You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that’s the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are several events going on in town this week. Check out one or more of them if you have time. Get your learn on, as they say, and join the cognoscenti.
If you have a community event, speaker, or film event that you’d like to see featured on Listen Up!, send the event information to joelgillespie [at] smilepolitely [dot] com by Friday the week prior to the event. Listen Up! runs on Mondays (or Tuesdays, if I procrastinate too much).
This week isn’t too lively, but the big guns start coming out next week, so stay tuned for more info next Monday.
WHAT: “Elements of a Successful Research Enterprise,” Larry Schook — Director, Division of Biomedical Sciences
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 1 @ 12 noon
WHERE: Commons Room, Grainger Library
A great opportunity to impersonate a professor: “Faculty Development Program 2009: A PI’s central challenge is to keep the lab afloat while stimulating and supporting the highest levels of creative insight and technical innovation. This seminar will introduce the elements required for directing research and managing people in the laboratory.”
WHAT: “The Mechanics of Publishing a Book,” Professor Mark McCulloh, Davidson College
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 3 @ 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: 2090B Foreign Languages Building
Dr. McCulloh is an expert on German literature, so I’m not sure whether he means the political mechanics or the physical mechanics of publishing, but either way it should be interesting.
WHAT: “Seminar on Seminars,” Professor Kenneth Suslick, UIUC
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 3 @ 4 p.m.
WHERE: 112 Chemistry Annex
This appears to be a regular class session of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry 515 and 585, and therefore not of much interest to the general public, but the title was just too good to pass up. If this catches on, then it will be referred to as the seminal seminar on seminars, correct? And look at Dr. Suslick’s head produce its own steam! Cold fusion is within his reach, surely.