October 2017 Program Schedule

October 3  – “What Does Comparative Politics Tell Us about the Structure of the US and the Current Presidential Election, American Institutions vs. Other Global Institutions?”

Dr. Melissa Rogers will talk about political parties, their candidates, and the global rise of right wing populism. Dr. Rogers is a specialist in comparative politics, regional inequality around the world, Latin American politics, and comparative political institutions. She received a Ph.D. in political science from UC San Diego. She is an assistant professor at the Department of Politics and Policy School of Politics and Economics, Claremont Graduate University.

Introduction: Art Parker
Fellowship: Gene Smith
Greeters: Doug MacKenzie and Larry Wicksted

October 10 –“Global Transition, East-West Challenges, Challenge of China and Future of NATO”

Recently East-West challenges dormant since the collapse of the USSR in 1989 have come to the forefront of international politics. Dr. Kugler will speak about the global and regional implications that emerge with the Power Transition perspective vs. the Realist perspective presently adopted by the Trump administration, and how policy decisions can affect future peace and stability. Dr. Kugler is the Elisabeth Helm Rosecrans Professor of International Relations at the Department of Politics and Policy, School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University.  He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and M.A. and B.A. degrees in political science from UCLA. Prior to CGU, Dr. Kugler held positions at Vanderbilt University, Boston University, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan. He is involved with many profession associations, and has consulted for UNAIDS, IMF, the State Department, and private businesses.

Introduction: Mel Boynton
Fellowship: John Reid
Greeters: Pat Kelly and Art Parker

October 17 – “The Art Museum Today and in the Future”

From Claremont to mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles, there is a museum boom. How do new or expanded museums reflect the broader role of museums in the 21st century? Dr. Kathleen Stewart Howe will discuss the present and future state of the museum. Dr. Howe is the Sarah Rempel and Herbert S. Rempel Director of the Pomona College Museum of Art and professor of art history. She teaches courses on the history of museums and the current critical discourse around museums. Her academic specialty is the history of photography. She received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of New Mexico. She has curated over 100 exhibitions, including at Pomona College, the Getty Villa, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the University of New Mexico, and has written many academic publications.

Introduction: Bob Smith
Fellowship: Gail Sparks
Greeter: Milt Wilson

October 24 – “Broadening Participation in Computing”

Computing is one of the least diverse disciplines in science and engineering in terms of participation by women, African-Americans and Hispanics, and the only discipline where participation by women has significantly decreased over the last three decades. While our discipline does well in encouraging members of underrepresented groups to go on to graduate programs, we have been less successful in attracting members of these groups into undergraduate programs. This talk discusses successful strategies for significantly increasing the number of women and students of color majoring in computer science. Dr. Maria Klawe began her tenure as Harvey Mudd College’s fifth – and first female – president in 2006. A renowned computer scientist and scholar, prior to joining Harvey Mudd, she held academic and administrative positions at Princeton University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto. She also spent eight years with IBM Research in California. Dr. Klawe received her PhD and BSc in mathematics from the University of Alberta.

ntroduction: Tom Helliwell
Fellowship: Michael Fay
Greeters: Sam Mansour and Bob Knell

October 31  – “Witchcraft Trials in Colonial Connecticut”

Speaker – Anne Sonner

Witches are fun for Halloween today, but witchcraft accusations and trials were a real and serious thing back in colonial New England (and in other parts of the world). While doing genealogy research on her ancestors from Fairfield, Connecticut, Anne discovered many of them had been involved in Fairfield’s three witch trials in the 1600s. This program also includes info on the well known Salem witch trials. Why did the colonial witch trials happen? No single reason explains everything and, amazingly, over 300 years later people are still writing about them. Anne is a University Club member and a graduate of Pitzer College. She does freelance writing, gives talks on quilting, genealogy and American history, and is the editor/writer of the Glendora Genealogy Group newsletter.

Introduction: David Sonner
Fellowship: David Sonner
Greeter: Anne Sonner
Birthdays: Maria Carlson