Special Presentations
This winter and spring, BILL brings four Special Presentations to the public — lectures by distinguished presenters on new, interesting topics. These programs are FREE and no membership is required to attend. You are encouraged to invite friends and family. However, you must RSVP for each event. An invitation with instructions for registering is sent to BILL members and contacts before each program. Call (570-522-0105) or email (lifelonglearning@bucknell.edu) to be added to this list, and RSVP at least five days before each presentation you wish to attend. To register, be sure to provide your name, telephone number and email address.
A $12 prepared lunch (typically a choice of sandwich, pasta salad, fruit and dessert item) is available if pre-ordered when registering for Lunch & Learn presentations. Please specify if you are ordering one of these $12 lunches. Light refreshments are available to all at no charge at our Tea & Talk presentations. BILL Special Presentations are hosted by the Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village in The Commons, 6 Tressler Blvd., Lewisburg. If conditions require a change of venue, we will contact registered guests at the email/phone number they provide with their RSVP.
2024 Winter & Spring Special Presentations
Tea & Talk: Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 at noon
Bidenomics:The Kresl Viewpoint
Peter Kresl, Bucknell University
Are President Biden’s economic policies sufficient to reverse the troubling economic trends that have emerged since the 1980s and have contributed to increased economic insecurity? These historic trends include rising income and wealth inequality, impacts of globalization, less than stellar growth rates, and more frequent and severe economic crises. Join BILL to hear the Kresl viewpoint.
PETER KRESL is professor emeritus of economics and international relations at Bucknell University. His economic interests and expertise are broad and include urban economies and globalization, culture policy and trade conflict, economics of integration, the European Union, and U.S./Canada relations. He is a founding member of BILL.
Lunch & Learn: Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at noon
The Questions Left Unasked: The Integrity of the Ballot
Kandy Duncan, League Of Women Voters of the Lewisburg Area
Never before have the integrity of the ballot and the validity of elections been so challenged. The good news is that the numerous investigations that followed the questioning of our electoral system’s integrity have reaffirmed that our elections are free and fair. It is time for us all to arm ourselves with deeper knowledge of how our elections operate so that we can be assured that our ballot will count and that the basis of our democracy is secure.
KANDY DUNCAN is the president of the League of Women Voters of the Lewisburg Area (LWVLA). Kandy is a veteran of over 55 years as an emergency department nurse. Trained in process optimization and management, she spent the last decade of her career as a national consultant for Blue Jay Consulting and Phillips Healthcare Consulting working with emergency departments across the country to help expedite processes and improve the patient experience.
Tea & Talk: Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Society And Education
Param Bedi, Bucknell University
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology that is reshaping our daily lives. AI is now an integral part of various industries, from healthcare to finance, entertainment to transportation, and yes, education. AI is also being used by bad actors to commit fraud and create new and creative scams. The presenter will discuss how AI is transforming various industries, its ethical considerations, and a glimpse into its future. Was ChatGPT used to create this session description? Join us and find out!
PARAM BEDI serves as the vice president and chief operating officer at Bucknell University. In this role, he leads the divisions of Library and Information Technology and of Finance and Administration.
Tea & Talk: Tuesday, May 14, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
Edward Cotter Memorial Lecture: In 2023, BILL introduced the Cotter Memorial Lecture to be offered annually among our Special Presentations, in honor of Edward “Ed” Cotter. Professor emeritus of geology at Bucknell, Ed was instrumental in forming BILL in 2009 and served as BILL’s director for its first six years.
This year’s Cotter Memorial Lecture comes from Ben Marsh, who remembers Professor Cotter as a mentor, colleague and friend.
An Environmental History Of Central Pennsylvania
Ben Marsh, Bucknell University
The land we live on here in Union County has multiple histories that interact with each other. This talk will trace the threads that together built our cultural landscape, emphasizing the ways the Ridge-and-Valley region shaped people’s lives, the human use of forests and farmland, the growth of river towns and the evolution of post-industrial landscape value systems.
BEN MARSH is professor emeritus of geography and environmental studies & sciences at Bucknell University, where he taught about human ecology, mapping, and Pennsylvania landscapes. Raised in central Pa., he earned his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University. He has taught and written extensively about the environment in the anthracite region and in Susquehanna River towns, co-authored chapters in A Geography of Pennsylvania and The Atlas of Pennsylvania, and published geomorphic scholarship on ice-age landforms in the Appalachian Mountains. His non-Pennsylvania research focuses on the geoarchaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and the uses of maps in social justice lawsuits.
Contact Details
Bucknell Institute for Lifelong Learning
Location
115 Farley Circle, Suite 111