Commencement & Reunion Forums - Saturday, May 25, 2013
This series of academic colloquia, led by faculty, alumni, and distinguished guests, is an integral part of this festive weekend –- creating an ongoing educational link with the University. Explore the breadth of experience and knowledge of the Brown community as members share their expertise on topics of widespread interest.
2013 forum listings will continue to be updated as new information is available. A full listing of forums will be available on campus in the brochure listing the weekend's schedule of events.
Alumni Reunion Forums: 11:00 am and 3:30 pm
Commencement Forums: 9 am, 11:00 am, and 12:30 pm
Medical School Forums: 9 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm
9 AM
Commencement Forum – The Democratization of Robots in our Workplaces and Homes
Sponsored by Maurice and Yetta Glicksman
Rodney Brooks, Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus), MIT; founder and chief technology officer of Rethink Robotics; co-founder, iRobot
In recent years, demographic changes and aspirations for more interesting jobs have led people to look increasingly to robots to take over the dull and repetitive activities that permeate their everyday lives, and permit our society to exist as it is. New robots have intuitive user interfaces that let ordinary people teach them to do simple tasks and control them. These robots are beginning to appear in our homes, our medical facilities, and our factories. The democratization of robots is just beginning, and it promises to have a greater impact than the democratization of computation and information technology that began some 30 years ago.
>Salomon Center for Teaching, Room 001
Commencement Forum – Postcards from Other Planets
James W. Head III, Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences
Travel to the mountains of the Moon with Apollo 15, see the invisible lunar interior with GRAIL spacecraft gravity data, cross the floor of Gale Crater on Mars with the Curiosity rover, and join Brown planetary geoscientists as they explore the Mars-like Antarctic Dry Valleys for months at a time. Professor Head will take you on all of these exciting voyages with the help of the new Digital Scholarship Lab of the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
>John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab
11 AM
Commencement Forum – Race, Slavery, and Contemporary American Life
Anthony Bogues, Director, Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice, Harmon Family Professor Africana Studies | Glenn Loury, Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences | Seth Rockman, associate professor of history
This panel will examine the ways in which race and slavery shaped both early America and contemporary American life. Panelists will also discuss the work of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University.
>Nightingale Brown House, Music Room
Commencement Forum – Exhibiting Culture
Kevin P. Smith, deputy director and chief curator, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology | Thierry Gentis, curator, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology | Anna Links, Alexandra Goodman, and Emily McCartan, graduate students in public humanities
Meet with curators and students of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology in the Museum’s galleries to learn the ins and outs of exhibits curated by Brown students, faculty, and staff. In our CultureLab, experience an up-close and hands-on exploration of select objects from our collections.
>Haffenreffer Museum, Manning Hall, Lower Level, the College Green
Commencement Forum – Was Jesus Married? Early Christian Controversies over Marriage, Celibacy, and Salvation
Graduate School Horace Mann Medalist Forum
Karen L. King ’84 Ph.D., Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University
The most reliable sources for reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus are entirely silent on the question of whether he was married. The earliest literature, however, shows that from the beginning his followers were vociferously debating whether life in Christ meant it was better—or even required—to give up marriage and sexual relations altogether, or whether marriage was ordained by God—and even necessary for salvation. The presentation will bring into the discussion recently discovered ancient Christian writings from Egypt, and we will consider together what was—and is—at stake in these debates.
>Metcalf Research Laboratory, Friedman Auditorium, Room 101
Commencement Forum – A Sense of Humor: Brown Women in Comedy
Sponsored by the Pembroke Center Associates in association with the Women’s Leadership Council
Moderator: Lauren Corrao ’83, consultant, Comcast Entertainment Studios; former president, A Very Good Production Company (Ellen DeGeneres' production company); former president, original programming & development, Comedy Central
Panelists: Marin Hinkle ’88, stage, television, and film actor |Tara Schuster ’08, writer, performer, and producer at Comedy Central | Suzanne Whang, ’86, M.SC., television host, actor, writer, and stand-up comedian
For years, women have been closing the gender gap in comedy, doing everything from screenwriting to stand-up comedy. How did they break into the business? How did their personal experiences shape their comedic voices? What's fair game and what's off limits in their humor? Join the discussion about how Brown alumnae are making a living by making people laugh.
