Lecture Series

Our FAB students’ safety is important to us; therefore, we are taking precautions to make the in-person classes a safe and welcoming environment. In this environment, students will be able to enjoy face-to-face interactions with their faculty and classmates and the option to grab a coffee or a bite to eat before or after class. For those not able to join us in person, we continue to be your virtual home for learning!

Regarding in-person attendance:

• FREE, accessible parking at both campus locations (view location and parking details HERE)
• Large lecture room with ample space meeting Cal/OSHA guidelines
• Masks are recommended but are not required

Can’t get to campus for an in-person course? No problem! Attend the course virtually instead.

HyFlex Learning

Using the HyFlex learning model, in-person and virtual students can attend the same class simultaneously. A special “360-camera” will follow the instructor in the classroom, and students attending virtually will be able to see and hear the instructor and view the PowerPoint over Zoom (similar to our traditional virtual courses).

Part 1: Thursday, June 1, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Thursday, June 8, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Johnny Cash was a force in country music. During his nearly half-century of recordings, Cash created a new language for country music, embracing America’s pioneering heritage by exploring its history, culture, folklore, and traditions through music. Beginning as a pioneering rockabilly singer with the legendary Sun label in Memphis, Cash moved on to Columbia Records where he recorded one stunning concept album after another. Across four lectures (summer and fall), we will look at various aspects of Cash’s life and career.

Summer Lectures:

Part 1: Beginnings & Endings - a look at Cash’s early recordings with Sun Records and his final efforts for Rick Rubin’s American label.

Part 2: The Man in Black - we look at Cash’s concept albums during his prime years with Columbia Records

Fall Preview:

Part 1: Live In Prison - A discussion of Cash’s legendary appearances & live recordings at Folsom, San Quentin, and other penal institutions.

Part 2: Storyteller, Activist, Partner - Cash’s recordings of historical events, outlaws, tragedy, and personal stories relating to incidents of his life. Also, his unique performing and personal relationship with June Carter. 

Bio:
Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions. He holds a master’s degree in Folklore from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film from Cal State University Northridge.

Tuesday, June 6, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
The strongest short-term cooling event on Earth over the past 2000 years occurred from 536-550 of the Common Era. Historical accounts of an atmospheric dust veil in AD 536 were reported in many locations throughout the northern hemisphere during this time, including: the Mediterranean basin, the British Isles, and China. Summer crop failures and famine were also widespread during this period, with some scholars suggesting that as many as 50 million fatalities can be traced to this event.  Historians have also linked several pivotal world events around this time to the strong 6^th century cooling, most notably the first bubonic plague pandemic in Europe (“Plague of Justinian”), a weakening of the eastern Roman Empire, and the rapid ascent of Islam.  Although some scientists initially believed that the global cooling might have been caused by a comet or asteroid impact, evidence has emerged over the past decade to implicate a series of strong volcanic eruptions.  Evidence from ice cores in Greenland and Antarctica suggest that the three separate eruptions occurred in AD 536, 540, and 547.  The second of these was apparently the largest of the three and was of tropical origin. The eruption of Ilopango Volcano in El Salvador is thought to be the AD 540 ‘mystery’ tropical volcano that pushed the planet into a food security crisis during the 6^th century.  This eruption was a magnitude 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, ranking it as one of the top 10 largest eruptions on Earth over the past 10,000 years. 

Join us as we examine the eruption of Ilopango Volcano and explore the regional impacts on Central America during this time, including the suggestion that 250,000+ Maya might have perished as a direct result of scorching pyroclastic flows and thick deposits of ash covering all of El Salvador and adjoining regions of Honduras and Guatemala.

Bio:
Dr. Robert Dull is the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Cal Lutheran. His research seeks to elucidate human-environment relationships over time, with emphases on the Late Prehistoric and Colonial periods in the Americas. Dr. Dull works on topics ranging from deforestation and food production to climate change and natural hazards.  He has spent most of his career working in Central America, although he also has ongoing research projects in California. Dull’s work on Ilopango has been featured by many outlets, including Science Magazine, Forbes, New Scientist, and National Geographic. Dr. Dull grew up in Bakersfield, CA and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001.  Before arriving at CLU in 2019 to Chair the newly formed Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, he held full-time academic appointments at UC Berkeley, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas, Austin.

