Controversial Conversations Occurring at Clark University

Friday, March 09, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Clark University will be hosting a series of speakers and seminars over the next several weeks that will delve into topics from the environment and renewable energy to war and genocide. The series is designed to get students talking and defying conventional wisdom. Here is a list of the events, which are free and open to the public.

Sustainable Leader Speaker Series
Bob Pojasek, Professor, Havard University; Sustainability Leader at the Shaw Group
Thursday, March 15th from 6-7:30 p.m. in Carlson Hall, Room 128.

Professor Pojasek discusses pollution and the possibilities for cleaner production in the future.

Sustainable Leader Speaker Series
Mike Ortolano, Founder and CEO, Absolute Green Energy
Thursday, March 22nd from 6-7:30 p.m. in Carlson Hall, Room 128.

Mr. Ortolano discusses the present and future of “Green Energy” in America.

“Causes and Consequences of Ocean Acidification”
Christina McGraw, Assistant Professor, Clark University.
Thursday March 22nd from 12:15-1:15 p.m. inside the Higgins University Center. Conference Room 1.

Professor McGraw discusses her work on the local effects of ocean acidification.

“Torture and Enhanced Interrogation: Revisiting the Debate”
Christopher Tollefsen, Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina.
Thursday March 22nd at 4:30 p.m. in the Dana Commons’ 2nd Floor Lounge.

Professor Tollefsen makes the case that “enhanced interrogation” is never morally justifiable, even if it leads to information regarding someone like Osama bin Laden.

Kevin Knobloch

“Science and Democracy in Turmoil: The Fracturing of a Great American Relationship”
Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Tuesday, March 27th from 4-5:30 p.m. in Tilton Hall on the 2nd Floor of the Higgins University Center.

Knobloch discusses the relationship between modern science and contemporary American politics, and why he is less than optimistic about the future.

“Novel Histories: British Women Writing History, 1760-1830”
Lisa Kasmer, Associate Professor of English, Clark University.
Thursday, March 29th from 6:30-8 p.m. inside the Gale Free Library, 23 Highland St. Holden.

Professor Kasmer discusses how the writings of British women in the late 18th and early 19th century increased the political significance of female writing.

“Second International Graduate Students’ Conference on Holocaust and Genocide Studies”
Thursday, March 29th-Sunday, April 1 throughout Clark’s campus.

The Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies presents the conference, which aims to bring together scholars from several disciplines to discuss the causes and ramifications of genocide.

Omer Bartov

“War and Genocide: The Holocaust as a War Goal or an Obstacle to Victory”
Omer Bartov, Professor of European History, Brown University.
Thursday, March 29th at 7:30 p.m. inside Tilton Hall on the 2nd Floor of the Higgins University Center.

Professor Bartov discusses the Holocaust from the perspective of both the German Army and Jewish German citizens.

“Bankruptcy, Bonds and the Alleged Legacy of the Zodiac Killer: The Implications of Vallejo’s Fiscal Hypochondria”
Mark Davidson, Assistant Professor Clark University School of Geography.
Thursday, April 5th from 12:15-1:15 p.m. in the Lurie Conference Room on the 1st Floor of the Higgins University Center.

Professor Davidson speaks and answers questions about the practices of American cities operating on mostly borrowed money and debt financing.

M. Steven Fish

“Islam and Democracy: A Look at the Evidence”
M. Steven Fish, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley.
Wednesday, Aprill 11th at 7 p.m. inside Tilton Hall on the 2nd Floor of the Higgins University Center.

Professor Fish discusses the interaction between the Islamic Faith and democratic principles in the modern world.

“The Omnivore’s Distraction: Locavorism, Capitalism, and the Politics of Killing Animals”
John Sanbonmatsu, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Tuesday, April 17th at 4:30 p.m. inside the Lasry Center for Bioscience, Room 237.

Professor Sanbonmatsu discusses the merits of consuming locally grown organic products, both economic and ethical.