>List Art Center, Room 120
Medical Forum – Concussion: A Perfect Storm; A Call for Education and Advocacy
The Charles O. Cooke, MD, Distinguished Visiting Lectureship
Richard G. Ellenbogen ’80, ’83 M.D., professor and chairman, neurological surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine; Theodore S. Roberts Endowed Chair of Pediatric Neurological Surgery; service chief, Harborview Medical Center; co-chairman of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of neurological burden in the world. An estimated 1.7 million Americans will suffer a TBI this year. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their toll on soldiers’ brains and mental health, along with our increased recognition of concussions in youth and professional athletes, have stimulated debate about the prevention of TBI. Dr. Ellenbogen will survey the science of sports-related TBI and explore how physicians can educate and advocate for the 300 million student-athletes throughout the world. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
>Smith-Buonanno Hall, Room 106, 95 Cushing St.
Commencement Forum – Heretical Ideas That Led to the Search for the Higgs Boson
Gerald Guralnik, Chancellor’s Professor of Physics
Join Professor Guralnik for this overview of the revolutionary ideas starting about 50 years ago that led to our current understanding of modern physics and, particularly, to the prediction of the Higgs Boson. Focusing on the evolution, sociology, and angst involved in the collaborative effort of Professor Guralnik and his colleagues, learn how this discovery now provides the cornerstone of the “Standard Model” of particle physics.
>Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Martinos Auditorium, Room 110
Alumni Reunion Forum - Advertainment: The Invisible Pitch?
Panelists: Malika Chopra ’93, partner, Chopra Media; Jessie Cooper ’03, ’04 AM, regional director of partnerships, Dailybreak; Nicholas Lehman ’93, president, Division of Digital Networks and Integrated Media, NBC Universal; Brian Monnin ’93, director, head of interactive media, Intel Corporation
The motivation to entertain consumers, rather than to persuade them through traditional advertising, stems from a proliferation of media choice and a changing media landscape. Hear different perspectives on the factors fueling the growth of advertainment. At the end of the day, are lines being crossed just to create buzz?
>MacMillan Hall, Starr Auditorium, Room 117
Alumni Reunion Forum - Survival of the Filmmakers: Directing and Producing Over the Decades
Moderator: Anisha Tomlinson ’03, independent film and television producer
Panelists: David Bartis ’88 and Doug Liman ’88, independent film and television producers
From theory to practice to learning tricks of the trade, these film industry veterans have honed their craft while successfully navigating new trends and talent in an ever-changing field. Hear the secrets to their success!
>Salomon Center for Teaching, De Ciccio Family Auditorium, Room 101
12:30 PM
Commencement Forum – The Himalayas 35 Years Later: Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
Various members of the 1978 Himalayan Expedition
In 1978, 33 members of the extended Brown community headed to the Himalayas to climb the 22,000 foot-Devistan mountain. The inspiration for the expedition came from a Modes of Thought course ("Exploration"), taught by Professor Tim Mutch from 1972-75. Now 35 years later, most of the the Brown University Himalayan Expedition members have returned to Providence and will reflect on how this experience changed their lives, and what exploration means in today's world. A highlight of this forum will be a Google Earth visual tour of the Devistan trek, organized by Rebecca Moore '77, engineering manager, Google Earth Outreach and Earth Engine, Google.
>Metcalf Research Laboratory, Friedman Auditorium, Room 101
Commencement Forum – The Digital Future of News Media
Moderator: Ben Schreckinger '12, former Atlantic Media Fellow, National Journal
Panelists: Jonathan Ellis '06, deputy editor for digital platforms, New York Times | Maha Atal '08, executive director, Public Business | David Rohde '90, Foreign Affairs Columnist at Reuters and The Atlantic
It's clear that print newspapers in the United States are struggling: The New Orleans Times-Picayune reduced from daily publication to three times a week in 2012, the Rocky Mountain News shut down in 2009, and The New York Times erected a paywall in 2011 to replace lost revenue from declining print ad sales. In The Brown Daily Herald's first commencement forum, a panel of alumni working in media will discuss the shift of news into the online sphere, the impact of digital technology on news media, and predictions for the future. Panelists will share their experiences, how Brown prepared them to work in media, and what newspapers can do to navigate the digital transition.