Part 1: Tuesday, June 13, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Tuesday, June 20, 1-3pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks)

Lecture Description:
For many, Auschwitz is emblematic of the Holocaust. It signifies terror, atrocity, cruelty, and ultimately death. But like all horrors, it has an origin. More than that, it was a horror created by humanity: it had guards, doctors, and even some prisoners who supported the terror. This two-part lecture will unearth the history of Auschwitz. It will consider the origins of the camp, examine its different subcamps, describe life for the inmates, and attempt to recognize what can happen when racism and hatred are embraced by a society. 

Bio:
Jason Hensley, PhD, teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a member of Civic Spirit's teacher education cohort, and the award-winning author of 10 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary.

Wednesday, June 14, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Inspired by the recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this lecture explores the art of the Tudor Dynasty in England. The Tudors made themselves relevant and powerful with paintings, tapestries, and even clothes. Covering their century-plus reign—118 years, from the ascent of Henry VII in 1485 to the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, the lecture will explore the representations of power and majesty of the Tudor Kings and Queens. 

Bio:
Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Monday, June 19, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
This lecture will celebrate Cal Lutheran’s Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival; focusing on “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “King Lear,” the plays to be performed at this year’s festival. The first hour of the lecture will focus on the origins, production histories, and challenges presented by each play. In the second hour, Michael Arndt will be joined by members of the company for an interactive discussion of Kingsmen Shakespeare and the plays.

Bio:
Michael J. Arndt has been a Professor of Theatre Arts at California Lutheran University for the past forty years and is the artistic director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company. As a theatre director, he has directed over 200 theatre productions. Among the awards he has received are the Cal Lutheran President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, Region VIII-Outstanding Theatre Educator, and the Alliance for the Arts’ Exemplary Arts Educator Award. He was named a “local hero” by the Ventura County Reporter and “Patriotic Citizen of the Year” by the Conejo Valley Chapters of the Military Order of the World Wars and The Military Order of the Purple Heart.

A Vietnam combat veteran, Michael created Under Fire: Stories of Combat Veterans Across Generations. He is currently co-authoring a book: Making Contact: The Way to Healing from the Trauma of Combat.

Thursday, June 22, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom 

Lecture Description:
Sharon Boorstin accompanied her husband, documentary filmmaker Paul Boorstin, on wildlife shoots in India, the Amazon, and South Africa for National Geographic TV shows. The experience inspired a love for wildlife that continued in her writing for the Los Angeles Times and her volunteer work as a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo. In this virtual safari, Sharon will introduce animals in the order Carnivora—beautiful but fierce predators that include felids such as lions, tigers, and leopards; canids such as wolves and African wild dogs; and ursids from the giant panda to the gigantic Kodiak bear. Like a virtual safari, through slides and videos we will experience these wild animals in their natural habitats, observe their behavior, and learn of the current efforts to prevent their extinction.

Bio:
Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the 1970s and ‘80s Sharon was the Restaurant Critic of the (late) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and in the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. She also wrote for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian and Town & Country Travel. With her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including Angel of Death (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook, “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002), was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sharon moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at U.C. Berkeley. She taught high-school History, English and Social Studies in L.A. for 11 years.

Wednesday, June 28, 1-3pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Oxnard)

Lecture Description:
Inspired by the French Art Deco style, the architects and designers of American Art Deco interpreted the style in an exuberant display of stylized geometric and floral elements drawn from sources as varied as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb to innovative modern industrial design.  From New York to Los Angeles, the sleek aerodynamic styles of the 1920’s and 1930’s Art Deco era infused modern design with an elegant and sophisticated flair.  The course will explore the influential factors and chic forms of Art Deco in architectural design, interior decor, furniture, and decorative objects.

Bio:
Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world.  She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York.  She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Thursday, June 29, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom 

Lecture Description:
Tomato soup, mashed potatoes. Wall papering over masterpieces. Glued protestors. Museum mayhem. Has warfare come to the corridors of art exhibitions? Why is art the target and is this form of action acceptable? What could justify damage to the world’s cultural heritage? UNESCO Blue Shield Emblems signal the protection of cultural heritage during war. Must we now offer that level of protection to museums?  

This lecture will highlight the history of art vandalism and examine the recent surge in incidents. Most importantly, we will identify the organizations and their silent partners funding these actions.

