Psychiatrist David Hamburg and author Carlos Fuentes kick off annual talks
UC Irvine's eighth annual Chancellor's Distinguished Fellows Series kicks off in November with public talks by leading intellectuals David Hamburg and Carlos Fuentes.
On Nov. 8, Hamburg, who this year was appointed chair of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Genocide Prevention, will discuss his work and global efforts against genocide. A noted psychiatrist who previously led the National Institutes of Health adult psychiatry branch, Hamburg served as president of the Carnegie Corporation in New York from 1982 to 1997. Under his guidance, the organization became a leader in pursuing peace in situations of potential conflict and, in 1996, Hamburg received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work. He currently is writing a book about preventing genocide. His lecture, "Never Again: Practical Steps Toward Prevention of Genocide," will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Beckman Center Auditorium.
On Nov. 13, author and statesman Carlos Fuentes will discuss "Immigration: Challenges on Both Sides of the Border." One of the most acclaimed writers of Latin America, Fuentes has published 14 books in the U.S., the most famous being The Old Gringo, which was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda. He also writes frequently on international political and cultural issues, and served as Mexico's ambassador to France from 1975 to 1977. His novel published in English this year, The Eagle's Throne, is a futuristic political satire about a conflict between the U.S. and Mexico. Fuentes will speak at 8 p.m. at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Tickets are required but free. Visit www.thebarclay.org or call 949-854-4646 for information.
All presentations are open to the public and unless otherwise indicated free, with seating available on a first-come basis. For more event information, visit: www.chancellor.uci.edu/cdfs.shtml or call 949-824-6503.
The lecture series will continue in the winter with the following scheduled events:
. Carlotta Ikeda, "Waiting: A Butoh Dance Performance"
8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007, Irvine Barclay Theatre. Tickets required. $15. Visit www.thebarclay.org or call 949-854-4646.
Carlotta Ikeda is one of the world's most celebrated performers of Butoh - a contemporary avant-garde dance form which originated in Japan. In 1974 she founded the first all-female butoh dance company, Ariadone, which is today based in Bourdeaux, France. At UCI, in her premier U.S. performance, Ikeda will dance the solo piece, "Waiting."
. Laurencine Lot, "Sacred Monsters of the French Stage: The Photographs of Laurencine Lot"
Lecture: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, Calit2 Atrium Lobby
Exhibition: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 11-18, Calit2 Atrium Lobby
Laurencine Lot has photographed hundreds of theatrical productions for dozens of companies in Europe, and is the principal theater photographer for the Comédie Francaise. She also has created coffee-table books of her performance photographs, including one of Carlotta Ikeda's work (see above), and another on the greatest stars - or "sacred monsters" in the French phrase - of French theater. In addition to her lecture about stage photography, her work will be on display for one week.
. Maxine Hong Kingston, "The American Sojourn"
7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, Crystal Cove Auditorium
Award-winning writer Maxine Hong Kingston is known for her works reflecting on Chinese-American culture and heritage. She is the author most recently of The Fifth Book of Peace, and won the National Book Award for her 1980 novel China Men. In 1997, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton. A native of California, Kingston is now a professor emerita at UC Berkeley.
. E. L. Doctorow, "Literature and Religion"
7 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 2007, Crystal Cove Auditorium
E. L. Doctorow is known for his social criticism and historical novels, including most recently The March, a fictionalized account of the Union Army's trek from Atlanta to the Carolina coast during the Civil War, which won the 2006 PEN/Faulkner Award and the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award. His previous works of historical fiction include Ragtime, set in New York City in the years leading up the World War I, and The Book of Daniel, about the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. His memoir World's Fair won the 1986 National Book Award. Doctorow currently serves as the Lewis and Loretta Glucksman Chair in American Letters at New York University.
. John Seely Brown, "Innovating Innovations"
7 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2007, Crystal Cove Auditorium
John Seely Brown is known for his former role as chief scientist of Xerox Corporation and director of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, where he is credited with expanding the role of corporate research to include organizational learning, complex adaptive systems, micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) and nanotechnology. Today, he is a visiting scholar at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California. His most recent book, co-authored with John Hagel, is The Only Sustainable Edge about collaborative innovation.
. Mary Robinson, "Human Rights and Ethical Globalization"
4 p.m., Thursday, April 19, 2007, Social Science Lecture Hall, Room 100
Mary Robinson served as the first female president of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and was the most popular president in the nation's history. Following her presidency, she became United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position that helps encourage and protect human rights around the world. In her career as a lawyer and legislator, she used law to affect social change, and argued major cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court in Luxembourg.
. Sally Engle Merry, "Human Rights in the Vernacular: Plural Legalities and Traveling Rights in India, China and the USA"
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 2, 2007, Crystal Cove Auditorium
Sally Engle Merry is a professor of anthropology and law and society at New York University. Her current work explores how international human rights law is interpreted in different countries. She is the author of four books and her research focuses on law, anthropology, race and class, conflict resolution and gender violence.
The Chancellor's Distinguished Fellows Series brings distinguished scholars and nonacademics to campus to share their experience and expertise with the UCI community. The series features fellows who have been selected for their contributions in disciplines that address the challenges of an increasingly interdependent world. As part of their residency, fellows give a free presentation to students, faculty, staff and the public.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
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