Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Aberra Tesfay
Date: Saturday, March 3, 2018

As a region, Africa has seen positive economic trends in the last few years, even as the global economy has been mired in a prolonged period of slow growth. Africa has also made significant improvements in democratic governance and political stability as more and more countries experience the peaceful transfer of power and reduced corruption and conflicts. However, challenges abound in both political and economic spheres, including pervasive poverty, rising inequality, fragile democracies, and limited political liberalizations. In this lecture, Dr. Aberra Tesfay, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. Norbert College, will discuss recent political and economic developments in sub-Saharan Africa in light of global trends.

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Angel Saavedra Cisneros
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2018

Latinos continue to grow in numbers and political importance in the United States. As a demographic category that is labeled by the U.S. Census as an ethnicity and not a race, Latinos are unique in the racial realities of the United States. One-size-fits-all explanations and assumptions of homogeneity impede our understanding of this diverse and changing demographic. This lecture will explore some broad realities about Latinos in the United States, including growth and geographic trends as well as political facts and figures. Relying on his recently published book Latino Identity and Political Attitudes: Why Are Latinos Not Republican, Dr. Saavedra Cisneros, Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. Norbert College, will present his theory of Latino Identity and Partisanship and how it relates to past and future political contests.

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Debbie Kupinsky
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2018

The pre-Columbian ceramics of Peru offer a glimpse into the everyday life of an ancient world. This lecture will explore the naturalistic and representational approach of Moche ceramics, the stylized painting of Nazca ceramics, and art and the exploration of environment in Chimu ceramics. Pre-Columbian Peruvians used ceramic works to document their everyday life, social activities, war, metalwork, weaving, and sexual practices. Ceramic works are a historical record of spiritual and social life, and they reflect a sensitivity of form, design, and modeling that sometimes seem at odds with the subjects of sex, childbirth, disease, and human sacrifice. Debbie Kupinsky is currently an assistant professor of sculpture at St. Norbert College. She also maintains a studio in Appleton, WI.

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Gerardo Rodríguez
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2018

Dr. Gerardo Rodríguez will discuss Latina/o theologies, which have their origins in the initial experience of contact and conquest with Spanish colonizers. In this presentation, Rodríguez will cover briefly the experience of Latinas/os, the first Latin American Episcopal Conference after Vatican II, and contemporary reflections on the topic. The dynamics of Latina/o theologies will be considered by reflecting on the significance of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and localized commitments to justice. Gerardo Rodríguez earned his Ph.D. in early Christianity from St. Louis University. He is currently Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College.

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Lucy Arendt
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2018

Dr. Lucy Arendt, Professor of Business Administration at St. Norbert College, considers the many relationships among humor, health, and happiness. Can humor keep us from getting ill or reduce the extent of an illness? Can humor heal us or make us happy? Are happiness and health connected? In her lecture, Dr. Arendt will address these questions. She’ll also discuss why not all types of humor are created equal, and why the kind of humor matters when it comes to health and happiness. At St. Norbert College, Dr. Arendt teaches strategic management, organizational behavior, and leadership.

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Dr. Young-Im Lee

Date: Saturday, March 4, 2017

As of April 2016, 112 women in 73 countries have been elected as presidents or prime ministers of their countries. Women assume 22.8% of the members of parliaments around the world, slightly higher than the share of women in the U.S. Congress. Surprising to many, more than 100 countries use gender quotas to nominate and elect women to the political office. What is the global trend of women’s political representation and how does the U.S. measure up against other countries? What explains the gender gap in politics and how to narrow it? More importantly, do women in politics make a difference?

Sponsored by: Dahl Law Firm and Ross Estate Planning
Lodging Provided by: Homestead Suites
Coffee Service Provided by: Base Camp Coffee Shop

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Dr. Benjamin Chan

Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017

Is there a limit to the amount of moral progress that we, with our hominid brains, can make? Despite the persistence of conflict and suffering, it is hard to deny that humanity has made significant moral progress through the ages. However, what if this is just about the best we can be? Drawing on research in ethics and the sciences, this lecture will explore the limits of moral progress and how technological advances might help us to expand our ethical horizons.

Sponsored by: Dahl Law Firm and Ross Estate Planning
Lodging Provided by: Homestead Suites
Coffee Service Provided by: Base Camp Coffee Shop

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Dr. Luis Navarro-Ayala

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2017

This lecture will focus on the evolution of Cuban art and culture at the end of the 20th century and in the early part of the 21st century.

Sponsored by: Dahl Law Firm and Ross Estate Planning
Lodging Provided by: Homestead Suites
Coffee Service Provided by: Base Camp Coffee Shop

Featured St. Norbert’s College Lecturer: Professor Parisa Meymand

Date: Saturday, January 28, 2017

Identities are found everywhere in the cultural landscape. When identities are placed on maps, they create spaces of belonging for cultural groups – and at times are contested by competing groups/interests. We will illustrate examples of cultural place names from around the globe, with a special focus on “Tehrangeles” – a Persian American ethnic enclave in Los Angeles.

Sponsored by: Dahl Law Firm and Ross Estate Planning
Lodging Provided by: Homestead Suites
Coffee Service Provided by: Base Camp Coffee Shop