This Week @ AU

Kappa Alpha Theta is having its philanthropy event, “Theta Throwdown,” on Monday, Nov. 16, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center starting at 7 p.m. This year’s event is a dance-off competition between groups of six-12 dancers with a two-to three- minute dance of their choice.

Advance tickets are $5, or you can purchase one at the door for $7.  All the money raised goes to Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA, an organization that helps abused and neglected children in the court system.

Mix 96.7 will be broadcasting the event, and there are going to be key figures of Auburn University involved.

For more information, e-mail Anna Lane at all0001@auburn.edu.

The Women's Philanthropy Board, in the College of Human Sciences, will host "Caregiving 101," a seminar and luncheon Friday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center. Topics will include the legal, financial and managed care aspects of caregiving. Irene Collins, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Senior Services, will serve as keynote speaker. Other featuredspeakers will include Leah Dubberly of the Dubberly Group/Merrill Lynch; Cheri Rudgers, a licensed certified social worker; and Debby Spain of J.D. Capell and Howard. Registration for the luncheon is $50 and includes the 8:30 a.m. seminar and the noon lunch. Tables of 10 can be reserved for $500. Seating is limited and early registration is recommended. To register, contact Sidney James Nakhjavan at 844-3524 or wpbchs1@auburn.edu.

Make checks payable to the Auburn University WPB for Caregiving 101 and mail to Auburn University College of Human Sciences, Women's Philanthropy Board, 210 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL 36849. To read more, see the news release.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Leslie Kenne will deliver the inaugural Extraordinary Women Lecture in Auburn University's Telfair Peet Theater Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to noon. This public event is sponsored by the Women's Leadership Institute in Auburn's College of Liberal Arts. A reception will follow. Kenne is a graduate of Auburn's ROTC program with 32 years of active military service. She is the first woman to achieve the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and one of three women in history to achieve a three-star rank in the U.S. military. She will speak on "Making the Most of Your Leadership Potential," reflecting on a lifetime of leadership experience. Attendees will have the opportunity during a lunch reception following the talk to meet Kenne and to join the Women's Leadership Institute's network. For more information, read the news release.

Auburn University's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Geology and Geography, is bringing nationally known documentary director Andy Coon to campus to discuss his award winning documentary Greensboro's Child on Thursday, Nov. 5., at 4 p.m. in Haley Center room 2370.

The film documents the events surrounding a "Death to The Klan" rally and conference held in Greensboro, N. C.  In this award-winning documentary, Coon explores the buried evidence from both state and federal court prosecutions by examining the trials under a new lens. The hour long documentary will be followed by a panel discussion focusing on the contested history and legacy of Nov. 3, 1979, featuring distinguished Auburn University faculty. The event is free and open to the public. Those with questions should contact Amanda Carr at 844-2976.

Five College of Liberal Arts undergrads and a host of community partners are on a journey to find out what it takes to make democracy work as it should in Alabama. The project, cosponsored by the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, pairs students with citizens who share the same passion: to increase civic engagement and build capacity for innovative public decision making where they live.

In addition to understanding the best research on what citizens can do to address public problems and build on community assets, students will develop and understand skills to moderate deliberative public forums, leading participants to weigh carefully the attractions, weaknesses, costs and consequences of differing perspectives on how to approach an issue. The project will utilize the National Issues Forums issue book “Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role.” Students will also work with local teenagers in a PhotoVoice project, an internationally acclaimed methodology used to engage groups in the democratic process.

The project is an offering of the Community and Civic Engagement Initiative in the College of Liberal Arts, which seeks to expand civic engagement opportunities for students and faculty. For more information, visit www.auburn.edu/cce.

The Mathews Center is a non-partisan, tax-exempt entity for the purpose of fostering public deliberation and innovative community decision making. For more information, visit www.mathewscenter.org.

The Africana Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts is hosting a lecture, “Sleettown: An African American Community on a Civil War Battlefield,” by professor Kenneth W. Noe, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room 2218 of the Auburn University Student Center.

Noe, the Draughon Professor of Southern History at Auburn University, is the author of many books and articles on the American Civil War.

This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Patience Essah in room  310 Thach by calling 844-6651.

