Naomi Klein opens the Assembly Series' Spring 2009 Schedule

Jan. 22, 2009 -- Outstanding speakers covering the subjects of science, entrepreneurship, film, and mathematics, to name a few, will take center stage during the Spring 2009 Assembly Series schedule.

The programs will be presented in a variety of venues and in various times, instead of the traditional Wednesdays at 11 a.m. slot, although there are a few scheduled at that day and time. For more information about individual events, please visit the Assembly Series Web site at http://assemblyseries.wustl.edu or call 314-935-5285. All programs are free and open to the public.

Klein

Kicking off the spring series is the annual Chancellor's Fellowship Lecture featuring Naomi Klein, at 11 a.m., Wednesday, January 28, in Graham Chapel. Her talk is on "The Present and Future of Capitalism."

In her columns and best-selling books, Klein writes about global social ills, such as the detrimental effects of brand-oriented consumerism and unconstrained free market capitalism. In her third and most recent book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, she challenges the ideology espoused by Milton Friedman and his followers that free market policies create democratic nations. Rather, she sees free market capitalism as the opposite, creating economic opportunists who use misery and disasters to push through economic policies that benefit themselves, not the people.

In addition to authoring books, Klein writes a syndicated column for The Nation and The Guardian, distributed internationally by The New York Times Syndicate. Her 2004 article for Harper's Magazine on the Iraq war won the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism. The documentary she co-produced with Avi Lewis called "The Take," reporting on Argentina's occupied factories, won the Best Documentary Jury Prize at the American Film Institute's Film Festival.

The panel discussion scheduled from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Women's Building Lounge will continue to explore the issues Klein will raise in the lecture.

Spring 2009 schedule

Maxine Clark, 5 p.m., Thursday, February 5. Graham Chapel

In 1997, Clark turned a unique concept into a multi-million dollar success. The founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop updated the traditional Teddy Bear and made it interactive. In just over 11 years, she has grown the business from one store to more than 400 worldwide. She will field questions on the role of entrepreneurship in the current economy, and announce the winner of the 2008 Olin Cup. The Olin Cup is a business formation competition sponsored by the University's Skandalaris Center and the Olin Business School, in addition to a number of off-campus sponsors.

Lee

Lela Lee, 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 11. Graham Chapel

Through her cartoons, short films, and Web comic series, Lee has found creative outlets for expressing her feelings as a minority in America. Lee also is an actress, and has appeared on television hits such as Scrubs. Her talk, called "My Culture Is Pop Culture," is sponsored by the Asian American Association.

Janice Radway, noon, Tuesday, February 17. Women's Building Lounge

"Zines, Half-lives, and Afterlives: On the Temporalities of Social and Political Change"

Radway is known as a cultural historian and literary scholar who examines the art as well as the act of reading. Her books, Reading the Romance, and A Feeling for Books, look at the excitements and satisfactions of "middlebrow" reading.

Radway is one of three speakers for this year's Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities (IPH) Lecture Series: Lynne Tatlock, Ph.D., the Hortense and Tobias Lewin Distinguished Professor in the Humanities in Germanic Languages and Literatures, will give a talk at noon on February 18; and Miriam Bailin, Ph.D., associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in English, both in Arts & Sciences, will close the IPH series at 11 a.m. on February 20 in the Women's Building Lounge.

Jonathan Schaeffer, 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 18. Steinberg Auditorium

Schaeffer is a computer scientist who created the Chinook Project, the 18-year project to build a computer program capable of winning the human World Checkers Championship. In his William C. Ferguson Lecture, "Computer (and Human) Perfection at Checkers," he will discuss the interplay between people and technology—the story of man versus machine -- for supremacy at Checkers.

The Legacy of George Washington, 6 p.m., Wednesday, February 18. Women's Building Lounge

To commemorate the anniversary of George Washington's 277th birthday, Washington University scholars will examine the legend versus the real man, and consider whether the philosophical and moral ambiguities he wrestled with during his lifetime have modern connotations. Panelists are David Konig, Ph.D., professor of history in Arts & Sciences and professor of law in the School of Law; and Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in political science in Arts & Sciences.

A Discussion about Race, 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 25, location to be announced

In January, several sponsors brought the Human Race Machine to campus, with the hope of creating a new way of discussing race. Members of the sponsoring groups will converge for an informal discussion.

Paul Alivisatos, 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 4. Graham Chapel

Nanoscience and its applications will play a major role in future scientific and medical breakthroughs, and for the past two decades, Alivisatos has been at the forefront of this revolution. In his talk for the Arthur Holly Compton Lecture, he will describe his work and the promise it holds for creating new imaging tools.

NO LECTURE DURING SPRING BREAK (March 9 - 13)

To be announced: Week of March 16

Robert Osserman, 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 25. Steinberg Auditorium

The St. Louis Gateway Arch is not only a monumental architectural structure, it's also a mathematical marvel. Osserman, a distinguished mathematician, will explore the concepts involved in the Arch's design. (Note: An exhibition, "Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future," is at the Kemper Art Museum January 30 and runs through April 27.)

Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock, 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 1. Graham Chapel

For filmmaker Spurlock, "keeping it real" is more than just a phrase - it's a philosophy that drives him to write, direct and star in his documentaries. He gained fame in 2005 with the Oscar-nominated "Super Size Me," an indictment of Americans' unhealthy eating habits. His film, "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?" was released in 2008. This presentation is being sponsored by Congress of the South 40.

To be announced: Week of April 6

Theresa Wilson, 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 15. Graham Chapel

Wilson is leading thousands of women in some of the poorest countries out of poverty with her non-profit organization. The concept, connecting basket weavers directly with consumers, translates a simple purchase into one that makes a big impact. The Women's Society of Washington University Adele Starbird Lecture, "Making a Purchase that Makes a Difference: The Blessing Basket Project," will close the Spring 2009 Assembly Series.