Science, sustainability, humanitarian causes and the power of promises are some of the topics in the annual fall lineup of free lectures at Fort Lewis College.
The Life-Long Learning Series will begin its 2012 fall season with Taking Sustainability Literally by Mark McElroy, founder and executive director of the Center for Sustainable Organizations. McElroy created the Vermont-based center in 2004. Using the Social Footprint Method to measure, manage and report on sustainability performance in businesses, the center brings to light system malfunctions.
His talk is the first in a series of presentations that include more science-based programs than in the past.
All programs begin at 7 p.m. in 130 Noble Hall with one exception: On Sept. 27, Life-Long Learning partners with the Colleges Common Reading Experience to welcome writer, Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL Eric Greitens. His presentation will be held in the Community Concert Hall. Each talk is about an hour, with a 30-minute discussion afterward.
The fall series includes:
Sept. 13: Taking Sustainability Literally, by Mark W. McElroy, Center for Sustainable Organizations.
Sept. 20: The Place of Four Corners Archaeology in the Discovery of the Mogollon, by J. Jefferson Reid, Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona.
Sept. 27: Fist to Heart, by Eric Greitens (Community Concert Hall).
Oct. 4: Iconoclasts and Outsiders: The Art of Political Cartooning in an Election Year, by Durango Herald political cartoonist, Judith Reynolds.
Oct. 11: Public Education in the 21st Century: Where Do We Go From Here? Panel discussion including former Durango School District 9-R Superintendent Mary Barter, former IBM executive and CEO of New American Schools John Anderson, and a representative of state government.
Oct. 18: Healing War: An Ongoing Discussion, by FLC associate professor of Creative Writing, Pam Uschuk.
Oct. 25: A Few Things You Might Like to Know About the Sun, by Gary Rottman, optical spectroscopy specialist who has worked with NASA and the University of Colorado on solar-research projects.
Nov. 1: Mining and Metals: Water Quality and the Animas River, by Peter Butler, chairman of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission.
Nov. 8: The Binding Power of Promises, by Katherine A. Burgess, Ph.D. from her doctoral dissertation on the nature and function of promissory acts.
Nov. 15: Natural Products as Inspirations for Drugs: From Aspirin to Zocor, by Kenny Miller, assistant professor of chemistry at FLC.
Nov. 29: Transitioning into Resilience in Uncertain Times, by Ruah Swennerfelt, co-founder of The Transition Movement to help communities change from fossil fuel dependency to local economic resilience.
