Words, Stories, and Pandemics

Lone Star College-Kingwood Professor and author Icess Fernandez will discuss the role of writing and storytelling during pandemics and how the written word is not only a reflection of the times, but reveals what it means to be human.

NEW DATE AND LINK! Tuesday, September 1, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/2CYryU6

False Black Power?

Author and Wall Street Journal Columnist Jason Riley will talk about what the current narrative on racial inequality in America gets wrong.

Tuesday, September 8, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/320LOwU

Math and the Coronavirus (POSTPONED)

Lone Star College-Kingwood mathematics professor Loris Zucca will explore the mathematical modeling behind the spread of COVID-19 and how preventive measures such as mask-wearing and contact-tracing affect its transmission.

Tuesday, September 15, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3kZqIay

Redefining the Immigrant South: South Asians and the Internationalization of Houston

Sam Houston State University Professor Quraishi will discuss the story of South Asian immigration to Houston in the 1960s and 1970s, weaving together foreign relations, class advantage, and race relations to illustrate Houston’s international transformation into one of the world’s great cities.

Tuesday, September 22, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3halQxh

The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism

Author Katherine Stewart reveals the power of the Religious Right. Focusing on some of the movement’s most intriguing leaders and key organizations, Stewart shows how their collective impact can be seen in every aspect of American life, from our courts to our hospitals, the White House to our schools. Tuesday, September 29, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3aB6mj8

You’re Not Trying

At one point or another, most of us have been accused of not trying our hardest, and most of us have leveled similar accusations at others. The topics discussed in this talk by George Sher, Professor of Philosophy at Rice University, include what trying one’s hardest involves, the conditions under which such accusations are true, and the question of how much their truth matters.

Tuesday, October 13, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/326fQiu

The Environment, Policy and You

The decisions we make as individuals have environmental impacts, but our choices are oftentimes constrained and shaped by government policies. This talk, by Daniel J. Sherman, Professor of Environmental Policy and Decision Making at the University of Puget Sound, illustrates the ways that such policies shape our individual and collective environmental impacts, and reflects on the ways that individual actions can influence the adoption of future environmental policies.

Tuesday October 20, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3ha5Jj0

The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America

Author Andrés Reséndez of the University of California-Davis will speak about his award-winning book, The Other Slavery, which addresses a system of bondage that targeted Native Americans, a system that was every bit as terrible, degrading, and vast as African slavery.

Tuesday, October 27, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3h4d9o2

Trees: Value Added and What’s In It for Us?

Inspired by Richard Powers’ book The Overstory, Lone Star College-Kingwood President Katherine Persson will discuss the value of a single tree, modern landscapes, and the concept of continuous wildlife corridors.

Wednesday, October 28, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/3iSTWpO

Believers: Faith in Human Nature

Anthropologist Melvin Konner, M.D., Ph.D., from Emory University answers attacks on faith by some well-meaning scientists and philosophers. An Orthodox Jew who has lived his adult life without such faith, Konner explores the psychology, development, brain science, evolution, and even genetics of the varied religious impulses we experience as a species.*

Tuesday, November 10, 7:00pm, https://bit.ly/2Yd9QDQ