Eastern Kentucky University is presenting the twentieth year of its Chautauqua Lecture Series beginning next week, Thursday, Sept. 12, with Yale University professor and author, Oswald Schmitz, on the topic of his recent book, "The New Ecology: Rethinking a Science for the Anthropocene." This opening lecture serves as the series’ annual Bruce MacLaren Distinguished Lecture, in honor of the series’ founder, as well as the keynote address for EKU’s Celebration of Science and Mathematics Week.
All EKU Chautauqua events are free and open to the public. Lectures are held at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitlock Building’s O’Donnell Hall.
The 2019-20 Chautauqua Lecture Series at EKU will be devoted to interdisciplinary exploration of the theme, "Balance and Resilience."
Speakers and presenters in this year’s roster include a host of scholars in the fields of environmental science, history, psychology and counselling, politics, philosophy, anthropology and museum studies, and documentary filmmaking. In addition, there will be a national juried art exhibition in January and February of 2020.
“What I love most about the Chautauqua series is the way it connects our students, our faculty and staff, and the community,” said Dr. Erik Liddell, associate professor of comparative humanities and the lecture series coordinator. “It brings everyone together democratically to learn about big ideas, to explore and solve problems and to engage together in lifelong civic learning.”
“As President Teddy Roosevelt once said, ‘Chautauqua is the most American thing in America.’ It’s an honor to be able to host so many leading scholars and important figures in their fields here at EKU and for us all to benefit from their work and their insights,” Liddell added. “I encourage everyone at EKU and in our region to take advantage of this great opportunity.”
For a list of the upcoming speakers, click this link.