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Reflecting on My Parents’ Holocaust Journeys: Finding Forgiveness and Celebrating My Family's Legacy
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Dr. Alex Kor's late parents, Michael and Eva Mozes Kor, each survived concentration camps during the Holocaust; Eva and her twin sister were victims of Jose Mengele's experiments. Kor will highlight his parents' incredible journeys in the decades after. He will share how Michael and Eva's sense of humor helped them lead happy and productive lives out of the shadow of the Holocaust. For anyone who may be struggling with day-to-day challenges, Kor believes that learning how his parents persevered will provide a perspective to help others. Kor traveled to Auschwitz more than 20 times with his late mother. He is a member of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center Board of Directors. Kor assisted in establishing the exhibit “Eva Kor from Auschwitz to Indiana” at the Indiana Historical Society to honor his mother. Kor's book, A Blessing, Not a Burden: My Parents' Remarkable Holocaust Story & My Fight to Keep Their Legacy Alive, offers a thorough account of his parents' extraordinary lives and their positive impact on him.Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, Dr. Alex Kor a bachelor's degree B.S. in Chemistry from Butler University and a masters in science in Exercise Physiology from Purdue University. He earned his D.P.M. from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Kor is a full-time podiatrist for Hendricks Regional Health in Danville, Indiana, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor for Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Will Wilson and the Critical Indigenous Photographic Exchange Series
5:30 PM – Brunnier Art Museum, 295 Scheman Building - As an Indigenous artist working with both historic and contemporary processes in photography, Will Wilson (Diné) is endeavoring to recreate a contemporary vision of Native North America. Historically, Edward S. Curtis and other early Euro-Americans used photography as a method of recording the disappearing Native population, which led to the image of Native Americans as frozen in time. Through the Critical Indigenous Photographic Exchange series, Wilson is radically altering this static image and engaging with his sitters in the creation of their own contemporary representations.Note: This lecture will not be recorded.

Civic Engagement in Diverse Latinx Communities: Learning from Social Justice Partnerships in Action
7:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Dr. Mari Castañeda will discuss approaches to university-community partnerships within Latinx communities. Such partnerships highlight the importance of developing collaborative higher education pedagogies that recognize Latina/o/x communities as specific sites of creative and dynamic civic engagement. The lecture will provide a context to explore community-university projects that bring together faculty, students and local community partners in efforts to learn from and bear witness to the lived experiences and cultural wealth of Latine communities in the United States.Dr. Castañeda is the dean of Commonwealth Honors College and professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is the recipient of the UMass System President’s Public Service Award, the Antonia Pantoja Award for community-engaged scholarship, and the UMass Amherst Distinguished Academic Outreach Award. Dr. Castañeda's fields of study include civic and community engagement, cultures of care in academia, global communications, and Latina media/cultural production. 

The Wall and the Bridge: Fear and Opportunity in Disruption’s Wake
5:30 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - IW Arthur LectureFree-market economists often have noted that there are winners and losers in a competitive capitalist world. The question of how to deal with the difficult real-life consequences faced by the losers, however, has largely been ignored. Populist politicians have tried repeatedly to address the issue by creating walls—of both the physical and economic kinds—to insulate communities and keep competition at bay. While recognizing the broad emotional appeal of walls, economist Glenn Hubbard argues that because they delay needed adaptations to the ever-changing world, walls are essentially backward-looking and ultimately destined to fail. Taking Adam Smith’s logic to Youngstown, Ohio, as a case study in economic disruption, Hubbard promotes the benefits of an open economy and creating bridges to support people in turbulent times so that they remain engaged and prepared to participate in, and reap the rewards of, a new economic landscape. Hubbard is the director of the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business at Columbia Business School. Hubbard is a specialist in public economics, managerial information and incentive problems in corporate finance, and financial markets and institutions. He has written more than 100 articles and books on corporate finance, investment decisions, banking, energy economics and public policy, including two textbooks, and has authored The Wall and the Bridge and coauthored Balance; The Aid Trap; and Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise. The Economics Department has arranged a livestream of this lecture, available here.

Incorporating and Engaging Native Histories on Public Lands
6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Many concepts of Manifest Destiny and the American West continue to permeate non-native communities across the Midwest. As a result, Native American historical interpretations and perspectives are often purposely left out or forgotten. As public history becomes more professionalized and part of the local community, Native peoples are finding new opportunities and benefits to return to their traditional homelands and share their own histories. Not only are Native peoples able to directly share their own history within the non-native community, but also influence the non-native institutions and communities to remedy the past to heal and unravel cultural trauma.Historian Broc Anderson builds upon the work of other historians by exploring the social, economic, and political relationships between the Lakota from Pine Ridge and non-natives in northwest Nebraska during the late nineteenth century.   Anderson is the director of Historic Sites for the Nebraska State Historical Society. He graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor degree in social science education and received a master's in History from the University of Nebraska, Kearney.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

