Advocates for change in the 21st century: Issues of Body, Mind, & Spirit

	Dr. Patrick J. Finn Professor emeritus, University of New York at Buffalo Thursday, March 17, 2005, 4 p.m. 206 Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater “Completing the Revolution: Social Rights, Schooling and Democracy” Discussion looks at educating children to secure a decent standard of living and to participate in the culture of our nation. An urban activist Patrick Finn grew up in a working-class family in Chicago and remains proud of his roots. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and was on the faculty of the University of Buffalo Department of Education for 27 years. His book “Literacy with an Attitude: Educating working Class Children in their Own Self-interest” has sold more than 16,000 copies. He has been a leader for change through community conflict resolution, parent empowerment workshops and promotion of social diversity.
	Dr. Wolfgang F.E. Preiser Professor of Architecture, University of Cincinnati Thursday, April 21, 2005, 6 p.m. 206 Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater “Universal Design: The Paradigm of the 21st Century” Discussion focuses on the power of buildings to lift the human spirit when they are designed to truly meet the needs of the people who use them. For the past 30 years Wolfgang Preiser has been involved in teaching, research and consulting with a special emphasis on evaluation and programming of environments, health care facilities, public housing and design for special populations. A two-time Fulbright fellow, he is cofounder of Architectural Research Consultants, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., an international building consulting firm. He is widely published, including “Universal Design Handbook,” for which he was the editor-in-chief. He holds a Ph.D in man-environment relations from Pennsylvania State University.
	Dr. Steven Blair President and CEO, Cooper Institute in Dallas Wednesday, January 12, 2005, 4 p.m. 206 Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater “Physical Inactivity:The Major Public Health Problem of the 21st century” Discussion emphasizes the shift in thinking that needs to happen to alter trends in an increasingly obese population. An international advocate for the promotion of physical health, Steven Blair has focused his research on the associations between lifestyle and health with an emphasis on exercise, physical fitness, body composition and chronic disease. He is an adjunct professor in the Schools of Public Health at the University of South Carolina and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; and the College of Education at the University of Houston, among others. He is a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. He received his P.E.D. from Indiana University.