The International Business Fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, is hosting a presentation by Kellie Guthrie to be held in the Auburn University Student Center ballroom tonight at 6 p.m. Guthrie's life mission is to help women and children in need, but what makes her passion different is how she mixes philanthropy with business. One of the companies she works with strives to help women who are forced into prostitution by the mafia in Thailand. This event is cosponsored by the International Student Organization.

Career Development Services is presenting a seminar, "Negotiating Job Offers and Personal Finances," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, ballroom B. Jack Walls, Auburn University career counselor, and Brenda Dozier, of The Legacy Financial Group Inc., will coach students in navigating multiple salary offers and personal finances beyond college.

Julie Shaffer, founder of Slow Food Atlanta, southeastern regional governor for Slow Food USA and Emory University's sustainable food service education coordinator, will be lecturing for the Auburn community today in Haley Center room 3195 at 4 p.m.

The lecture will include a 20-minute video on Slow Food and chocolate tasting. The event is free and open to the public.

The Division of Student Affairs is sponsoring two events to provide information to students about careers in student affairs. The first is a round table discussion Thursday, Oct. 22, at 3:30 p.m. in 2223 Student Center.
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to join professionals to talk about graduate student perspectives, graduate school options, trends and issues and what to do with a higher education administration degree. Dessert
and drinks will be provided. The second event is a panel discussion Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 12:30 p.m. in 2310 Student Center. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to attend this panel discussion and listen to and address questions to a panel of professionals who work with college students every day. Guests are welcome to bring their lunch. Dessert and drinks will be provided. For more information, contact Michelle Murphy at murphmi@auburn.edu or 844-5292.

The Women's Philanthropy Board will host a roundtable luncheon and discussion Oct. 29 at noon in the private dining room at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Featured speakers will be Beverlye Brady and Brenda Dozier. This roundtable is part of the Women's Philanthropy Board's yearlong effort of "Thriving in the 'New Normal': Maximizing your Philanthropic Footprint." Brady advises clients as an attorney in the areas of domestic relations, custody, enforcement, adoptions, probate and corporations. She is a graduate of Auburn University and Cumberland Law School and has served in many leadership roles, including Auburn Chamber of Commerce board of directors, president of the Lee County Bar Association and president of the Kiwanis Club.  She has been named Woman of the Year by the Opelika Business and Professional Women Council. Dozier is a wealth management associate with First Legacy Partners. Previously, she was a marriage and family therapist in private practice. She is an author, a national speaker, trainer and expert witness and has provided counseling to individuals, couples and families. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and master's and doctorate degrees from Auburn. The roundtable luncheon will be Dutch treat. Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended. To register, call 844-3524 or e-mail wpbchs1@auburn.edu.

Students are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming seminars titled "Ultimate Money Skills: College." The sessions will be this Thursday, Oct. 1, in 113A Lowder Business Building at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. It's a dynamic and energetic presentation about how choices that students make about money while in college can have a direct impact on their future financial success and can help them make better decisions during and after their time at Auburn.

Two times have been scheduled for the 50-minute seminar so that as many students as possible can attend. The free, interactive seminars will show students how to achieve the critical understanding of appropriate credit use, understand the basics of banking, design their own budget, take control of student loan debt, minimize debt to maximize wealth and protect their identity and avoid identity theft. The presentations are sponsored by monster.com, Bank of America and the Auburn Spirit Foundation for Scholarships. No products will be sold to students. For more information, contact Lucy LaMar at 844-9178 or LLL0003@auburn.edu.

Russell Moore, a professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado, will deliver a presentation titled "Aberrant cardiolipin metabolism in heart failure: The problem and a possible solution,'' today, at 3 p.m. in Haley Center 1203. The dialogue will be open and accessible to all. Moore currently serves as interim vice chancellor for research at the University of Colorado and as an adjunct professor of cardiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. For more information, read the College of Education's news release at http://education.auburn.edu/news/2009/09/moore.html.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University will host a Brown Bag Lunch meeting featuring Rheta Grimsley Johnson, syndicated columnist and Auburn University graduate, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.  The Brown Bag Lunch will be held at the Lexington Hotel located at 1577 South College Street in Auburn. She will be discussing her book “Poor Man's Provence,” which is a rich examination of the colorful, cultural state of Louisiana, including Cajun family life, food and celebrations.

