Lecture Preview
This week, Carnegie Mellon will wrap up the end of the school year with a diverse selection of guest speakers. Today, Holocaust survivor and Pittsburgh resident Jack Sittsamer will speak at the AEPi house and comic strip author Alison Bechdel, originally scheduled to speak on April 16, will give her lecture on the comics industry. On Tuesday, three Carnegie Mellon professors will discuss the advantages and pitfalls of self-archiving one’s work. On Friday, award-winning poet Elizabeth Alexander will speak at the annual Adamson Awards ceremony sponsored by the English department to honor student-written fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenplays. Next Friday, May 11, Hansy Better Barraza of Studio Luz Architects will give the last talk of this year’s Architecture Lecture Series.
Subject: Jack Sittsamer
The Basics: Jack Sittsamer, a local Holocaust survivor, will share his experiences with the Carnegie Mellon community. Sittsamer, 80, is a resident of Squirrel Hill and president of the Holocaust Survivors of Greater Pittsburgh.
When: Today at 6 p.m.
Where: AEPi chapter house, fraternity quad
Subject: Alison Bechdel
The Basics: The Alison Bechdel lecture, originally scheduled for April 16, has been rescheduled. Alison Bechdel, the author of the syndicated comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, will speak about the comics industry as a countercultural institution.
The lecture is sponsored by AB Lectures.
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Where: Porter Hall 100
Title: “Panel on Open Access”
The Basics: Three Carnegie Mellon faculty members will discuss the benefits of self-archiving, the tools with which to do so, and problems that may arise along the way. The panel will consist of Jay Kadane, professor of statistics and social sciences; Barbara Johnstone, professor of English; and David Danks, assistant professor of philosophy.
When: Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Rangos 3, University Center
Subject: Elizabeth Alexander
The Basics: Award-winning poet Elizabeth Alexander will speak at the Adamson Awards, held annually by the English department to acknowledge student writers. Alexander is the author of four poetry collections, most recently 2005’s American Sublime, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Alexander is a professor of African-American studies and director of undergraduate studies at Yale University.
When: Friday at 8 p.m.
Where: Adamson Wing, Baker Hall 136A
Subject: Hansy Better Barraza
The Basics: Hansy Better Barraza is the cofounder of Studio Luz Architects, assistant professor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With Studio Luz partner Anthony Piermarini, Barraza has completed commercial, residential, and institutional projects as well as several installations. Barraza’s practice strives to link social responsibility, sustainable construction, and material expression while redefining traditional uses of space, materials, and technology, according to the firm’s website. At RISD, Barraza specializes in teaching advanced architectural studios, computer representation/fabrication, and drawing.
The lecture is part of the Architecture Lecture Series.
When: Friday, May 11 at 7 p.m.
Where: Riverwalk Corporate Centre, 333 East Carson Street, Suite 517A