Bio:
Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Thursday, July 6, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of America. Few public objects portray more powerfully American ideals of acceptance and freedom. Yet is it possible that the Statue of Liberty is most appropriately considered a Jewish statue? How might we define a work of art as Jewish? Is it determined by the identity of the face depicted or cultural identity of the sculptor? Or by the sponsor and champion who brought it into the public space?

While the face of the statue is not of a Jew nor was the sculptor Jewish, many attributes of the statue reflect a deep Jewish connection, specifically the imprint on the status made by the Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus. The message at the pedestal beckons the world to “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”  Significantly, Lazarus based this poem on ideas that are distinctly Jewish, words drawn straight from the Torah that state how we are to treat the stranger. This lecture will explore the efforts of Emma Lazarus as philanthropist, social reformer, and poet, specifically her work to bring the Statue of Liberty into public display and through her poetic inscription installed at its pedestal that has provided its unique cultural significance. We will assess if these contributions sufficiently define the Statue of Liberty as a Jewish construction.

Bio:
Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history. He is Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, CA and has taught in the CLU FAB program since 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in American intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Tuesday, July 11, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks)

Lecture Description:
Ever since French director Gaston Melies shot his 1912 Western short, ‘The Ghost of Suphur Mountain’ in Santa Paula, Ventura County has been a popular destination for filmmakers.  In this lecture we will reveal the rich history of Ventura County’s most popular locations including Ahmanson Ranch/Upper Las Virgenes Canyon (which appeared in “Gone With the Wind,” “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Pineapple Express”), Simi Valley (“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Babylon”), Moorpark (“The Clonus Horror,” “The Fabelmans”), Ventura (“Little Miss Sunshine,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator”), Lake Sherwood & Hidden Valley (“North by Northwest,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Seabiscuit”), Oak Park (“Tumbleweeds,” “Of Mice and Men”), Montclef Ridge (“Spartacus,” “Wuthering Heights”) and the county-adjacent city of Westlake Village (“80 for Brady”).  Rarely seen photos and film clips will accompany the lectures.

Bio:
A Southern California native, Harry Medved has served as the PR lead for Fandango, Yahoo!, Warner Bros. Online and the Screen Actors Guild. Prior to creating the “Lost and Found” travel column for the Pasadena Star-News, he co-authored the popular movie books The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, The Golden Turkey Awards and Hollywood Escapes. He lives in the Conejo Valley with his wife Michele and family.

Part 1: Thursday, July 13, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Thursday, July 20, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) and Alexander Pope (1688-1744) were two of the most important British authors in the early 18^th century, known especially for their satires– a literary form that uses humor to critique vice or folly. Swift was the author of Gulliver’s Travels and the infamous essay “A Modest Proposal,” in which he proposed that the poor in Ireland should eat their children to survive the potato famine; Pope authored the mock-epic “The Rape of the Lock” and the poems “An Essay on Criticism” and “An Essay on Man.”  

Recent generations of readers/scholars have characterized Swift and Pope as misogynists, as women were often targets of their satiric wit. But during their lifetimes, literacy rates for women were slowly on the rise, especially in the aristocratic classes, and in the 1730s, a pair of “good frienemies,” Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) and Anne Ingram, Viscountess Irwin (1696-1764), wrote poems mimicking the men’s forms and refuting their critiques, one with sharp humor and the other with powerfully logical argumentation. 

In Part I, we will look at Swift’s poem “In a Lady’s Dressing Room” and Montagu’s parodic takedown entitled “The Reasons That Induced Dr. Swift to Write a Poem Called the Lady’s Dressing Room.” In Part II we will discuss Pope’s “Epistle 2. To a Lady (Of the Characters of Women” and Irwin’s more earnest and finely crafted response entitled, “An Epistle to Mr. Pope: Occasioned by his ‘Characters of Women.’” Each lecture will briefly introduce the social and political context and relevant biographical details of the respective authors.  