All interested parties are invited to bring a lunch and attend the talk. Copies of the book “Poor Man's Provence” will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Linda Shook at 844-5100 or visit http://www.olliatauburn.org.

The Multicultural Center will host the panel discussion "Rap Sessions Presents: The Post Racism Generation?" at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, in 2222 and 2223 Student Center. Panelists will include Bakari Kitwana, author of "The Hip-Hop Generation"; Adam Mansbach, professor of fiction and author of "The End of the Jews"; Lisa Fager Bediako, president of Industry Ears Inc.; Oliver Wang, professor of sociology and author of "Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide"; and Joan Morgan, author of "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost." The campus community is invited to attend. The Multicultural Center will also be hosting its Open House, Thursday, Aug. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information on these events, call 844-2976.

James Lowery, former director of Management Support Services at UAB, will give a talk titled "Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment: A Nontechnical Overview," on Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in room 2216 in the Student Center. Lowery currently serves on the board of directors of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, Alabama Water Watch Association and several other conservation groups. He has spent many years working for natural resource conservation and has received many awards and recognitions. For more information,email sustain@auburn.edu

Auburn University Psychological Services Center is offering a parenting skills group for parents with children ages 2 to 10 years old this summer. The group is designed to teach effective discipline strategies and skills to improve relationships with children. Participation requires a one-time $20 fee. To sign up or for more information regarding this group, please contact Kay Webster at (334) 844-4889 or by e-mail at aupsc@auburn.edu.

The Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative and the Circle of Care Center for Families will sponsor "Seven Habits of Healthy Marriages," an interactive, skills-based series for couples, beginning Thursday, June 4, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Spidle Hall. Led by Jeremy Walden and Joanne Kehoe, the series will be held on four-consecutive Thursday nights and is free to all participants. Walden is an instructor in the Department of Communication and Journalism, and Kehoe is a marriage educator with the Circle of Care Center for Families in Valley. Couples will learn relationship skills and the latest marriage research on better marital communication, romance and sex. For information about the series or to register, e-mail Jeremy at jsw0007@auburn.edu. To discover more about the Marriage Initiative, visit www.alabamamarriage.org.

On Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m., the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve will present an informational program on bluebirds. Join Ornithology graduate student Rusty Ligon for a program on the beautiful bluebird. Learn about this amazing little bird's feeding and nesting habits and information about bluebird boxes. Admission is $2 for members, $3 for non-members. Ages 4 and under are free. For more information, call Jennifer Lolley at 334-707-6512 or visit the Preserve Web site at www.auburn.edu/preserve. The Preserve is located on N.College Street or Hwy. 147, past the AU Fish Ponds on the N. side of the road. Open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Susan Braden will give a lecture on "Alabama Small Towns: Working within the Ideals of Development and Historic Preservation," on Tuesday, May 5, 2:30 p.m., at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Braden, who recently retired from the art department, taught art history at Auburn for 20 years. Her major interest is in American art and architecture. Her book, "The Architecture of Leisure: The Florida Resort Hotels of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant," was published by University Press of Florida in 2002. She is the Alabama representative to Southeastern Society of Architectural Historians. This lecture is in conjunction with the Auburn University Faculty Exhibition, on display through May 30 in the Bill L. Harbert Gallery and Gallery C. Visit the museum's Web site at http://www.jcsm.auburn.edu/ for more information or contact Colleen Bourdeau at cbourdeau@auburn.edu or 844-7075.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry will have its 24th annual Kosolapoff Award Lecture tomorrow, April 28, at 8 p.m. in the Science Center Auditorium. The lecture will be presented by Koji Nakanishi from Columbia University and is titled "Science Research in US/Japan: Physiologically Active Compounds from Nature.” An additional lecture, "Bio-organic Studies on Vision," will be presented at 4 p.m. in room 134 of the Chemistry Building. The lecture series was started to honor Gannady M. Kosolapoff, an early member of the Chemistry Department at Auburn.