Lecture Preview
Title: Herbert Simon Award for Teaching Excellence Lecture — "The Hierarchical Understanding of Proofs"
The Basics: Manuel Blum, the Bruce Nelson University Professor of Computer Science, will argue that hierarchies can serve as templates for proofs and that the majority of proofs are constructed through the use of templates. He will provide several examples of proof hierarchies. Lastly, he will explain his belief that a professor can measure a student's understanding of a proof by the hierarchy he or she creates for proving the specific theorem in question, as some hierarchies are more useful for certain theorems than others.
When: Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Where: Newell-Simon Hall 3305
Title: School of Art Lecture Series — Haegue Yang
The Basics: Artist Haegue Yang will speak about her work. Best known for her site-specific installations, Yang operates in a variety of media including drawing, books, sculpture, film, and photography. Yang’s work has been exhibited in cities including Amsterdam, London, Seoul, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and Los Angeles. Her work "Three Kinds,” currently in Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International, uses everyday objects to construct an intimate, emotionally charged environment.
When: Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Where: Baker Hall A51 (Giant Eagle Auditorium)
Title: James LaPaglia Lecture — “Why Care About Equality?”
The Basics: Larry Temkin, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, will discuss different types of equality and argue in favor of one particular type, Equality as Comparative Fairness. “Although equality is not all that matters, we cannot simply dispense with the ideal of equality if we want to do full justice to all our moral beliefs,” Temkin stated in a press release.
This event is the 2008 James LaPaglia Lecture, an annual distinguished lecture in applied ethics or political philosophy.
The lecture is sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy.
When:Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Margaret Morrison 103 (Breed Hall)
Title: University Lecture Series — “Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized: A New Approach to University Admissions”
The Basics: Robert Sternberg, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, will explain a broader model of human abilities than is used for contemporary admissions assessments. He will show data indicating that the new model can increase the accuracy of predictions of academic performance, decrease ethnic-group differences, and generally consider more characteristics of the applicants in question.
When: Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Baker Hall 136A (Adamson Wing)
Title: Literary and Cultural Studies Colloquium — "Over Ten Million Served"
The Basics Katie Hogan, professor of English and director of women's studies at Carlow University, will discuss the invisibility of acts of service performed by higher education faculty, such as advising, serving on committees, organizing events, and helping with assessments. Hogan argues that this type of service is rarely tracked or considered a key aspect of higher education's level of functionality. Hogan is the author of Over Ten Million Served: Gendered Service in Language and Literature Workplaces, soon to be published by SUNY Press.
When: Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Baker Hall 255B