Bio:
Dr. Allix Wee received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Minnesota in 2004, specializing in British literature from the Victorian and Modernist periods. A literary historian at heart, Dr. Wee has conducted extensive research in the archives of the British Home Office exploring that government's history of literary censorship, work that encompasses her ongoing commitments to gender and sexuality studies. Her most recent publications focus on teaching literature and gender in the context of the Lutheran educational mission. She has also taught Ancient Greek literature, environmental literature, and young adult literature, and designs all her courses to hone students' critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Before coming to Cal Lutheran in 2008, Dr. Wee taught at several strong private liberal arts institutions in the Midwest where she grew up, including Carleton College in MN, Denison University in OH, and Grinnell and Luther Colleges in IA. 

Tuesday, July 18, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Are humans wired to leave their trace? Wondering who was the first human to leave a message on a wall? Join in as we follow the trail of the history of street art around the globe from ancient times to today.

In our trek we will search for the meaning behind messages, some hidden, some blatant. We will investigate how street art went from being viewed as property damage and vandalism to marketable art. Street Art has provided artists and civilians with a means to communicate and create a bridge that not only encompasses but merges with public art and public opinion. Who are these Wall Warriors? Come along.

Bio:
Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Part 1: Wednesday, July 19, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Wednesday, July 26, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Oxnard)

Lecture Description:
“The Last of Us” is a popular video game that has now been developed into a popular show on HBO (Max). The premise of the show and video game is of a fungi-driven pandemic. Fungi infected "zombies" terrorize a post-apocalyptic world, people are infected through bites from infected individuals and infected individuals appear to be controlled by the fungus. How much of this is fact, fiction, is there room for both? This lecture will answer some of these questions and give you the foundation to answer these questions for others. You do not need prior knowledge of the video game or show to learn in these lectures.

Bio:
Dr. Paloma Vargas (she/they/ella) is the Dean of Mathematics, Science, Health Education, Kinesiology and Athletics at Oxnard College, a 2-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In her capacity as Dean, Dr. Vargas works with administration, faculty, and staff to determine best practices in serving diverse student populations. She often serves as a facilitator and trainer for faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions in centering equity with a particular focus on inclusivity in STEM and is an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and President of the Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institute Educators (AHSIE).

Dr. Vargas previously served as a biology faculty member, researcher, HSI Director, Science Coordinator and STEM Advisor at private and public institutions. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (HSIs), and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Medical and Molecular Parasitology from The Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at New York University. Her graduate and post-doctoral work focused on host-pathogen interactions of both parasitic amoeba (E. histolytica) and Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire’s Disease.

Part 1: Monday, July 24, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Monday, July 31, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
It’s been said that journalism is the first draft of history. We will be focusing on journalism that makes history. From its muckraking origins, to the golden age of Watergate, to the challenges of today, investigative journalism has worked to speak truth to power. This two-part lecture will review some of the history of investigative journalism in the United States, share some of the most famous cases that have literally shaped our nation and society, and discuss why investigative journalism is under threat today.

Bio:
Kirstie Hettinga (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor of Communication at California Lutheran University. She teaches media writing, editing, and content creation and serves as the faculty adviser to Cal Lutheran’s award-winning student newspaper, The Echo. Her research addresses issues of accuracy and credibility in news media, as well as how students learn in student newsrooms. Her work has been published in Newspaper Research Journal, College Media Review, Journal of Media Ethics, and Journalism Practice. She received her doctorate degree from The Pennsylvia State University.

Tuesday, July 25, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
The stock market crash in 1929 ushered in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The U.S. economy tanked, but that didn’t stop Hollywood. The major movie studios churned out everything from screwball comedies and westerns to extravagant musicals, and fans paid 25 cents each to escape their troubles in front of the big screen. In this lecture, we explore—and see clips—of some of the greatest films. We also look beyond Hollywood to other aspects of the 1930s that impacted Angelenos. They include the growth of the Hispanic minority; the corruption in City Hall that led to the recall of Mayor Frank Shaw; and the fashions, food, and fads that caught the public’s attention. 

Bio:
Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the 1970s and ‘80s Sharon was the Restaurant Critic of the (late) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and in the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. She also wrote for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian and Town & Country Travel. With her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including Angel of Death (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook, “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002), was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sharon moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at U.C. Berkeley. She taught high-school History, English and Social Studies in L.A. for 11 years.

