Lecture Preview

Title: University Lecture Series — Chris Borysenko

The Basics: Chris Borysenko, interdisciplinary lab director for the Mellon College of Science, will explore how to design an effective interdisciplinary course for first-year students.

This is the first lecture in the 2008–09 University Lecture Series.

When: Today at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Adamson Wing (Baker Hall 136A)

Title: School of Art Lecture Series — Thomas Hirschhorn

The Basics: Artist Thomas Hirschhorn and Carnegie Museum of Art curator Douglas Fogle will discuss Hirschhorn’s previous work as well as Cavemanman, his current installation in Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International going on through January at the Carnegie Museum. Hirschhorn is known for his sculptural and public art projects through which he communicates his dissatisfaction with the current political climate and encourages others to practice resistance to this political regime as well. Cavemanman is a maze of cardboard, packing tape, foil, and other elements of materialism, meant to serve as a thought-provoking display of contemporary consumerism.

When: Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Where: Carnegie Lecture Hall

Title: SCS Doctoral Dissertation Award Lecture: Adam Wierman and Jacob Wobbrock

The Basics: Adam Wierman, an assistant professor of computer science at California Institute of Technology, specializes in examining the design of computer systems using mathematical models. He will discuss the commonly held belief that jobs with the shortest remaining processing time (SRPT) should be prioritized in order to minimize delay, and the reasons why SRPT scheduling is rarely used.

Jacob Wobbrock is an assistant professor of human-computer interaction at the University of Washington. He will explain how user interfaces may still cause accessibility issues for users with motor and visual impairments.

Wierman received his doctorate in computer science from Carnegie Mellon in 2007; Wobbrock received his doctorate in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon in 2006. Both received the SCS Distinguished Dissertation Award for 2006–07.

When: Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Wean Hall 7500

Title: Kim and Eric Giler Humanities Lecture/University Lecture Series — “The Averaged American: Citizens and Statistics in the 20th Century”

The Basics: Sarah Igo, associate professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, will discuss the relationship between social statistics and the development of the nation’s general populace. Igo’s work is concentrated in modern American cultural and intellectual history. She is the author of The Averaged American: Surveys, Citizens, and the Making of a Mass Public (Viking Penguin, 2007).

When: Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Adamson Wing (Baker Hall 136A)

Title: School of Art Lecture Series — Ryan Gander

The Basics: Artist Ryan Gander will discuss his work, focusing on his film Man on a bridge—(A Study of David Lange), currently displayed in Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International. The piece is composed of 50 10-second takes of actor David Lange walking across a bridge and stopping to look over the railing. Gander’s work is based on transforming common experiences into self-reflective art.

When: Thursday at 5 p.m.

Where: Kresge Recital Hall, CFA