Community of Scholars symposium part of Founders' Day Celebration

By Sue Nichols

From the origins of life to pivotal global events to the crucial issues at life's end, MSU is showcasing some of its finest research at the Founders' Day Celebration “Community of Scholars” symposium.

Three University Distinguished professors will give brief lectures on their research, designed not only to enlighten, but to give a perspective on the diversity of MSU's academic life.

“The faculty are the foundation of the university and the intellectual compass for our teaching, research and service missions,” said Acting Provost John Hudzik. “The distinguished faculty represented here are a sample of both the breadth and depth of MSU's faculty. In recognizing them and their considerable achievements, we draw attention to the individual and collective contributions MSU has made to the betterment of society and to the education of the next generation.”

Beginning at 9 a.m. in the Wharton Center Pasant Theatre, Barbara Given of the College of Nursing, Bradley Sherrill of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and Mohammed Ayoob of James Madison College will give brief lectures aimed at a general audience.

Given's presentation is “Helping Those with Chronic Illness and Their Families to ‘Live' Through Their Disease.” She is a professor in the College of Nursing and senior research scientist for the Institute for Health Care Studies at MSU. For the past three decades, Given has systematically built a program of research in the areas of cancer and caregiver response.

Sherrill will speak on “New Isotopes for Science and Society: How to Manipulate the Atomic Nucleus.” He is with the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Natural Science and studies the nuclear reactions that take place in various astrophysical environments. He investigates radioactive nuclei that play a key role in supernovae explosions, with the goal of better understanding nuclear physics' contributions to cataclysmic events. Sherrill is an active participant in MSU's campaign to bring the Rare Isotope Accelerator to Michigan.

Ayoob's presentation is titled “Confusing Cacophony: Who Speaks for Islam?” He is an expert on international relations and conflict and security in the Third World. His publications on the subject have included conceptual essays as well as case studies dealing with South Asia, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. He has acted as a consultant to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty; the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change appointed by the United Nations secretary general; and the Ford Foundation.

There will be no public parking available at the Wharton Center. Public parking for the symposium will be available in MSU's Parking Ramp No. 5, located behind the Communication Arts and Sciences Building on Wilson Road.

CATA buses run from the Communication Arts and Sciences Building to the Wharton Center. The 33 bus runs about every 10 minutes between Ramp No. 5 to the transfer station next to Parking Ramp No. 1. From there, guests may transfer to either the 30 or 31 bus, both of which stop at the Wharton Center.

Community of Scholars symposium webcast

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