Happenings: March 19-26, 2007

March 19
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Joie Marhefka, Pitt Department of Bioengineering, “Study of Drag-Reducing Polymers and Mechanisms of Their Intravascular Effect,” 10 a.m., Cellomics Building’s 5th-floor conference room.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Ernest Aaron Horton, Pitt Department of Music, “Charles Mingus and the Paradoxical Aspects of Race as Reflected in His Life and Music,” 10:30 a.m., 114 Music Building.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Ellen C. Gerber, Pitt Department of English, “Modernist Pedagogies: Conrad, Wolf, Pound, and the Reading Public,” 11 a.m., 526 Cathedral of Learning.

Discussion, “Pizza and Politics,” Doina Cajvaneanu, Ph.D. candidate, University of Trento, Italy, 3 p.m., 4217 Posvar Hall; Pitt’s European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence; 412-683-7694, kpuccia@ucis.pitt.edu.

Lecture, “From Chile to 9/11: Collective Memory and Social Responsibility,” Jeannette A. Bastian, professor, Simmons College’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 4:30-6 p.m., Frick Fine Arts Auditorium; Pitt’s Policy, Ethics, and Accountability Lecture Series, www.sis.pitt.edu/academics/colloquia/policySeries.html.

Lecture, Monique Combescot, professor at the Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, 4:30 p.m., 102 Thaw Hall, Pitt-Carnegie Mellon University Physics Colloquium Series, www.phyast.pitt.edu/Events.

Lecture, Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics, Georgetown University, 7:30 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland, Drue Heinz Lecture Series, 412-622-8866, www.pittsburghlectures.org.

March 20
Audubon Print Exhibition, Hooded Warbler, through April 2, Hillman Library ground floor, Pitt Department of Special Collections, 412-648-7715, www.library.pitt.edu/images/audubon.

Lecture, “Pretty: Film, Aesthetics, and the History of the Troublesome Image,” Rosalind Galt, assistant professor of film studies and international studies, University of Iowa, 9:30 a.m., 501 Cathedral of Learning, Pitt Department of English, 412-624-6506.

Luncheon Discussion, “Naturalism and Wonder: Charles Peirce on the Logic of Hume’s Argument Against Miracles,” Catherine Legg, Pitt Department of Philosophy visiting scholar,
12:05 p.m., 817R Cathedral of Learning, Pitt’s Center for Philosophy of Science, 412-624-1052, www.pitt.edu/~pittcntr.

Information Session, “Questions and Answers for the Bachelor of Science in Information Science Program,” 1:30-3 p.m., Information Sciences Building’s 5th floor, Pitt’s School of Information Sciences, 412-624-2677, kshaffer@mail.sis.pitt.edu.

Panel Discussion, “Deputy Chiefs of Missions From the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, and Slovenia,”
3-4:30 p.m.; reception, “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Rome,” 4:30-5:30 p.m.; both in the William Pitt Union’s Lower Lounge; Pitt’s European Union Center of Excellence, Center for Russian and East European Studies, and European Studies Center; 412-648-7405, www.ucis.pitt.edu/euce.

Lecture, “Exuberance and the Spaces of Inept Instruction: Robert Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys and Henry James’ The Art of the Novel,” Denis Flannery, Leeds University, U.K., 4 p.m., 501 Cathedral of Learning, Pitt’s Department of English and Program in Cultural Studies, krobert@pitt.edu.

March 21
Lecture, “Writing Manuscripts of France, 1260-1320,” Alison Stones, Pitt professor of the history of art and architecture, noon, 203 Frick Fine Arts Building, Pitt Department of the History of Art and Architecture, 412-648-2400, www.haa.pitt.edu.

Art Exhibition, Third Annual Lambada Pi Eta Communication Through Art, 5-7 p.m., Pitt-Greensburg’s Village Hall, 724-836-7741.

Film Screenings, Foreigners Out! Schlingensief’s Container (2002) and Christoph Schlingensief and His Films (2004), both directed by Christoph Schlingensief, 7:30 p.m., 205 David Lawrence Hall; Pitt Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures series, Experimental, Underground, Revolutionary: Avant-garde Films From Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, 412-648-2614, rhalle@pitt.edu.

Musical Performance, annual spring concert by Pitt-Bradford’s College-Community Choir, performing works by Bach and Schubert, 7:30 p.m., Blaisdell Hall’s Bromeley Family Theater, Pitt-Bradford’s Spectrum Series, 814-362-0257.

Theatrical Performance, The Proposal, The Wedding, and The Bear by Anton Chekhov, 8 p.m., continues through April 1, Stephen Foster Memorial’s Charity Randall Theatre, Pitt Repertory Theatre, 412-624-7529, www.pitt.edu/~play.

March 22
Lecture, “Current-Driven Phenomena in Molecular Electronics,” Tamar Seideman, professor, Northwestern University’s Department of Chemistry,  9:30 p.m., Benedum Hall’s Kresge Conference Center, Pitt’s Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering Seminar Series, kim@engr.pitt.edu.