>List Art Center, Room 120
Commencement Forum – Cultivating a Culture for Creativity and Imagination
Richard Fishman, professor of visual art; director, Creative Arts Council / Granoff Center
The answers to the world’s most vexing challenges require cognitive flexibility, inventiveness, risk in the face of uncertainty, and design thinking. Professor Richard Fishman explores these issues in the Creative Mind Initiative, a program that puts creativity into practice in the classroom, lab, studio and community. Using new approaches to learning and scholarly activities, the program aims to build creative capacity and connect talent to solve problems and address societal challenges.
>Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Martinos Auditorium, Room 110
Commencement Forum – The Impact of Infectious Diseases on History
Stanley Falkow, PhD, Robert W. and Vivian K. Cahill Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, honorary degree candidate
Throughout history, epidemic diseases like smallpox, plague, cholera, and tuberculosis caused widespread death and disability and often had a profound impact on politics, religion, and the economy of the time. New infectious diseases or re-emerging infectious diseases continue to impact human populations. In an age of instant reporting, population mobility, and reduced resources, the effects of infectious diseases can potentially immobilize even the most prosperous nations of the world and individuals from all levels of society.
>MacMillan Hall, Starr Auditorium, Room 117
Medical Forum – Live and Learn: The Importance of Lifelong Learning Through the PLME
The Ruth B. Sauber Distinguished Medical Alumni Lecture
Julianne Ip ’75, ’78 M.D., associate dean of medicine (Program in Liberal Medical Education and Visiting International Medical Students); clinical associate professor of family medicine
Dr. Ip takes an interactive look at innovative ways to prepare for medical school. Today there is an ever-increasing demand on physicians to keep up with technology and new therapies. Physicians need to respond to the reorganization of health care provision while continuing to practice in an ethical, socially conscious, patient-based way. Our educational system must respond by giving each student the tools to be resilient and adaptive. Provide your perspective as Dr. Ip lays out the proposed curriculum for the PLME, part of Brown’s response to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Associate of American Medical Colleges reports on science and behavioral science competencies in medical education. Please join Dr. Ip, Ruth Sauber, and fellow alumni at 11:30 am for an informal reception preceding the lecture.
>Smith-Buonanno Hall, Room 106, 95 Cushing St.
3 PM
Medical Forum – A Worm's Tale: Secrets of Inheritance and Immortality
The Frank and Joan Rothman Lecture
Craig C. Mello ’82, Nobel Laureate; Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Explore the mysteries of life by learning how a worm the size of a comma helps regulate gene expression. Animals pass information to their offspring by producing germ cells that carry epigenetic information, which allows cells with the same DNA, like brain and fat cells, to perform different functions in the body. Scientists have found defects in the control of epigenetic information in diseases like cancer, but know little about how this information passes from parent to child. The worms’ germ cells function like an internet search engine to "remember" every gene expressed or silent in the preceding generation. Individuals with identical DNA express different sets of genes, and pass these distinct gene expression programs to their offspring.
>Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Martinos Auditorium, Room 110
3:30 PM
Alumni Reunion Forum - Technology: What's the Next Change?
Moderator: David Shenk '88, author of The Genius in All of Us, The Forgetting, Data Smog
Panelists: Graeme Grant ’93, president & COO, CQuotient; Victor Karkar '98, cofounder & CEO, Scrible; Patty Riskind '88, senior vice president, Press Ganey; Eric Rudder ’88, chief technical strategy officer, Microsoft
Emerging technologies affect everyone, both personally and professionally, in ways we may not even realize. Innovations drive mega trends like big data, the consumerization of cloud computing, gamification, and the growing dominance of mobile devices. Panelists will explore the transformative impact of these trends in everyday life and beyond.
>Metcalf Research Laboratory, Friedman Auditorium, Room 101
Alumni Reunion Forum - Developing Your Personal Brand: Communicate Your Best Career Self
Moderator: Dan Broden ’88, president and founder, Broden Communications
Panelists: Peter Bopp '78, partner, Leadership Strategy Group Inc; Sarah Benenson Goldberg '88, executive coach, SBG Professional Coaching; Jennifer Beihl '93, organization and staffing, GE Corporation; Cheryl Houser ’83, partner & executive producer, Creative Breed, Inc.
To communicate a personal brand really means to understand your career sweet spot. At what times during your career have you felt most successful? When have your actions been the most consistent with your values, inspired people, captured your personal joy, and made contributions within your organization? Your brand unfolds as you recognize, harness and communicate these successes. Learn how to evolve your brand by capturing your success identity.
>MacMillan Hall, Starr Auditorium, Room 117