Tag Archive for: Shapes of Curiosity

Trans-species psychologist to lecture at SOU on animals’ personal lives


NEWS RELEASE (available online at https://goo.gl/26XjaV)
(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s “Shapes of Curiosity” lecture series will take a walk on the wild side when trans-species psychologist G.A. Bradshaw discusses “The World Through the Eyes of Our Carnivore Kin” on Thursday evening, May 11, at the Hannon Library.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. in the library’s Meese Room (room 305).
Bradshaw will offer glimpses behind the scenes in the lives of creatures often considered fearsome: grizzly bears, cougars, orcas, rattlesnakes and others. Her discovery of post-traumatic stress disorder in free-living elephants launched the field of trans-species psychology.
Bradshaw is the founder and executive director of the Kerulos Center in Jacksonville – a nonprofit organization made up of faculty members and professional advisors from various disciplines who work from around the world to improve animals’ lives through understanding and service. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member in psychology at SOU.
She holds doctoral degrees in forest ecology from Oregon State University and in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. She earned a master’s degree in geophysics from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics (Chinese) from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Bradshaw has published, taught and lectured internationally in both of her doctoral fields. Her work focuses on the psychological well-being of animals and multi-species cultures, and she has researched the effects of violence and trauma recovery on elephants, grizzly bears, chimpanzees, parrots and other species in captivity.
She is the author of “Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity,” which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Her work has appeared in academic journals such as Nature and American Scientist, and in popular magazines such as Time, Forbes and National Geographic.
The presentation is part of this year’s SOU campus theme, Shapes of Curiosity. The lecture series creates opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to engage in intellectually stimulating conversations. For information about the Shapes of Curiosity, contact SOU foreign language professor Dan Morris (morris@sou.edu), who is co-director of the campus theme program.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Renowned Theoretical Physicist and Author to Speak at SOU on Nov. 9-10


NEWS RELEASE
(Ashland, Ore.) — Lawrence Krauss, director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University and an internationally known physicist and author, will take participants on a pair of intellectual adventures when he offers public lectures next Wednesday and Thursday nights (Nov. 9 and 10) at Southern Oregon University.
side_image_bioWednesday’s talk, “Journey to the Beginning of Time,” will address what Krauss describes as once-inaccessible metaphysical questions about how the universe began, how it will end, whether we’re alone in the universe and whether other universes exist. Those questions have come nearer to the reach of scientists in the past couple decades – and even in the past few years, he says. The lecture will be at 7 p.m. in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union, with overflow space in the Stevenson Union Arena.
Thursday’s lecture, “The Greatest Story Ever Told … So Far,” will cover the real story of our journey to understand the universe – from the work of Plato to the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Krauss calls it “a tale ripe with drama and surprise,” and he will discuss how the most recent scientific discoveries may affect our fundamental understanding and the future of our world. The talk will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 151 of the Science Building, with overflow space across campus at the Meese Auditorium in the Center for the Visual Arts.
Both lectures are free and open to the public. The presentations are part of the SOU campus theme for Fall Term, Shapes of Curiosity.
Krauss received a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Physics Department at ASU, and has won several international awards for both his research and his efforts to improve the public understanding of science. He is the author of 10 books, including New York Times bestsellers “The Physics of Star Trek” and “A Universe from Nothing.” He also appears in the Werner Herzog films “Salt and Fire” and “Lo and Behold.”
NOTE: Krauss may be accessible for telephone interviews prior to his Ashland visit. Please contact SOU for information on his availability.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power. It is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.