Men's sports, urban and transportation futures and the American diet -- the Burack President's Distinguished Lecture Series will tackle these varied topics in four talks scheduled throughout April. All are free and open to the public.
Michael Messner, professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of Southern California, will speak Tuesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. in North Lounge Billings on "From Boys to Men: The Shifting Culture of Men's Sports."
Messner's teaching and research has focused on gender and sport, men and masculinities, and gender and violence. He is the author of several books, including most recently It's All For the Kids: Gender, Families and Youth Sports.
Joseph L. Schofer is associate dean of strategy and communications in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and applied science professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University. His lecture, "The Future of Transportation -- How the System Must, Can and Will Change," will take place Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. in 427 Waterman Building.
Schofer, who serves as director of the Infrastructure Technology Institute, focuses his research and teaching on transportation policy planning, analysis, evaluation, and behavior.
Michael Batty, Bartlett Professor of Planning at University College of London, will speak on "All the World's a Fractal: How Complexity Theory is Being Harnessed to Envision Urban Futures" on Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Lounge, Waterman.
Batty's research work involves the development of computer models of cities and regions, and he has published many books and articles in this area, the most recent being Cities and Complexity and the edited volume Virtual Geographic Environments. He has received various honors for his work, including the Sir George Back Award by the Royal Geographical Society for "contributions to national policy and practice in planning and city design." He was made a fellow of the British Academy in 2001 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 2009.
Kelly Brownell, professor of psychology, professor of epidemiology and public health and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, will deliver a lecture on "Is there Courage to Change America's Diet?" Thursday, April 21 at 4 p.m. in Carpenter Auditorium, Given Building.
In 2006 Time magazine listed Kelly Brownell among "The World’s 100 Most Influential People" in its special Time 100 issue featuring those "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world." Brownell has advised the White House, members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, and media leaders on issues of nutrition, obesity, and public policy. He was cited as a "moral entrepreneur" with special influence on public discourse in a history of the obesity field and was cited by Time as a leading "warrior" in the area of nutrition and public policy.
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