Academic symposium will celebrate superb scholarship

	During the symposium, an exhibition of Lehigh's current undergraduate and graduate student research and scholarship will be held in Zoellner's Butz Lobby.

On April 16, Lehigh will host 2009 Academic Symposium: A Tradition of Excellence, celebrating both the work of four scholars of the highest international distinction who will serve as keynote lecturers as well as the top-shelf undergraduate and graduate student research being performed by current Lehigh students.
The daylong celebration continues the tradition that was first established when Lehigh's 2007 Academic Symposium was held in honor of the inauguration of President Alice P. Gast. The 2007 event was so well-received that the university decided to make the academic symposium a biannual event.
The 2009 academic symposium will feature four impressive keynote speakers: Andrea Ghez. a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA; Barry Eichengreen, the George C. and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley; Alan E. Kazdin, the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Child Psychiatry, and Institute of Social Policies at Yale University; and Joan Wallach Scott, the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study.
The four keynote speakers—in fields ranging from astronomy to the economy—are recipients of a number of impressive awards and honorary degrees, including membership in prestigious academies. Collectively, the subject matter they will discuss represents areas of interest to all members of the Lehigh community.
“The speakers participating in this symposium are outstanding scholars who have had great impact in their fields and in a broader context,” says Bruce Koel, interim vice president and associate provost for research and graduate studies who is serving as the chair of the Symposium Committee. “And they are also excellent communicators, making their work accessible to everyone. They come from diverse backgrounds covering a wide range of scholarly disciplines, and I expect the interchange and synergy that will develop between the speakers is part of what will make the day extraordinary.
Biographies of each of the four keynote speakers are available on the special Symposium Web site.
This celebration will also highlight the dynamic, intellectual contributions of Lehigh faculty members who will guide the symposium, as well as introduce and interview keynote speakers. Thomas Hyclak, a professor of economics, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the daylong event.
During the symposium, an exhibition of undergraduate and graduate student research and scholarship will be held in Zoellner's Butz Lobby, bringing attention to the range and remarkable caliber of creative student projects at Lehigh.
Here’s a complete schedule of the day’s events.
8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcoming Remarks—Lehigh President Alice P. Gast
8:45-10:00 a.m. Unveiling a Supermassive Black Hole at the Center of our Galaxy
Andrea Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA
Introduced by: George E. McCluskey Jr., professor of astronomy in Lehigh’s department of physics
Interviewed by: M. Virginia McSwain, assistant professor of physics in Lehigh’s department of physics
10:00-10:45 a.m. Refreshments and An Exhibition of Student Research and Scholarship
10:45 a.m.-noon Cover-Up: French Gender Equality and the Islamic Headscarf
Joan Scott, Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study
Introduced by: John Savage, associate professor of history at Lehigh University
Interviewed by: Nandini Deo, assistant professor of political science at Lehigh University
Noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch break
1:30-2:45 p.m. Treatment of Oppositional, Aggressive and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents
Alan Kazdin, John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Child Psychiatry, and Institute of Social Policies at Yale University
Introduced by: Deborah Laible, associate professor of psychology at Lehigh University
Interviewed by: Edward Shapiro, professor of education and director, Lehigh’s Center for Promoting Research to Practice, Department of Education and Human Services
2:45-3:30 p.m. Refreshments and An Exhibition of Student Research and Scholarship
3:30-4:45 p.m. The Financial Crisis: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going
Barry Eichengreen, George C. and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley
Introduced by: Deepa Chandrasekaran, assistant professor of marketing at Lehigh University
Interviewed by: Anthony O’Brien, professor of economics at Lehigh University
4:45 p.m. Closing remarks—Lehigh Provost Mohamed El-Aasser
5:00-5:45 p.m. Reception and An Exhibition of Student Research and
Scholarship
All are encouraged to participate. Tickets are not required for the symposium events. Open seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and it is recommended that those planning to attend arrive 10 minutes before the start of each lecture to be seated.
For more information on the symposium, please visit the Symposium Web site.
--Bill Doherty
Photo by Douglas Benedict
Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009