University of Oklahoma
Speakers Service 2011-12
You are invited to discover
some of the university’s most outstanding teachers and researchers through the
OU Speakers Service. Faculty and staff
speakers from a wide variety of disciplines donate their time to share the
educational resources available at the
For
information or to arrange for a speaker, contact Sonya Fallgatter,
OU Faculty Senate,
She can assist you in choosing a
speaker appropriate for your organization.
Every effort will be made to accommodate all requests. Please make your requests at least two weeks
in advance.
Podcasts of selected speakers describing their
topic(s) are available at http://www.libraries.ou.edu/media.
Eric Abraham,
Physics and Astronomy:
The Coldest
Science: Atoms and Molecules Near Absolute Zero
Owen Anderson, Law:
Oil and Gas Law
Karen
Antell, University Libraries:
On Both Sides of the Wall:
Wicked Books and Why We Love Them: Censorship Versus the Freedom to Read
Boris Apanasov, Mathematics:
The Shape of the Universe: Magellan, Math and NASA’s
Contributions
Howard Baer,
Physics and Astronomy:
The CERN Large Hadron Collider and the Search for the
Next Level in the Laws of Physics
The Origin and Evolution of the Universe: How It
Happened and Why Do We Know It Was So
From
What It Takes to Make an Effective Teacher
Writing: The Essential Skill for the 21st
Century
Lynn Baker,
Human Relations:
How to Cope With Folks Who Bug You
Cage-Rattling Questions: How Do These Help Groups?
Fred Beard,
Journalism and Mass Communication:
Humor in Advertising: Revealing the Secrets of the
Silly Sell
William
Beasley, Meteorology:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lightning,
but Might Have Been Afraid to Ask
Teresa Bell,
Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics:
The German Culture: Stereotypes, Myths and Truths
Learning a Foreign Language at Any Age
Robert Brooks,
From Mounds to Mammoths
Spiro: Late Prehistoric Gateway or 15th-Century Monastery?
I-Kwang
Chang, Architecture:
Can We Design a Single House Capable of Tornado
Resistance? A View From a Hybrid Person (Engineer +
Architect)
Qi Cheng,
Computer Science:
Cryptography: From Art to Science
Steven
Cleveland, Law:
Executive Compensation
John
Covaleskie, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies:
The First Amendment Goes to School
Religion, Morality and Democratic Politics
Morally Normative Communities and the Meaning of Shame
Randall Coyne, Law:
Keeping
Terrorism, Big Brother and the Patriot Act
The Shameful History of the American Prison System
Can We Afford the Luxury of Capital Punishment?
The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight: The Timothy
McVeigh Defense Team
Torture as a Weapon in the War Against
Terror
The Death Penalty in
The Importance of Grandparents
The Perils of Eyewitness Identification: Unreliable
and Damning Evidence
The Problem With Confessions:
Lies, Damned Lies and So‑Called Confessions
Janet Croft,
University Libraries:
The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien and War: The World Wars and the War of
the Ring
Tolkien on Film Before
Tolkien and Shakespeare: Influences, Echoes, Revisions
Copyright Basics for Writers
Copyright Basics for Educators
Psyche in
Bill Crynes, Chemical, Biological and Materials
Engineering (retired):
Outhouses: A Passing
Privial Pursuit: Outhouses of
Far and Wide: Outhouses of the World
George
Cusack, Expository Writing:
Why College Freshmen Need to Write (and Why Most of
Them Can’t)
Why Americans Love Superheroes
The Strange World of Irish Mythology
Ireland in Film
Kelly
Damphousse, Sociology:
The Evolution of Revolution: Five Decades of American
Terrorism
Robert Dauffenbach, Center for Economic and Management
Research:
The
Ralph Doty,
Classics and Letters:
Blow-Dried Bunnies and Acrobatic Professors: Modern
Urban Legends
Norah
Dunbar, Communication:
Lie to Me: How to Detect Deception Accurately
Body Language: Reading Nonverbal Messages
Wayne
Elisens, Botany and Microbiology:
Plant Use by the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache in the Southern
Plains
Michele
Eodice, Learning, Teaching, Writing:
The Problem With Plagiarism
Student Texting and the Future of Literacy
Why Writing Still Matters
The Value of Collaborative Writing
What Is Student Writing Like in Other Countries?
David Fields, Pediatrics (Health Sciences Center):
It’s Not the Fat That Makes You Fat
Let’s Chew the Fat
Navigating the Crazy World of Eating Out
Ola Fincke,
Zoology:
Effects of Human-Induced Environmental Changes on
Insect Populations: Consequences for the Earth Our Children Will Inherit
Jonathan
Forman, Law:
Social Security Reform
Tax Policy
Retirement Policy in the 21st Century
Law and Economic Justice
Doug Gaffin, Zoology, University College:
Scorpion Biology: Looking for Love in All the Dark
Places
M. Charles Gilbert, Geology and Geophysics (retired):
Are
The
How Old Are the
What Is Geology Anyway?
