movement. Catt was president of the National American Women Suffrage Association, cofounder of the League of Women Voters, and a crusader for world peace. The production was written and is performed by Jane Cox, a longtime faculty member in the Iowa State Theater Program. Cox has performed The Yellow Rose of Suffrage nationally, including at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The play was originally funded through a grant from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Part of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics 20th Anniversary Celebration.

2012 Goldtrap Lecture - Andrea Lunsford
7:00 PM @ South Ballroom, Memorial Union - Andrea Lunsford is the author of the St. Martin's Handbook and studies best practices in teaching writing. Her book The Everyday Writer is the primary text for composition courses at Iowa State. Lunsford's scholarly interests include women and the history of rhetoric, collaborative writing, and the cultures and technologies of writing. She has authored or coauthored twenty books, most recently Writing Together: Essays on Collaboration in Theory and Practice. She is the Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor of English and director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University. The 2012 Goldtrap Lecture.

Imagine: How Creativity Works - Jonah Lehrer
8:00 PM @ Great Hall, Memorial Union - Jonah Lehrer's recent book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, sits atop the New York Times bestseller list. His message: Creativity is not a gift available only to a lucky few but is in all of us. He makes accessible the science of imagination, explaining not only the mental process but also its social and economic benefits. A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in neuroscience, Jonah Lehrer studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he received his Master's degree in 20th-century literature and philosophy. His other books include Proust Was a Neuroscientist and How We Decide. He is a contributing editor at Wired Magazine and for National Public Radio's "Radiolab," and writes the "Head Case" column for The Wall Street Journal.

Planet Money LIVE - Adam Davidson & Alex Blumberg
8:00 PM @ Great Hall, Memorial Union - The charismatic team of National Public Radio’s Adam Davidson and This American Life’s Alex Blumberg explain money in human terms, delivering an informative and entertaining live stage show. It's like "Car Talk" for your wallet. Adapted from one of NPR's most popular podcasts and most-listened-to segments on This American Life, "Planet Money LIVE" is a witty and humorous approach to some of the most complex economic issues of our times and their relevance in our lives. Davidson and Blumberg have also jointly produced a one-hour documentary on the subprime mortgage crisis, The Giant Pool of Money, which won Peabody, duPont-Columbia and George Polk awards. Greater Iowa Credit Union Business Lecture Series.

William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture - Jim Farrell
7:00 PM @ Great Hall, Memorial Union - Jim Farrell is president and CEO of Farmers National Company, the nation's largest farm and ranch management company. Farrell, who grew up on an Iowa farm, is a graduate of Iowa State and began his career with Farmers National in 1986. Today, the company is responsible for 2.5 million acres of farmland in twenty-five states, its success driven in part by the demographics of aging farm owners and investor interest in U.S. farmland. Farrell has served in numerous professional and civic leadership roles. In 2009 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Omaha Branch where he serves as Chairman of that Board today. He has served as President of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), and chaired the National ASFMRA Public Relations and National Meeting Committees and is a past president of the Downtown Omaha Kiwanis Club, for which he helped lead a $1 million renovation of the city's Kiwanis Park. He is a member of the Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture, ISU Chapter. The William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture.

You Can Change the World - Bill Nye
7:00 PM @ Stephens Auditorium, Iowa State Center - Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is known for making science entertaining and accessible for school-age children and adults as the host of a weekly television series on the Disney Channel. After earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, Nye worked as an engineer at Boeing. He eventually combined his love of science with his flare for comedy as Bill Nye the Science Guy, guesting on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club and Late Night with David Letterman, and answering science-related questions on local and national radio programs. Nye has made a number of award-winning educational videos, including Fabulous Wetlands for the Washington State Department of Ecology. He is also the author of The Science Guy’s Big Blast of Science, an introductory science text. Part of Engineers Week.