Electric exchanges

Great Conversations 2004-2005 season begins October 11

On October 11, Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, will discuss Title IX with Tucker Center director Mary Jo Kane. A member of the Softball Hall of Fame, Lopiano was named one of the 100 most influential people in sports by the Sporting News.

From M, fall 2004

The College of Continuing Education's Great Conversations series returns for a fourth season with an electric exchange of ideas.

October 11

A Revolution in Women's Sports

Mary Jo Kane, professor and director of the University's Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, will provide firsthand accounts of the hard-won accomplishments of Title IX.

For a more detailed preview of this first exchange, see the eNews preview.

November 10

An International Perspective

Just a week after U.S. election ballots are cast, Humphrey Institute dean J. Brian Atwood and Clare Short, a member of the British Labour Party who has served as a member of Parliament since 1983, will discuss how the world perceives the United States.

February 8

Gender and Race in Medical Treatment

Anne Taylor, professor of cardiology, associate dean of the Medical School, and director of the U's National Center for Excellence in Women's Health, and Vivian Pinn, director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, will explore how social distinctions govern equal access to medical treatment.

March 9

Design of Everyday Life

Wendy Pradt Lougee, University Librarian and McKnight Presidential Professor, and Henry Petroski, the author of numerous books tracing the history of ordinary objects, will show how the stories behind the engineering of everything from pencils to bridges can inspire creativity.

April 19

The Struggle and Hope for Southern Africa

Regents Professor of History Allan Isaacman and Graca Machel, recently appointed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to chair "The Study of the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children," will discuss struggle and hope in southern Africa. Machel is the former first lady of Mozambique and currently lives in South Africa with her husband Nelson Mandela.

MORE INFO: Season tickets $115; single events $28.50. U of M faculty, staff, and students; Presidents Club and University of Minnesota Alumni Association members receive series ($95) and single event ($23.50) discounts. All events start at 7:30 p.m. and take place at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the Twin Cities campus. For more information, see www.cce.umn.edu/conversations or call 612-624-2345.