3/19/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELKEASE
Contact:
Jay Lees, associate professor of history, (319) 273-2269
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- "A Medieval Nun Takes on Sex, Violence and History" will be the topic for the continuing University of Northern Iowa History Lecture Series, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, in Room 115 Seerley Hall.
Jay T. Lees, UNI associate professor of history, will deal with the 10th century German author Hrotsvit of Gandersheim in his presentation. It is free and open to the public.
"Hrotsvit wrote saints' lives, plays and epic poems, many of which deal with themes which have a curiously modern ring," said Lees, "--a woman's role in a male-dominated society and the way in which political power is legitimately passed from one person to another, to mention just a few. Her plays will strike a modern audience as funny, poignant and remarkably frank about sexual matters."
Lees' presentation will begin with a reading of one of Hrotsvit's plays by students from his "Women in the Middle Ages Seminar." He will then talk about Hrotsvit "to give some sense of her uniqueness and breadth of accomplishment."
For more information, contact Lees at (319) 273-2269.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Gerri Perreault, director of the Leadership Studies Program, (319) 273-6898
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- "Spiritual/Religious Leadership" will be the focus of Thursday's (March 22) program on the University of Northern Iowa's Leaders on Leadership 2001 Series, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the Schindler Education Center, Room 323. Sponsored by the Leadership Studies Program, the session is open to the public, free of charge.
The program will feature Ben Colvet, senior pastor, Nazareth Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls; Sousan Manshadi, Baha'i Faith; and Fr. John Haugen, campus pastor and director, St. Stephen's Student Center.
According to Gerri Perreault, director of the UNI Leadership Studies Program, the purpose of the series is to provide the opportunity to learn about the leadership views and practices of leaders from across a variety of sectors of society.
The Leaders on Leadership 2001 Series will continue April 5 with "Human Rights Leadership." For further information, contact Dr. Gerri Perreault, (319) 273-6898
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3/19/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Michael Prophet, associate professor of mathematics, (319) 273-2104
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Mathematician Keith Devlin will deliver the first Hari Shankar Lecture in Mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa, Monday, March 26, "How did human beings acquire the ability to do mathematics?" will be at 7:30 p.m., in Rooms 244-245 of the Schindler Education Center . It is free and open to the public.
A reception will follow in the UNI Commons Ballroom. The reception is supported in part by Firstar Bank, American Express and the N.E. Iowa India Association.
Devlin is dean of science at Saint Mary's College of California and a Senior Researcher at Stanford University. He is the author of 23 books and more than 65 published research articles. Some of his most recent books are, "The Language of Mathematics: Making the Invisible Visible," "Life by the Numbers: The Official Companion to the PBS Television Series" and "InfoSense: Turning Information Into Knowledge."
Devlin speaks about mathematical topics regularly on National Public Radio, where he is known as "the Math Guy" on NPR's popular Saturday morning magazine program "Weekend Edition."
The lecture will center around Devlin's latest book, "The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved and Why Numbers Are Like Gossip."
This lecture is the first in a series of lectures by prominent mathematicians. The series was conceived by Hari Shankar, a visiting professor in the UNI mathematics department periodically over the last six years, and is partially funded by the UNI Foundation.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Barbara Lounsberry, professor, Department of English, (319) 273-2639
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa –-The average Iowan may not realize it, but many of the ideas for the confounding capers solved by Nancy Drew and her trusty friends Bess, George and Ned, originated in Ladora, a small Iowa town.
A series of presentations, "Iowa's Nancy Drew: In Literature, History, And Art," beginning March 25, will explain it all. Featured speakers for the event are Barbara Lounsberry, professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa; and Laura Ruby, professor of art at the University Hawaii-Manoa.
The Nancy Drew mystery series, without a doubt one of the most popular ever, was originally penned by Iowa author Mildred Augustine, beginning in 1930. But, says Lounsberry, the Iowa connection to the series has been obscured over the years by a publisher who allowed readers to think she, and not Augustine, was Carolyn Keene, author of the books. "A goal of this touring presentation is to draw attention to Nancy Drew and Mildred Augustine as Iowa heroines who can inspire and fortify us all."
Lounsberry explains that Augustine was the first woman to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa School of Journalism, and the first person, male or female, to earn the school's master's degree. She penned Nancy Drew volumes 1-7, 11-25 and 30, and placed Drew in River Heights, a distinctly Midwestern town. Later, the publisher of the series moved Nancy and her friends closer to New Jersey. At age 95, Augustine holds six pilot's licenses, and writes a weekly column for the Toledo (Ohio) "Blade."
The presentations, to be made over a week at sites across the state, will provide exploration of three disciplines: literature, history, and art history and criticism. Lounsberry will describe how Augustine created Drew as a female Robin Hood in the Great Depression; Lounsberry's slideshow will trace Drew's role in history and popular culture; and Ruby will describe how the Nancy Drew volumes encouraged her to create the "Nancy Drew Series" of prints, each devoted to a specific novel.
Presentations will be:
March 25, 2 p.m. at the Hearst Center, Cedar Falls
March 26, 7 p.m. at the Octagon Center for the Arts, Ames
March 27, 7:30 p.m., Waldorf College, Forest City
March 28,10 p.m., Morningside College, Sioux City
March 29, noon, Fort Dodge Public Library
March 29, 4 p.m., Buena Vista College, Storm Lake
March 29, 7:30 p.m., Blanden Memorial Art Museum, Fort Dodge
March 31, 1:30 p.m., Muscatine Art Center, Muscatine
March 31, 4:30 p.m., Art Guild of Burlington, Burlington
Reservations are recommended for the Hearst Center presentation, and should be made to (319) 273-8641. The presentations are sponsored by Humanities Iowa.
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