What Is Beneath Your Feet?
Has the Ocean Ever Covered
Michael
Givel, Political Science:
Gross National Happiness in Bhutan
Paul Goodey, Mathematics:
Probability Is Probably Not What You Think It Is
Probability and Pi: Forensic Mathematics
Chaos and Fractals
Michelle
Grunsted, Marketing:
Social Entrepreneurship
Camille
Hardy, Dance:
George Balanchine on Broadway … and Beyond
Ed Hilliard,
Architecture (retired):
Understanding Place
Karen Holp, KGOU Radio:
Public Radio in
Promoting Your Nonprofit
Samuel
Huskey, Classics and Letters:
To Hell and Back: Lessons for Today From
the Heroes of Greek and Roman Myth
Reading Between the Lines:
Solving a Mystery in a Medieval Manuscript
Michael
Kent, Journalism and Mass Communication:
Don’t Be Fooled by New Technology: Why Social
Networking Is Not Essential for Success
Becoming Critical About Technology: Conviviality,
Globalization and the Connectivity
Internationalizing Your Office: Getting a Grip on
Intercultural Communication
C. Thomas Knotts, Architectural and Engineering
Services (retired):
Napa, Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Wine Industry
Michael
Kramer, Communication:
Understanding and Improving the Experiences of
Organizational Newcomers
Understanding Why and How Employees Leave
Organizations
Volunteers in the Performing Arts: Understanding
Community Theater and Community Choir Members
So You Want to Run a Marathon …
Glen Krutz, Political Science:
Strategic Planning for Organizations
It’s Not Just “The Bill on Capitol Hill”: How Policy Is Really Made in the U.S. Congress
The Bad and Good of Government Budget Deficits
Purposes of Political Parties in America: Elections and Governance
S.
Lakshmivarahan, Computer Science:
Introduction to Data Mining
Data Assimilation and Its Role in Prediction
Introduction to Computational Finance
Introduction to Game Theory
Alan
Levenson, History:
The Making of the Modern Jewish Bible
Heretic: The Life and Times of Benedict Spinoza
What Is Zionism?
How Jews Read the Bible
Understanding American Judaism
Mary Linn, Anthropology,
The Importance of Language
Diversity in the
Sharing the Word:
Endangered Languages: What
Does It Mean to Lose a Language?
John Lovett, University Libraries (Western History
Collections):
Photography in
Kerry Magruder, University Libraries (History of
Science Collections):
Treasures of the History of Science Collections
Treasures of the Bizzell
Bible Collection
The Works of Galileo: A Guided Tour of the History of
Science Collections
The History of Science and the Star of Bethlehem
The Works of Charles Darwin: A Guided Tour of the
History of Science Collections
Treasures of the History of Science Collections:
History of Medicine
Treasures of the History of Science Collections:
History of Geology
Treasures of the History of Science Collections:
History of Chemistry
Treasures of the History of Science Collections: Early
Printed Herbals
Treasures of the History of Science Collections:
History of Astronomy
Edmund Marek, Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum:
Intellectual Development Occurs in Spite of Common
Schools, Not Because of School
Alberto Mata, Human Relations:
Family Care Giving
Inhalant Abuse
Latinos in
Nonprofits and Voluntary
Action Organizations
Servant Leadership
The Meth Problem in the
State
The Military Family: Current
Issues and Trends
The Common Good: Why Prosocial Values and Behaviors Matter
The Use of Stories, Parables
and Folklore to Understand the Norms of Reciprocity
Brian McCall, Law:
Christian Economic Philosophy
and the Regulation of Business
It’s Just Natural: What Is
the Natural Law and Why Does Our Country Need to Rediscover It?
Money and Power: What Is the
U.S. Dollar and the Federal Reserve System? How Does It All Work (or Not Work)?
Gary McManus,
The Dust Bowl: Lessons
Learned … and Lost
Global Climate Change and
the Implications for
Claude Miller, Communication:
Persuasion Within Social and
Interpersonal Influences Processes
Emotion and Communication: Feeling and Thinking and
the Role of Emotion in Guiding Human Behavior
Human Mortality and the Nature of Self-Esteem,
Prejudice, Sexuality, Religion and Political Ideology: A Terror Management
Theory Perspective
How to Talk to Adolescents and Emerging Adults About Alcohol, Drugs and Risky Sexual Behaviors
Julie
Miller-Cribbs, Social Work (
Social Work: A Noble Profession
Moving Beyond Stereotypes: What Do Social Workers Do
and How Can They Help Me?
