Programs

“Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies” Speaker – Dr. Stephen A. Naftilan, Emeritus Kenneth S. Pitzer Chair of Physics, Claremont McKenna College We now believe that larger, more massive galaxies have supermassive black holes in their nuclei.  Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, has a 4 million solar mass black hole at its center.  What is the evidence for […]

“History of Modern Handbells” Speaker – Bill Waggener; Soloist – Susan Hitch Although handbells first appeared many centuries ago in England, their current use as a musical instrument is a relatively recent phenomenon. Learn about the history of handbells and hear their wonderful music! Bill Waggener earned his BA in Music from Pomona College and

“Impact Cratering” Speaker – Dr. Eric B. Grosfils, professor of geology, Pomona College While earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other events persistently remind us that we live on the surface of a geologically hazardous planet, it is easy to forget that one of the most potentially severe threats we face originates beyond our Earth. In this talk

“Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s Centennial” Speaker – Gail Samuel, Executive Director, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association The New York Times calls the LA Phil “America’s Most Important Orchestra. Period”. It presents music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music, and pop – in 250 concerts

“Organizing for the Common Good” Speaker – Karl Hilgert Karl Hilgert attended The College of Wooster in Ohio and continued his education at the Eden Seminary and the St. Louis School of Social Work. He has taught at Yale Divinity School and Southern Connecticut State University and has supervised student interns in community colleges and in

“Supporting Student Mental Health in the Claremont Unified School District” Speakers – Nancy Tresser Osgood, member of the Board of Education (and of the University Club!); Jim Elsasser, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools; and Lisa Banks-Toma, Coordinator, Mental Health – Claremont Unified School District– A critical issue in education today is student mental health. Among other

“If Darwin Had a Computer” Speaker – Dr. Ran Libeskind-Hadas, R. Michael Shanahan Professor of Computer Science, Harvey Mudd College Charles Darwin wrote in his famous “Origins of Species” that he could imagine that pairs of species, such as bees and flowers, might evolve in tandem:  Flowers might evolve features that would make them more attractive

“Motoring West:  Pioneering Auto Travelers in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1900-1920” Speaker – Dr. Peter Blodgett, Curator, Huntington Library This illustrated lecture will discuss the evolution of automobile-borne tourist travel in the American West during the early years of the twentieth century.  In doing so, it will demonstrate the significant impact of the motor car upon the economic, social, cultural

“Rovers and the Exploration of Mars: Past, Present, and Future” Speaker – Dr. Ashley W. Stroupe, Mars Science Laboratory Assistant Mission Chief, Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Jet Propulsion Laboratory began exploring Mars using rovers in 1997, with the “Sojourner” rover on the Pathfinder Mission. The “Spirit” and “Opportunity” rovers were subsequently deployed in 2004. And now,

“The Kellogg Horse Ranch and the Cal Poly Arabians” Speaker – Alexis Adkins, Archivist for Special Collections, and Rob Strauss, Project Archivist, Cal Poly Pomona – During World War II, the ranch was taken over by the U.S. Army, which still had a small contingent of horses. After the war, the Army had no use for