Faculty experts from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point will discuss a wide variety of topics, such politics in light of climate
change and the culture of Portage County’s Hmong residents, in a public lecture
series offered in the coming academic year.
The College of Letters and Science Community Lecture
Series will be held on select Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Pinery Room at the
Portage County Public Library, 1001 Main St., Stevens Point. The public is
invited to attend free of charge.
The first of eight lectures, “I Foresee All Sorts of
Unforeseen Problems: Climates and Constitutions” will be held Tuesday,
September 10, presented by Brad Mapes-Martins, professor of political science
at UW-Stevens Point.
"Climate
change poses unique political challenges because it crosses borders, impacts
many generations and requires the cooperation of large populations represented
by many types of government,” said Mapes-Martins. “By looking at how the U.S.
political system shapes responses to climate change, we are also able to see
how climate change is straining that system."
Mapes-Martins
came to UW-Stevens Point in 2008 and has taught Introduction to Political
Theory, Environmental Policy and Introduction to American Politics.
The Community
Lecture Series schedule also includes:
- Oct. 8 – Plant Envy: Attempting to
Understand and Replicate the Chemistry of Photosynthesis, Nate Bowling,
Department of Chemistry
- Nov. 12 – Starbucks, iPads and French
Literature, Vera Klekovkina, Department of Foreign Languages
- Dec. 10 – From Saint Nick to Santa Claus:
A Christmas History, Shanny Luft, Department of Philosophy
- Feb. 11, 2014 – Ultra-Sensitive Magnetic
Microscopy of Individual Nanomagnets, Palash Banerjee, Department of
Physics and Astronomy
- March 11, 2014 – When is Guilt Actually
Good for the Environment?, Mark Ferguson, Department of Psychology
- April 8, 2014 – Importance of Indigenous
Languages: Ojibwa and Runasimi (Qeuchua), Elia Armacanqui-Tipacti, Department of
Foreign Languages, and Sonny Smart, Department of Sociology and Social Work
- May 6, 2014 – Finding the Middle Way: The
Hmong People of Portage County, Tori Jennings, Department of Philosophy,
and Maysee Herr, School of Education