Colloquia Topics Planned for Spring '99

The events were also designed to support, where possible, the Focus Semester activities, which have the theme, "Change."

The first colloquium, with Jim Nelson, titled "Pennsylvania Forests: 200 Years of Change" was an extremely interesting visual voyage into Pennsylvania and its forests. But Jim touched on aspects of Pennsylvania that would interest anyone: environmental issues, the evolution of industrial technology, Pennsylvania economic development, forestry management, management of deer herds, immigration and ethnic communities, and even communities that surreptitiously started forest fires to make blueberry fields! Even if you don't have a direct interest in the colloquium topic, you will find something that makes it worthwhile to attend.

All colloquia are free and are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. For additional information, please call (570) 320-8036.

January "Pennsylvania Forests: 200 Years of Changes"Jim Nelson; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19; ACC AuditoriumA slide show and discussion of the often-misunderstood impact of forests on state business, economics, and ecology. Nelson is the former director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry.

"Effecting Positive Change: An Insider's View of a Humanitarian Peace Mission to Ukraine"Bruce Huffman; 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28; LEC, RoomA122 Sweeping changes have occurred in the social and political environments of Ukraine, resulting in drastic hardships for its citizens. Can one person or group make a difference? What does it take to make a significant positive change in their lives?

February "Blues, Gospel, and All that Jazz: The Cultural Roots of Rock and Roll"Dr. Jerry Zolten, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2; PDC A multimedia presentation of the African-American roots of rock and roll from the evolution of blues, gospel and jazz.

"Making the Learning Paradigm a Reality" (live teleconference) 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4; ACC AuditoriumFor faculty and staff; offered by PBS Adult Learning and Palomar College

"From Geek to Chic: The Emergence of the Internet Lifestyle"Robin Avni, Microsoft Technical Training, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10; ACC AuditoriumAvni will also have a question-and-answer session with students and faculty in the afternoon.

"Echoes of the Past" Maxine Maxwell; 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16; Penn's Inn A dramatic performance that examines what it is like to be black and female over the last 150 years. (Sponsored by Student Activities)

"Change Your Mind"Dr. Bruce Conforth; 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18; PDCThroughout recorded history people have attempted to understand the nature of the mind. Dr. Conforth will explore the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western approaches to this question and how we can incorporate the best of both worlds into our everyday lives.

Live NASA Teleconference1-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25; ACC Auditorium For university faculty and students, as well as commercial research and development professionals, dealing with the International Space Station's role in scientific research and investment for the next century.

March "Meeting the Challenge of Student Retention" (1999 National Retention Teleconference)1-4 p.m. Thursday, March 18; PDCSpeakers Laura Rendon, Patrick Terenzini and John Gardner will discuss why students leave and ways to encourage their persistence, in addition to highlighting characteristics of dropout-prone students and discussing proven strategies to increase the likelihood of their retention. Produced by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. For faculty and staff.

"Math, Science, and Technology: Important to Women's Success"7 p.m. Thursday, March 18; PDC Linda Benedetto, coordinator of Higher Education's Eisenhower Professional Development Program, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and Dale Hunter, director of Edinboro EQUALS, Edinboro University, will discuss the current situation and the changing role of women in technical careers. The event is free and open to the public.

"Geographic Information Systems: Teaching the New Tools of Technology" Dr. William Sprinsky; 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 23; LEC, Room A122What is the best way to learn new technology as it emerges in your field? In Civil Engineering Technology at Penn College, students learn fundamentals of new technology by applying it to real-world situations learning in context. Geographical Information Systems are becoming a norm for engineering, designing, building activities and even community planning. Students apply fundamental concepts learned in the first sememster and the GIS tool in the second semester to a practical real-world problem that integrates the tool with the concepts. Dr. Sprinsky will talk about the effectiveness of this teaching strategy and its application to learning in other disciplines. The event is free and open to the public.

"Education Tax Provisions for the 1998 Tax Year and the Effect on Financial Aid Decisions for the Future"3:45-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 23; PDC Presenters will be Penn College faculty and staff members: Phil Landers, professor, business administration; Steve Haefner, financial aid specialist; and Dennis Correll, manager of cash management and investments. The speakers will review changes to the tax code for the 1998 tax year, and tell you how its changes could affect financial-aid decisions for your children, grandchildren, other relatives or students. The event is free and open to the public.

"Young Engineers Satellite Forum: Workplace and Career Challenges in the Global Marketplace" (live interactive teleconference) 1-3 p.m. Thursday, March 25; ACC Auditorium Produced byAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, this discussion of the need to develop people and communication skills for career advancement in technical fields is free and open to the public.

"The 'Year 2000' Challenge" 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25; ACC Auditorium Larry Makin, Concurrent Technology Corp,, will conduct an awareness briefing, with an overview of the "Year 2000" problem. Makin will answer questions following his presentation, which is free and open to the public.

April Instruction on the Web: Implications of the New Medium3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 6; ATHS. Room E203Alex Kugushev, publisher of online instructional materials, will discuss the national trends toward online and distance education, the potential of the Web in terms of enhancing learning, and the implications of the new Web medium for instruction, including the changing role of the instructor. Kugushev will demonstrate online the specifics of how these objectives are accomplished, stressing the nature and function of interactive material as the core difference between the new medium and the traditional textbook. Open to all faculty and staff.

"Essential Alternative Dispute Resolution"3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, April 8; CC, Room 253 Layne Russell will talk about alternatives to resolving conflicts and disputes outside of the court system. He'll also talk about how conflict can work to your benefit as an opportunity, rather than a pitfall. This presentation is free and open to the public.

"The Senior Year Experience: Where Dreams and Realities Converge" (live teleconference)1-4 p.m. Friday, April 9; PDCProduced by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina, speakers George Kuh, Linda Bates Parker, Karl Schilling and John Gardner discuss one of the most critical transitions in a successful college experience crossing over into the real world. Open to all faculty and staff.

Are You Digitally Immunized? 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13; ATHS, Room E208 Dr. Asesh Das discusses the who, how, what, when and why concerning computer viruses, their evolution in the computer environment, and the effect on business and society.

"Learning About Learning Communities: Taking Student Learning Seriously" (live teleconference) 1-4 p.m. Monday, April 19; PDC Produced by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina, speakers Jodi Levine, Barbara Leigh Smith, Vincent Tinto and John Gardner, with moderator Carolyn Sawyer, will discuss the many benefits of learning communities, as well as the inherent challenges in designing and maintaining them over time. Open to all faculty and staff.

"'60's Rock When the Music Mattered" Barry Drake; 8 p.m. Monday, April 19; Penn's InnA history of the evolution of rock music in the '60's. (Sponsored by Student Activities)

"Cultural Diversities in the Practice of Medicine"6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, PDC Share in the personal experiences and stories of Dr. Robert Yasui, retired surgeon, Japanese-American; Dr. Nche Zama, cardiothoracic surgeon, Africa; Dr. Rodwan Rajjoub, neurosurgeon, Syria; and Dr. Shailesh Unjia, family practitioner, India.

"The Emerging Alliance of Religion and Ecology"7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21; PDC Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim of the Religion Department at Bucknell University will present a discussion on the necessity for the world's major religions to become involved in environmental issues. This presentation is free and open to the public.