The Next Pandemic Could Strike at Any Time: Are We Prepared?
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Spring 2025 LAS Dean's Distinguished LectureAssociate Professor of Mathematics Claus Kadelka will discuss how refined infectious disease models can better predict and mitigate future outbreaks, bridging a variety of disciplines from mathematics and statistics to sociology, biology, and public health. Using compelling examples from his extensive research, Kadelka will demonstrate how multi-disciplinary insights can lead to more accurate, real-world epidemic models and ultimately guide effective public health interventions. He became passionate about this work because it merges his deep interest in mathematical biology with a commitment to safeguarding community health, ensuring that both scientific innovation and public welfare move forward together.Kadelka received both his masters and doctorate in mathematics from Virginia Tech, and he has been at Iowa State University since 2018.The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is offering a livestream of this lecture, available here. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Vietnam 50 Years Later: Insurgency, Genocide, Dissent & Peace Through Agriculture
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Ambassador Kenneth Quinn is a distinguished diplomat and humanitarian. He served as the 10th United States Ambassador to Cambodia from 1995 to 1999 under President Bill Clinton. Before his ambassadorship, he had a 32-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, including roles such as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and a member of the National Security Council staff at the White House.Quinn is widely recognized for his work in Southeast Asia, particularly his efforts to combat the genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge. He is fluent in Vietnamese and served as an interpreter for President Gerald Ford. His contributions to international relations and humanitarian efforts have earned him numerous awards, including the State Department's Award for Heroism and Valor.During the Vietnam War, Ambassador Quinn served as a Foreign Service Officer in South Vietnam from 1968 to 1974. His assignments included leading combat missions, such as midnight ambushes and helicopter rescues, and spearheading the campaign to "win hearts and minds." He was the only civilian during the Vietnam War to earn the U.S. Army Air Medal for his bravery and service,After retiring from the State Department, Quinn became the President of the World Food Prize Foundation, where he led the organization for 20 years, transforming it into a prestigious global award often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture". Under his leadership, the foundation raised over $30 million to restore the historic Des Moines Public Library, now known as the World Food Prize Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates.Ambassador Quinn retired from the World Food Prize Foundation in 2020 but continues to be involved as a special consultant. His dedication to improving global food security and his extensive diplomatic career have left a lasting impact on both the international community and humanitarian efforts. In conversation with Ambassador Quinn is Amy J. Rutenberg, associate professor of History at Iowa State, specializing in U.S. History at the intersection of war, gender, activism, and civil-military relations. She is the author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance (Cornell University Press, 2019). Her current book project, tentatively titled Mission and Condition, explores the relationship between peace activists and manpower in the era of the all-volunteer force. Her work has appeared in Cold War History, The New York Times, and The Atlantic.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

EVENT CANCELED - One Way Back
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. Christine Blasey Ford is a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a clinical professor and consulting biostatistician at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Time magazine included Ford on its shortlist for Person of the Year in 2018. In 2019, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in Time  100, nominated by then-Senator Kamala Harris. In 2019, she won the inaugural Christine Blasey Ford Woman of Courage Award, and the ACLU's Roger Baldwin Courage Award.This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.

Hearing the Will of the People in the Vote: The Mathematics of Quantifying Gerrymandering
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - The Miller Family Endowed Mathematics Lecture SeriesThe U.S. political system requires redrawing districts every 10 years based on the census, often manipulated for partisan gain through gerrymandering. Identifying and understanding gerrymandering involves questions of fairness, proportional representation, and geopolitical influences. Jonathan Mattingly, a professor at Duke University, focuses his research on gerrymandering's implications on fairness and representation. Mattingly has a PhD in applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University. In 2019 he was named a James B. Duke Professor of Mathematics and a Professor of Statistical Science. In 2023 he was named the Kimberly J. Jenkins Distinguished University Professor of New Technologies.This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.The Memorial Union parking ramp entrance is located on the southeast side of the Memorial Union, adjacent to Lincoln Way. After parking in the ramp, enter the building from any level through the stairwell or elevator in the northeast corner of the ramp. Navigate to building level 2 and follow the cardinal and gold wayfinding signage along Floor 2 to the Sun Room. Before leaving the building after the event, pay for parking at the pay station found on Floor 2, then take the elevator or stairs to your parking level.

Sustainability in Ames and the Climate Action Plan
6:00 PM – Garden Room, Reiman Gardens - Over the past several years, the City of Ames responded to climate changes by setting a target for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and rethinking how the city supports community and energy needs responsibly. The city's Sustainability Coordinator Nolan Sagan will share information about the plan, sustainability efforts in Ames, and resources for citizens and businesses about reducing GHG's and/or addressing climate impact.Note: This event will not be recorded.