The Chancellor's Premier Lecture Series 

Fifth Annual Lectio Magistralis
Fall 2012
Date and Location To Be Announced

About the Lectio Magistralis

Until the last century, it was traditional in most European universities for new faculty members to present scholarly addresses to fellow faculty members. Speakers would situate their research within the context of their disciplines and present new ideas and directions in an approachable way - a way that would be understandable to an audience whose interests covered a wide range of academic fields. More generally, the tradition of the Lectio Magistralis now continues in universities around the world as a way to present a scholar at the peak of his/her intellectual power, with talks directed toward an educated public rather than a specialized group.

Chancellor Daniele C. Struppa states his vision for Chapman's Lectio Magistralis series: “As a mathematician, the inaugural lecture of Felix Klein, prepared in 1872 and known as the ‘Erlangen Program,’ is one of the pivotal points of the development of my discipline. With his program, Felix Klein reinterpreted geometry and algebra in a way that opened the way for their futures. And yet, his ideas were offered in a way that made it understandable even to colleagues who had no formal mathematical training. With this lecture series at Chapman, I would like to recreate this sense of excitement for our intellectual pursuits and allow the growth at our university of an environment which will stimulate dialogue and interaction among participants from diverse backgrounds, fields of interest and levels of expertise.”

Archives

2011

Marilyn Harran, Ph.D.
"The Holocaust: In the Crucible of Memory"

The Holocaust is often characterized as "unspeakable" and "indescribable." Yet, silence threatens an even greater danger--forgetfulness, memory lost. And so, scholars, writers, and artists dare to speak about the Holocaust and seek to make memory present through prose and poetry, memorials and museums. In this talk, Dr. Harran discussed the tension between experience and memory and considered why the Holocaust should matter to us today, exploring the possibilities for creating a dialogue of meaning within the crucible of memory.

Professor of Religious Studies and History and inaugural holder of the Ralph and Sue Stern Chair in Holocaust Education, Dr. Harran is the founding director of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education at Chapman. Dr. Harran received her B.A. from Scripps College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious "Spirit of Anne Frank" Award from the Anne Frank Foundation. 

Watch Dr. Harran's lecture.

2010

Grace Fong, D.M.A.
"Beyond the Notes"

Dr. Fong, Director of Keyboard Studies and Assistant Professor of Music in the College of Performing Arts, discussed the creative and intellectual process that leads a performer from the notes on the score to the actual performance. She used examples from recordings, scores and demonstrations at the piano. 

Praised as "positively magical" and an artist of "rare eloquence and grace," Dr. Fong performs internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and contemporary keyboardist. She has gained critical acclaim in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, making appearances at major venues around the world, including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Reinberger Hall at Severance Hall, the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, and the Hollywood Bowl in the U.S.; and the Great Hall in Leeds, UK, the Liszt Academy in Budapest, and Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany, among others.

Watch Dr. Fong's lecture.

2009

Yakir Aharonov, Ph.D.
"What can we learn about ourselves from modern physics?"

Dr. Aharonov sat down with Dr. Paul Davies, a professor of physics at Arizona State University and the Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, to discuss the areas of tension between objective scientific description and conscious experience. He spoke of recent advances in the foundations of physics and quantum theory that offer hope for a fresh approach.

Dr. Aharonov, a professor of theoretical physics and the James J. Farley Professor in Natural Philosophy at Chapman, has made seminal contributions to physics, particularly in the field of quantum mechanics. In 1998, he received the prestigious Wolf Prize for his 1959 co-discovery of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. This effect, along with the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen/Bohm effect, has provided the foundation for work on the development of ultra-powerful computers. 

Watch Dr. Aharonov's lecture.

2008

John Dickhaut, Ph.D.
"Bad guys and good guys: reputation and counting is what makes modern economies work"

Professor of Accounting and Economics and Jerrold A. Glass Endowed Chair in Accounting and Economics (2008-2010), Dr. Dickhaut presented the inaugural Lectio Magistralis on November 20, 2008. In his lecture, Professor Dickhaut argued that the original mechanism for conducting trade is the brain itself: "Cheater and cheater detection are an integral part of a number of primitive animal societies. When coupled with the ability to count - which also exists in animals - there is a possibility of creating a vast network in which the integrity of repeated transactions can be preserved." 

Watch Dr. Dickhaut's lecture.

For more information, please contact the Academic Events Office at (714) 997-6565.