Tuesday, August 1, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks)

Lecture Description:
Ivor Davis was a foreign correspondent for the London Daily Express and the Times of London, covering some of the biggest stories in North America in the 1960 and 1970s. In 1962 he was smuggled onto the campus of the riot-torn University of Mississippi when James Meredith was enrolled as the first black student on campus. Three years later he was in the front lines as Los Angeles’ Watts riots erupted. He was the only British daily newspaper correspondent to cover The Beatles’ first American tour from start to finish, given unparalleled access to John, Paul, George and Ringo. Ivor was in the kitchen at the Ambassador Hotel when Robert Kennedy was assassinated. He was one of the “Boys on the Bus” chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president. He also covered some of the biggest trials including that of Sirhan Sirhan. 

Join us for a fascinating trip through Ivor’s eyewitness accounts of monumental American events!

Bio:
Ivor Davis was a foreign correspondent for the London Daily Express and the Times of London.  He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali to Jane Fonda. As a foreign correspondent, he traveled throughout the western hemisphere covering riots, floods, earthquakes and politics. As Editor at Large for Los Angeles Magazine, he and his late wife Sally Ogle Davis wrote over 100 major magazine and cover stories. Davis is the author of the award winning “The Beatles and Me on Tour.” Davis also coauthored “Five to Die” the first book ever published about the murder of Sharon Tate.  His most recent book is, “Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-year Journey into Madness and Murder” the real inside story of the crimes that shook the world

He currently lives in Southern California and is working on three new books: one about his adventures in Hollywood-- the other a true crime book about a friend who turned out to be a mass murderer and a third an updated 60th anniversary version of his award winning “Beatles and Me on Tour.”

Thursday, August 3, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom 

Lecture Description:
Launched on Christmas morning 2021, and after a 1-million-mile journey and a six-month commissioning process, the Webb Telescope began full operations in the Summer of 2022.

And already the telescope has provided amazing insights and upended the accepted models of the early universe. A review of the JWST, its capabilities, most recent observations and what lies ahead for the flagship space telescope will be discussed.

Bio:
Christopher Mick is the Education and Outreach Director for the STEAM educational nonprofit, Space St. Croix. Space St. Croix’s mission, Connecting Kids to the Cosmos, brings Space-themed STEAM programming and teacher support materials to all Hudson, WI. area public, private, and home school students.

Christopher is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, Space Station Ambassador with the ISS National Lab, member of the NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance, and an Aerospace Education Member with the Civil Air Patrol.  He is a blogger for the Space Science Institute, through their StarNet Library website, and recently served on the Education Advisory Board for Infiniscope (2019). Christopher was named an International Teacher Liaison in 2022 by the Space Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was a judge for the National Space Society’s, Space Settlement Contest and the NASA Space Apps Challenge – Brescia, Italy.

He lives and works in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Monday, August 7, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
During the past 14000 years, the human brain has evolved to adapt to our environment and each other.  Unfortunately, violence among humans has not been a stranger to our communities – but a particular kind of violence has fascinated us for centuries.  Despite making up less than 1% of human beings across the globe, serial killers have fascinated humankind as far back as the 1600s. That fascination has only grown in modern times, as is evidenced in popular media and through the rapid growth of true crime podcasts.

Much of true crime media is spent focusing on “pop” sociological, psychological and biographical reasons as to why otherwise seemingly “ordinary” people become serials killers and social deviants, committing heinous and nightmarish acts such as the acts of Dennis Raider (the BTK Killer) or Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker). What is less discussed and understood are the neurological components behind this grim reality. Nature and genetics are thought to reign supreme when it comes to our behavior, but upbringing and nurture seem to have just as much of an impact. Discover what we do know about how the three pounds of tissue we call the human brain dictate’s behavior, whether someone is a non-violent human being or a brutal serial murderer.

Bio:
Wesley Tierney is currently a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Arizona State University. He studies the mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus infection of neurons. He has worked in various research labs for seven years ranging from social psychology, entomology, regenerative medicine, virology, and neuroscience.

Tuesday, August 15, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom 

Lecture Description:
AI is all over the news today, and its short term impacts have not been trivial. Google rolled out an AI product that made a factual error, and its parent company stock price dropped 9%, temporarily wiping out $100B of market value. And there are a myriad of risks beyond factual errors, with a mix of probability and consequences. Much has been made of the fact that over 100 million people have tried ChatGPT in its first two months of public exposure. And that's just one product, in one branch, of a range of new products called Generative Artificial Intelligence!

