»Lectio Magistralis: The Chancellor's Lecture Series 2008 - 2012

“Why Literature Can Save Us”

Through the prism of stories, and of language used by artists, we become one human family. Literature breaks down the walls, not only between people, but between times, and across the chasms of history and death. It is the thing that most defines us as human.

Richard Bausch, M.F.A., professor of creative writing in the Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is the author of eleven novels and eight collections of stories, including the novels In The Night Season, Hello To The Cannibals, Thanksgiving Night, and Peace; and the story collections, Someone To Watch Over Me, The Stories of Richard Bausch, Wives & Lovers, and Something Is Out There. An acknowledged master of the short story, his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Esquire, Harper's, The New Yorker, and other magazines. His many honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, The PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and The Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Mr. Bausch has been editor of the prestigious Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. He participated as a workshop leader in Operation Homecoming, a joint project between The National Endowment for the Arts and the Department of Defense to help returning military personnel and their families write about their experience.

View Mr. Bausch's lecture.

"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 history.

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 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.

View Dr. Harran's lecture.

"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 and 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.; as well as the Great Hall in Leeds, U.K., the Liszt Academy in Budapest, and Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany, among others.

View Dr. Fong's lecture.

"What can we learn about ourselves from modern physics?"

Dr. Aharonov sat down with Dr. Paul Davies, professor of physics at Arizona State University, 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.

View Dr. Aharonov's lecture.

"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 exists in animals -- there is a possibility of creating a vast network in which the integrity of repeated transactions can be preserved."

View Dr. Dickhaut's lecture.