College Fair featuring representatives of Pitt’s five campuses, talking about the college selection process, scholarships, financial aid, and tuition benefits; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.; seminar topics will include “How to Write a College Essay,” “What Questions to Ask When Selecting a College,” and “Scholarships and Financial Aid,” every hour
11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.; Pitt Alumni Hall’s Connolly Ballroom; oneil@oafa.pitt.edu.

Lectures, “Phosphine Catalysts of Allenes in Target-Oriented Synthesis (TOS) and Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (DOS),” Ohyun Kwon, assistant professor of chemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, 2:30 p.m; “Xenon, Liquid Crystals, and SPIONs: Tools for Enhancing Sensitivity and Information Content in NMR and MRI,” Boyd Goodson, assistant professor of chemistry, Southern Illinois University, 4 p.m.; 12B Chevron Science Center, Pitt Department of Chemistry, www.chem.pitt.edu.

Lecture, Tom Spencer, director, European Centre for Public Affairs, University of Surrey, U.K., 3 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall; Pitt’s European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence; 412-648-1110, mdeal@ucis.pitt.edu.

Reading, author and poet Nick Flynn, 7:30 p.m., J. Irving Whalley Memorial Chapel, Pitt-Johnstown, 814-269-7138, schwerer@pitt.edu.

Theatrical Performance, Relativity, by Cassandra Medley, 8 p.m., continues through April 7, Alumni Hall’s 7th-floor Auditorium, Pitt’s Kuntu Repertory Theatre, 412-624-7298.

Reading, Patrick McCabe, novelist and the 2006-07 William Block Sr. Writer, 8:30 p.m., Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. (For details, see p. 2.)

March 23
Workshop, “The Second Step: Developing a Business Plan,” 7:30-10 a.m., 209 Mervis Hall, Pitt Small Business Development Center; registration required, 412-624-2182, mrwholihan@katz.pitt.edu.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Brock Onque, Pitt Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, “The Implications of Public Housing Design: A Study of HUD’s Hope VI Program,” 10 a.m., 3430 Posvar Hall.

Conference, “The Flip Side of Globalization,” 12:30 p.m., William Pitt Union’s Kurtzman Room. (For details, see p. 2.)

Lecture on mathematics, Max Gunzburger, Francis Eppes Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Florida State University, 4 p.m., 704 Thackeray Hall, Pitt’s Department of Mathematics Colloquium Series, swigon@pitt.edu.

Conference, “Globalization and Diversity/Inequality in Latin America: The Challenges, Opportunities, and Dangers,” also March 24, Pittsburgh Athletic Association. (For details, see p. 2.)

March 24
Workshop, “Grant Writing,” 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Scaife Hall’s 4th-Floor Lecture Room 2, Pitt’s Survival Skills and Ethics Program, 412-578-3716, www.survival.pitt.edu.

Musical Performance, Ramsey Lewis Trio, 7 p.m., Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Pitt-Johnstown, 814-269-2080, kimiller@pitt.edu.

Musical Performance, Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, 8 p.m., Bellefield Hall Auditorium, Pitt’s Music on the Edge Series, 412-624-4125, www.music.pitt.edu.

March 25
Pitt Women Connect, “A Women’s Networking Event,” 1-4 p.m., Twentieth Century Club; Pitt’s Campus Women’s Organization, Panhellenic, Alumnae Council, and Women’s Studies Program; 412-624-6485, www.pitt.edu/~wstudies.

Musical Performance, The Pitt Men’s Glee Club, directed by Richard Teaster, 8 p.m., Heinz Chapel, Pitt Concert Series, 412-624-4125, www.music.pitt.edu.

March 26
Lecture, “Should We Disclose Harmful Medical Errors to Patients, and If So, How?” Thomas Gallagher, associate professor of medicine and medical history and ethics, University of Washington School of Medicine, 9 a.m., Scaife Hall’s Auditorium 5, Pitt Center for Bioethics’ 24th Annual Messer Lecture, 412-647-5700, www.pitt.edu/~bioethic.

Lecture, “PASSPORT to Academic Success,” noon, William Pitt Union’s Dining Room A, Pitt’s Office of International Services, 412-624-7120, www.ois.pitt.edu.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Judith A. Callan, Pitt School of Nursing, “Development of a Scale: Barriers to CBT  Homework Completion Scale,” 2 p.m., 340 Victoria Building.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense by Gulshan Sharma, Pitt Department of Bioengineering, “Structural Analysis Driven Shoulder Arthroplasty,” 3:30 p.m., B63 Benedum Hall.

Lecture, “Collapse,” Jared Diamond, professor of geography, University of California, Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m., University Center’s McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon’s Dickson Prize Lecture, 412-268-7761, wardle@andrew.cmu.edu.

Musical Performance, “Music Monday,” 8 p.m., Bellefield Hall Auditorium, Pitt Concert Series, 412-624-4125, www.music.pitt.edu.

Musical Performance, Pacifica Quartet with cellist Paul Katz, 8 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland, Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, 412-624-4129, christopher@pittsburghchambermusic.org.