So, is it time to crawl under a rock? Will some machine come looking for me one day soon, because I disrespected the potential of AI systems? What are the newly arriving benefits or risks of these technologies? What frameworks can we use, as business and society leaders, to think through the coming tradeoffs? We'll talk about work, jobs, risks, benefits, privacy, security, existential threats, weapons gone rogue, and the like. We'll also talk about regulation, and the proposed 6-month "pause" on new AI development to provide time to get "guardrails" around AI products. And without a doubt, the landscape of what we know and plan for today will be different in August, in June, and likely even tomorrow!

Bio:
Paul Witman (Ph.D.) is a Professor of Information Technology Management, in California Lutheran University’s School of Management. His research interests include social networking for non-profits, information security, usability, health care information, and electronic banking and finance. Prior to joining Cal Lutheran, Dr. Witman served as Director of Integration Engineering for Digital Insight Corp. and as Director of Global Delivery Systems at Citibank. He earned his Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technology from Claremont Graduate University.

Wednesday, August 16, 1-3pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks)

Lecture Description:
Theater architecture of the 1920s and 1930s embraced the clean and streamlined design of the Art Deco era, while also reflecting the glitz and glamour of the movie industry that evolved in Hollywood and in cities and towns across America.  Theater architecture was so grand that people nicknamed the structures "picture palaces."  This lecture will provide a view into the stylish era of Art Deco opulence as we review the best in theatrical architectural and interior design.

Bio:
Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world.  She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York.  She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Part 1: Thursday, August 17, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Thursday, August 24, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
When one thinks of Memphis, W.C. Handy and Elvis always come to mind, and maybe some long forgotten funky hits. Nashville is only 200 miles North, and has always overshadowed its Southern sister. Truth be told, this two-part lecture will uncover the real facts of that musical mecca- hit after hit and great artists of all genres, including the Box Tops, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Come join us for a nostalgic trip down the Mississippi as we stop at one of the more unusual music centers of America!

Bio:
Tony Moon has spent 60 successful years in the music business. Beginning in 1960, he joined the L.A. group Dante and The Evergreens, which was managed and produced by Lou Adler and Herb Alpert. He later moved to Nashville, becoming the guitarist and conductor for Brenda Lee. Tony also began playing on recording sessions and was Nashville's first rock independent music producer, working with five major labels. He scored several big hits for The Vogues, including "5 O' Clock World." Tony has won several awards as a songwriter and music publisher. His songs have been released by artists as diverse as Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Vickie Carr, Pearl Jam, and The Beatles.

He currently administers several Music Publishing Companies and a New York Entertainment Company.

Part 1: Monday, August 21, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Monday, August 28, 1-3pm (Pacific)
HyFlex (Choose to attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Oxnard)

Lecture Description:
At the start of the 20th century, the art scene in New York severely lagged its European counterpart. Within forty years’ time, New York had become the center of the art world. The crucial event that kickstarted this shift was the 1913 Armory Show, the most important art exhibit in the history of the United States. More than a quarter of a million Americans visited the show and its 1,300 works by avant-garde artists, before the show traveled on to Chicago and Boston. This two-part lecture will take an in depth look at this unprecedented and revolutionary exhibition that changed art in America.

Bio:
Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Part 1: Wednesday, August 23, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Part 2: Wednesday, August 30, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Join us as we examine the life and art of silent film’s most versatile actor – Lon Chaney. From underpaid bit performer to the undisputed master of makeup artistry, Chaney left behind a remarkable legacy despite the fact that so many of his performances have been lost to time.  Born to deaf parents, Chaney’s ability to express himself through gesture and body language became not only his way of communication but the ultimate expression of the art of silent film acting.  Part one of this two part lecture we will explore the 15 years Chaney struggled as a working actor transitioning from the stage to film. Part-two will delve into Chaney’s years as a movie star, diving deeply into Chaney’s surviving movie roles where we will see that even without any make-up, Chaney really was the greatest actor of his time.

Bio:
Matthew Weisman received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he also taught classes in Cinema Studies and directed the Cinematheque film program. His undergraduate degree in English is from Boston University. A professional screenwriter and producer, he taught Graduate Screenwriting at the USC School of Cinema for fifteen years. He is a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. He has taught several continuing education courses in film and television history and appreciation both online and in the classroom.