Nationally recognized scholars to lecture during Homecoming

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Alumni and other visitors to Bowling Green State University will have a chance to get back in the classroom when seven of the University's noted faculty give presentations in their areas of expertise during the University’s Homecoming.

Free and open to all interested persons, the lectures will take place Saturday (Oct. 5) in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. The first set of lectures runs from 10:30-11:15 a.m. After a short break, the next session is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Speaking at 10:30 a.m. will be Dr. Steve Cady, Dr. William Balzer and Dr. Steven Cornelius.

Many people may be looking for a better way to achieve their personal goals. Cady, an associate professor of management, will discuss “Unleashing Your Passion for Work and Living" in Room 318. Those attending will journey with Cady in learning to recognize their life’s calling and how they can work toward making personal goals happen. Cady is director of the Institute for Organizational Effectiveness and editor of the Organizational Management Journal.

Balzer, dean of Continuing Education, International & Summer Programs, and Terry Herman, interim director of distance/online learning, will talk about “Falcons Forever: BGSU’s E-learning Opportunities for Students and Alumni." The presentation will take place in the computer lab located in Room 103. The speakers will illustrate how BGSU is enhancing distance learning for those who want to study at BGSU but can’t physically be on campus for class.

Balzer is a past chair of the psychology department and former interim dean of BGSU Firelands. Herman has taught in the computer science department for the past five years and is currently a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Program.

Since 1992 BGSU has sponsored arts-based summer workshops in Ghana where students study with master musicians, dancers and artists. Cornelius, an associate professor of music history, composition and theory, will share his experiences from these trips in “From Northwest Ohio to the World: A Decade of BGSU Workshops in Ghana, West Africa” in Room 306. Cornelius has conducted extensive fieldwork in Ghana, and was named a sub-chief of the Gonja people of Northern Ghana last summer. In addition to teaching, Cornelius is the classical music and dance critic for The Blade newspaper in Toledo.

Dr. Gary Hess, Dr. Kevin Pang and Dr. Laura Landry-Meyer will present lectures from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Hess, a Distinguished Research Professor of history, will discuss “Presidential Leadership in Wartime: Learning from History” in Room 316. With the current conflict in the Middle East and Central Asia, President George W. Bush has a difficult job ahead. Hess will tell how the experiences of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson and George H.W. Bush are good lessons to follow in the current political climate. A specialist in U.S. foreign relations, the Vietnam War and Cold War, he is also author of the recent book, “Presidential Decisions for War: Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf,” published by Johns Hopkins University.

As baby boomers age, Alzheimer’s disease cases are expected to rise significantly. Many baby boomers already may find themselves in the caregiving role for an Alzheimer's patient. Pang, an associate professor of psychology, will discuss the effects of aging on the brain and current treatment options during his presentation in Room 315. The psychologist has been researching the basal forebrain region of the brain, one of the first places affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and recently received $800,000 from the National Institutes of Health to continue his research in this area.

In “We’re Family Too! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren," Landry-Meyer, assistant professor of human development and family studies, will talk about the grandparent caregiver experience. Her presentation will take place in Room 314. Grandparents today have an 11 percent lifetime incident of raising a grandchild for at least six months. Landry-Meyer will discuss what to expect and how to cope. She has been researching this topic since 1993, and has worked with local kinship groups on grant writing and forming a grandparent caregiver coalition. She will discuss what to expect and how to cope.

(Posted October 2, 2002)