Athletics

Penn State faculty to kick off home football lecture series Sept. 4

Before beginning their renowned tailgating, Penn State football fans can feed their minds at “Huddle with the Faculty,” the Alumni Association’s free lecture series before all home football games. This season’s topics range from the role of a theatre director to threats from emerging diseases to a tour of the universe in astronomy 101.

“Huddle with the Faculty” will kick off Sept. 4 at The Nittany Lion Inn with a presentation by Susan H. Schulman, professor of theatre and head of the Graduate Directing Program, who will pull back the curtain to show just what a director does and how a director works his or her magic in a presentation called "Raise the Curtain: What Does A Director Do?" The event starts with a free continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The presentation begins at 9 a.m. and will include a short film on directing, personal stories and anecdotes, and a hands-on demonstration of directing skills featuring theatre students.

The rest of this season’s "Huddle with the Faculty" lineup is:

-- Sept. 18 (Kent State): “Global Health: From Helping to Sharing,” Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, professor and head of the Department of Biobehavioral Health, 9 a.m.;

-- Sept. 25 (Temple): “Expecting the Unexpected: Threats from Emerging Diseases,” Peter Hudson, director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the Willaman professor of biology and founding director of the Penn State Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, time TBA;

-- Oct. 9 (Illinois): “Black Diamond, Black Gold and Black Shale: Pennsylvania’s Energy Landscape,” Rudy Slingerland ’77g, professor of geosciences and associate of Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, 9 a.m.;

-- Oct. 30 (Michigan): “Hot Topics in Sports Medicine,” Douglas F. Aukerman, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics team physician, associate professor in the Penn State College of Medicine and director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, 10 a.m.;

-- Nov. 6 (Northwestern): “A Whirlwind Tour of the Universe: Astronomy 101," Jane Charlton, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and director of AstroFest, time TBA;

-- Nov. 27 (Michigan State): “A Lark in the Parks: Communicating the Joy of Science in a YouTube World,” Richard Alley, Evan Pugh professor of geosciences, associate of Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, time TBA.

The start time for the one-hour “Huddle with the Faculty” on each home football Saturday is 9 a.m., but is pushed back to 10 a.m. when the football game kicks off later than 3 p.m. Each “Huddle with the Faculty” also features a complimentary continental breakfast beginning one-half hour before the lecture start time and free parking at the Nittany Parking Deck, adjacent to The Nittany Lion Inn.

“Huddle with the Faculty” is sponsored and organized by the Penn State Alumni Association and co-sponsored by The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn State Press. For more detailed descriptions of each “Huddle with the Faculty” and specific start times go to http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/ or call the Alumni Association at 800-548-LION (5466).

Last Updated August 26, 2010

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