Schedule
Location
2015-2016
Community Lecture Series
Free
Lecture
Series
All lectures are held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the
Portage County Library in the Pinery Room
September 15, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Dysfunctional Politics: What Are People Saying About Religion and Politics in the U.S.?
Karin Fry (Philosophy)
October 13, 2015 6:30 p.m.
The Intriguing Life Histories of Mosquitos of Portage County
Jamee Hubbard (Biology)
November 10, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Using Math to Schedule Athletic Conference Seasons
All lectures take place at:
Portage County Library
Pinery Room
1001 Main Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481
715-346-1548
Andy Felt and Students (Mathematical Sciences)
December 8, 2015 6:30 p.m.
The Roots of the Real Christmas Tree
Neil Prendergast (History)
February 9, 2016 6:30 p.m.
Creation of Community at Tomahawk’s Harley Davidson Fall Ride
Lisa Theo(Geography and Geology)
March 8, 2016 6:30 p.m.
Why the World Loves Soccer But Americans Hate It
For more information on the
Community Lecture Series
or to view past lectures, please visit:
College of Letters
and Science
Community
Lecture Series
2015-2016
www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Institution
Tobias Barske (World Languages and Literatures)
April 12, 2016 6:30 p.m.
Problematic Plastics: Effects on Brain and Behavior
Heather Molenda-Figueira (Psychology)
May 10, 2016 6:30 p.m.
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Value of the Model United Nations Experience
Mert Kartal and Students (Political Science)
Sponsored by the
College of Letters and Science
The College-at-the-Core
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www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries
College of Letters and Science
W
The College-at-the-Core
elcome to the Community Lecture Series,
which the College of Letters and Science at
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is proud to
sponsor.
When the college inaugurated the series in 2008,
we did so with the express goal of sharing select
examples of our faculty members’ teaching and
research with the community we are so fortunate to
call home.
The College
of Letters
and Science
is proud of
all its faculty
and staff
members
who
serve the
university
and
community.
The faculty
and
students
presenting
this year are a small sample of the wide array of
expertise and talent embodied in our college.
We cordially invite you to attend one or more of the
lectures this year. Through these lectures, the college
demonstrates its firm commitment to promoting
dialogue and learning in our community.
Sincerely,
2015-2016 Community Lecture Series
Dysfunctional Politics: What Are People
Saying About Religion and Politics in the U.S.?
September 15, 2015 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Karin Fry (Philosophy)
This talk will cover the most common claims about
religion and politics from literature across the
political spectrum. Since few educate themselves
about their opponents’ views, this talk will cover
how much of the political discourse on this topic is
misguided.
The Intriguing Life Histories of Mosquitoes of Portage County
October 13, 2015 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Jamee Hubbard (Biology)
Did you know that Wisconsin is home to more than
50 species of mosquitoes? This talk will discuss the
interesting and diverse lives of these bloodsuckers
and introduce you to some of the many fascinating
species we find in Portage County.
Using Math to Schedule Athletic Conference Seasons
November 10, 2015 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Andy Felt and Students (Mathematical Sciences)
The students of the UW-Stevens Point Center
for Athletic Scheduling use integer linear
programming to create season schedules for
NCAA Division III conferences around the country.
This talk will cover how CAS students express
conference requirements as mathematical
equations in order to find better schedules than
could be created by hand.
The Roots of the Real Christmas Tree
December 8, 2015 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Neil Prendergast (History)
Christopher P. Cirmo, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Letters and Science
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries
A century ago, millions of Americans regarded a
Christmas tree as wasteful. Yet today, Americans
purchase nearly 20 million “real” trees a year. This
talk explains that change as part of Americans’
changing ideas about nature and forests.
All lectures held at the
Portage County Library in the
Pinery Room from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Creation of Community at Tomahawk’s Harley Davidson Fall Ride
February 9, 2016 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Lisa Theo (Geography and Geology)
Tomahawk, Wis., in September is much like the
mythical Scottish village of Brigadoon. For one
week 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts converge on
the 3,400-person city for the Annual Fall Ride. This
presentation focuses on placemaking and the
annual creation of community.
Why the World Loves Soccer But Americans Hate It
March 8, 2016 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Tobias Barske (World Languages and Literatures)
The world loves soccer, but most Americans may
only love to hate it. In fact, Tom Weir once wrote that
“hating soccer is more American than apple pie,
driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons
channel surfing.” This talk will explore the impact
of sport on culture, especially how an American
national identity is constructed through football
against the “other” worldwide football passion,
soccer.
Problematic Plastics: Effects on Brain and Behavior
April 12, 2016 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Heather Molenda-Figueira (Psychology)
There has been much popular press about the
harmful effects of chemicals, such as Bisphenol-A, in
plastic products. This talk will provide a look at how
these hormone disrupting chemicals can alter brain
development as well as behavior.
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Value of the Model United Nations Experience
May 10, 2015 6:30 p.m. at the Portage County Library
Mert Kartal and Students (Political Science)
Every spring students represent UW-Stevens
Point at the National Model United Nations, an
intercollegiate conference held in New York where
more than 5,000 students from around the world
simulate the UN’s proceedings. Meet the next
generation of leaders as they share their experience
with Stevens Point community members.