African-American Reunions: Cauldrons of Capital
Advocating for the Ones We Love: Strategies for
Navigating Through Policy and Procedures to Get What You Need
Health Policy: The Basics
Poverty and the Family
Kimball
Milton, Physics and Astronomy:
Nuclear Power: Part of the Response to Global Warming?
Mini-Nukes, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation
and Missile Defense
Science vs. Religion: A Physicist Looks at Faith
What Will the Large Hadron Collider Tell Us About the
Structure of the Universe?
Farrokh
Mistree, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering:
So You Want to Be an Engineer? Wow!
Workshop for College Bound Kids and Their Parents
21st-Century Economic Leadership in a Wired
and Interconnected World
Value Creation in the Interconnected, Culturally
Diverse World
Strategic Engineering: A Contemporary Paradigm for Our
Worlds of Tomorrow
Henry Neeman, Computer Science:
Supercomputing in Plain English
Allison Palmer, Art:
Building a New Country: Neoclassical Architecture in
the United States (1700s-1800s)
Art of the Dutch Republic in the Baroque Age (1600s)
London in the Time of Chaucer (1300s-1400s)
Filippo Brunelleschi and the Language of Architecture (1400s)
Art in the Time of the Plague
Building a New Nation: Colonial Architecture in the
United States
Images of Food in Dutch Baroque Art
R. Paul Philp, Geology and Geophysics:
Environmental Forensics or
CSI Without the Violence
W. Bruce
Prescott, Liberal Studies:
Does the Constitution Establish a Christian Nation?
What Is the Matter With Oklahoma?
James Madison and the Battle for the Bill of Rights
The Rise of the Religious Right in American Politics
Baptists and the Rise of the Religious Right
Joanna Rapf,
English:
Watching Contentment: Perspectives on Comic Romance
and Age
What My Father Bequeathed to Me: The Heritage of the
Movie History, Fact and Fallacy: The Case of MGM
The Eloquence of Silence: Film Comedy Before Sound
“Answering a Growl”: Roscoe (“Fatty”) Arbuckle’s
Talented Dog Co-Star, Luke
Carl Rath, Music:
The Beatles and Their Influence in the 1960s
Protest Songs of the Vietnam War Era
Susan Schroeder, Chemistry and Biochemistry:
What a Wonderful RNA World
Susan Sharp, Sociology:
Mean Lives, Mean Laws:
Oklahoma’s Women Prisoners
America’s Fascination With Capital Punishment
Guoqiang Shen,
Regional and City Planning:
A Photographic Walkthrough of China: A Peek of
Urbanization in Five Chinese Cities
Neck to Neck: A Quick Comparison of China and U.S. in
Politics, Socio‑Economics and More
Revitalize American Economy: Economic Development Strategies
We Can Learn From China
Robert Smith, Law (retired):
Last Hurrah of the James-Younger Gang
Bloody Day at
When Bank Robbery Was in Flower:
Forgotten War:
Wild West: Outlaws and the Law in
World War I: The Angels of
Western Con Men and Swindlers in the Early 20th
Century
The Art of Murder in England
Daniel
Snell, History:
What Is Islam?
Egypt From the Beginning to Now
Binil
Starly, Industrial Engineering:
Digitally Enabled Engineered Reconstruction of a
Juvenile Apatosaurus Skeleton
Ben Stewart,
OU Foundation:
Institutional Investing: Making Your Charitable Gifts
Last Forever
Mike Strauss, Physics and Astronomy:
The Large Hadron Collider: A Look at the World’s
Largest “Atom Smasher”
The Structure and Origin of the Universe: From the
Smallest Scale to the Largest
Jen
Tregarthen, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History:
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Katerina
Tsetsura, Journalism and Mass Communication:
What Do Those PR People Actually Do? Breaking Stereotypes
About Public Relations Education and Practice
Media Bribery: An International Problem
“So, Is It Really Cold in
What Do Russians and Americans Have in Common? Living
in “the Heart of
Clues to Solving the Russian Puzzle: Conversations About
Juanita
Vargas, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies:
Ghost Hunters: Fact or Entertainment?
Secrets of Authentic Tex-Mex Cooking
Developing College Knowledge: Information Parents Need
to Know to Support Their Children for College
Cheryl
Wattley, Law:
Wrongful Convictions
Ada Lois Sipuel and her
Lawsuit to Enter OU Law School
Jerome Weber, Educational Leadership and Policy
Studies:
The Changing Nature of American Higher Education
Intercollegiate Athletics Today: Current Issues and
Proposed Solutions
Arctic Adventures: Or, How I Got My Feet Wet Studying
Arctic Pond Life
The
The Time Machine: Using Resurrection Ecology of
Long-Dormant Organisms to Study Environmental Change
Victor Koshkin Youritzin,
Art:
19th-Century American Painting
Degas: His Artistic Genius
French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Painting
How to Judge Art