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William M. Fowler, Jr. Distinguished Professor of History, College of Arts & Sciences, Northeastern University "Telling Lives: A Biographer's Journey" Friday, April 4, 2008 - 6:30 - 8:00 pm 240 Egan Research Center, Raytheon Amphitheater Biography is among the most personal of literary expressions, for it deals with the essence of the human experience. Through letters, diaries, journals and personal interviews the biographer attempts to capture and explain a life. Writing biography is part of a fundamental human desire to know the lives of others and through them gain a better understanding of ourselves. It falls upon the biographer to learn all that he can about his subject and those special qualities that give significance to his life. Having written four full length biographies of eminent Americans, including volumes on John Hancock and Samuel Adams, as well as more than 30 brief biographies of historical figures for the multi volume American National Biography, Bill Fowler will reflect upon his personal experiences as a biographer. |
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Dennis Shaughnessy Executive Professor, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University "Microfinancing" Saturday, April 5, 2008 - 9:40 - 10:10 am West Village F, Room 020 Professor Shaughnessy will talk about microcredit and global social entrepreneurship. Microcredit involves the lending of small amounts of money, often less than $100, to women in developing countries to help start, build or expand small businesses. These businesses often enable families to rise out of poverty, and address the health, education and housing problems endemic in the poorest countries of the world. Social enterprise is a small but growing sector of the global economy, in which businesses are built and products and services offered that address social problems such as poverty, disease and illiteracy. Professor Shaughnessy both teaches in the areas of social enterprise and microcredit, and owns and operates a small microfinance and social enterprise fund. |
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Craig Ferris Professor of Psychology, Northeastern University "Pictures of Brain Function - Everything from Motherhood and Cocaine to Violence and Prozac" Saturday, April 5, 2008 - 11:20 am - 12:10 pm West Village F, Room 020 With new animal imaging technology at Northeastern University it is possible to observe drug effects on brain activity across a spectrum of emotionally charged behaviors. Join us to see data from functional MRI studies showing that breast feeding and sexual motivation activate the same brain areas as drugs of addiction. Is motherhood more rewarding than cocaine? See brain images of males as they prepare to attack competitors. New drugs called "serenics" stop their attack by blocking the brain areas organizing and initiating aggression. These advances in animal imaging technology and applications will play an important role in future drug discovery and treatment of central nervous system disorders. Professor Ferris' research focuses on developmental behavioral neuroscience. His interests include the plasticity of the brain and how early emotional and environmental risk factors (such as drug and alcohol abuse) alter social and cognitive behaviors. |
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Andy Jasenak Northeastern University, B.S. '05 "Reflections on My 'Experiential' Education" Saturday, April 5, 2008 - 2:20 - 2:50 am West Village F, Room 020 Andy Jasenak is a graduate of Northeastern University's multimedia studies/music technology program. While an undergraduate, Andy participated in Northeastern's co-op program, where he gained experience in a variety of media-related fields including video editing, music recording, and multimedia production. After graduating, Andy worked for Bose Corporation as an Associate Producer of electronic media. Currently, he is in his final semester of an M.F.A. program in music composition at the California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA. Andy will discuss how his undergraduate and graduate experiences involving music and multimedia have allowed him to progress in both his academic and professional life. Also, how knowledge gained from the classroom has translated into real-world situations, as well as how research has played a role in the music and multimedia projects he been involved with. Samples of Andy's work can be found at www.andyjasenak.com. |
