Lectures

Watch videos of Carole Bucy, professor of history at Volunteer State Community College, teaching classes on “Religious History of the U.S. from the Earliest European Settlements to the Present” as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. You need flash to play this video. Diversity has long been one of… Read More

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt supports lifelong learning. Watch the Spring 2011 professors describe the upcoming classes. Osher is an organization that provides adults with educational programs, stimulating tours and trips, and a variety of social events. The program reflects the high academic standards espoused by the university… Read More

Watch video of the talk, “Why the Confederacy Lost: The Experiences of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.” Joseph Glatthaar, the Stephenson Distinguished Professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spoke Feb. 8, 2011, as part of a College of Arts and Science-sponsored series… Read More

Watch video of the Feb. 10, 2011, Black Atlantic Lecture. Mamadou Diouf (African Studies, Columbia University) and Toyin Falola (history, University of Texas at Austin) present “Historicizing the Black Atlantic, Comparative Colonialism, and Transnational Citizenship.” The event is moderated by Moses Ochonu, assistant professor of history, and is co-sponsored by… Read More

Watch video of the Feb. 3, 2011, class, “What Does A Conductor Actually Do?” Giancarlo Guerrero leads a penetrating and intimate exploration of the role and responsibilities of the symphonic conductor. Through the use of personal stories, DVDs, recordings and demonstration, class participants learn firsthand the actual components of the… Read More

Watch video of the Feb. 2, 2011 Thinking Out of the Lunch Box event, “What Is the Meaning of the American Civil War on Its 150th Anniversary?” featuring Michael Kreyling, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, and Richard Blackett, Andrew Jackson Professor of History. Robert Penn Warren wrote his book The Legacy of… Read More

Stanley Harrold, a Civil War historian at South Carolina State University, spoke Jan. 27, 2011, on “Abolitionism and the Coming of the Civil War.” Harrold has done extensive research on the complex dynamics leading to the Civil War. His most recent book, “Border War,” was published November 2010 by the… Read More

Watch the Jan. 27, 2011, talk “String Things,” part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Mitchell Korn leads a participatory and in-depth exploration of orchestral string instruments: their construction; sound production; techniques and histories. Audience members try out various instruments and directly participate in the joys, frustrations and challenges of… Read More

Watch video of the class “Symphony 101,” held Jan. 20, 2011. Giancarlo Guerrero, music director and conductor of the Nashville Symphony, leads an engaging and invigorating discussion about the elements and structure of the music of the symphony orchestra. What is a symphony? Maestro Guerrero will dissect the symphonic form… Read More

Watch video of the Jan. 13, 2011, class “The Musician’s World.” Mitchell Korn explores the mind set, culture, training, daily preparation and perspectives of the symphonic musician. Audience members learn about rehearsal regiments, the role of the musician’s teacher(s); the complexity of musical and intellectual tasks; and the challenges of… Read More

Watch videos of the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. events: Jan. 17 Keynote Event featuring the Vanderbilt gospel choir Voices of Praise; winners of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s MLK Essay and Oratorical contest; and the keynote address by Civil Rights leader and former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond. Jan. Read More

Muslim and Christian scholars discuss the biblical Mary from the perspective of both traditions at this Dec. 11 forum. Mary (in the Christian tradition) or Maryam (the Muslim tradition) – the mother of Jesus – is mentioned more in the Qur’an than the New Testament. During the interfaith panel discussion, scholars… Read More

David Weinberger, a noted expert on the increasing impact of technology on business and society, spoke at Vanderbilt University Dec. 6, 2010. Weinberger is the author of The Cluetrain Manifesto and Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder. Weinberger is also an NPR commentator, technology columnist, weblogging… Read More

Watch video of Mike Vandenbergh, professor of law and director, Climate Change Research Network; Michael Bess, Chancellor’s Professor of History; and Beth Conklin, associate professor of anthropology, speaking at the Dec. 8, 2010, Thinking Out of the (Lunch) Box. The financial crisis and difficult economic times have shifted the cultural spotlight away from global… Read More

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt supports lifelong learning. Watch the Winter 2011 professors describe the upcoming classes. Osher is an organization that provides adults with educational programs, stimulating tours and trips, and a variety of social events. The program reflects the high academic standards espoused by the university… Read More

Guerillas belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt as she campaigned for the Colombian presidency in 2002. She was held captive six years in Colombia’s rain forest until she was liberated in  2008 with 14 other hostages in a daring rescue staged by… Read More

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer came to Vanderbilt Law School on Nov. 16 to help demystify the workings of the Supreme Court and talk about themes in his newly released book, Making Our Democracy Work, A Judge’s View. Breyer has been a Supreme Court associate justice since 1994. He was… Read More

Gustavo Gutiérrez, author of A Theology of Liberation; History, Politics, Salvation and other ground-breaking works on issues of spirituality and Latin American history, spoke on the Vanderbilt University campus Nov. 8, 2010. Gutiérrez’s address, “Liberation Theology: 40 Years Later,” was sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, which… Read More

Watch video of Paul Silvia speaking about “Motivation, Creativity, and (Not) Writing,” Nov. 4 at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. Silvia, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is the author of How to Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive… Read More

Assistant Professor of Art Amelia Winger-Bearskin started out as a performer for opera, dance and theatrical performances in film and stage before becoming an artist. She still draws much of her inspiration for her artwork from the world she experienced “behind the scenes.” Winger-Bearskin will literally teach the audience how to… Read More