Bridges Academy Lectures Series
Education is central to the University of San Diego's mission, and our commitment to education travels beyond campus borders. The Bridges Academy is a lectureship series which aims to quite literally “bridge” the gap between the retired community of San Diego and USD through educational opportunities. Because a sense of community is such an integral part of education here at USD, the Bridges Academy is designed to foster relationships with those outside the campus and raise awareness of university events.It is the vitality of our host communities, united with the academic and cultural power of USD that results in extraordinary, mutually beneficial relationships. These relationships help to enrich lives both here at USD and in the community. Because we believe educational development is the key to cultivating such relationships, we cordially invite you to join our lectureship series and experience the wonder and growth education provides. These exciting and valuable lectures are given by leading professors, alumni and students and take place on USD’s picturesque campus.
The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a program fostering life-long learning for those 55 years and older. U3A is a three-week program providing interesting speakers and workshops, and is offered by the Division of Continuing Education at USD, in January and July of each year.
For more information, please visit the University of Third Age Web pages.
Memory: What It Is and How do You Keep It
Presented by Veronica Galván, professor, Department of Psychology
Thursday, September 17, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
The human brain is a truly amazing and highly complex organ. Did you know that your skin weighs twice as much as your brain? One of the most complex processes that the brain has is the ability to remember events and information (memory). And to add to the complexity, there are several different types of memory. For example, there is the type of memory used to play piano, and the type of memory that you use to describe your childhood home. These different types of memory respond differently to aging. Join Veronica Galván as she discusses the types of memory, why your memory may not be as bad as you think it is, and things that you can do to keep your memory sharp.
About the Speaker
Veronica V. Galván is an assistant professor here at USD. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Ph.D. in neurobiology and behavior from the University of California, Irvine. While at UC, Irvine, she was a part of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Her main research interests are memory and some of the factors that may enhance or impair it, such as attention and stress. She has taught a variety of classes at USD, including Research Methods, Cognitive Psychology, Human Memory, and Biological Psychology, and an independent study class that visits various scientists and their labs in Irvine and San Diego.
A Brave New World: The Freshman Experience at USD
Presented by Kaela McCabe and Kelli Killion, USD students
Thursday, September 24, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
Take a moment and think back to your first week of college. Maybe your vision consists of cramming all your earthly belongings into your broom-closet of a room, meeting your new roommate(s), and waving goodbye to your parents from the dorm steps. Or maybe you can remember with vivid clarity the panic you felt as you rushed around trying to locate your next class, the dread of declaring a major, or the sinking feeling you felt when you finally realized you were sitting in the wrong class!
While today’s college freshman still face many of the same stressful issues, universities have begun to build programs that help students transition into college life. Take this unique opportunity to relive the first year of college without having to relive the cafeteria, mid-terms, and loud roommates! Discover the exceptional steps USD has taken to help first-year students feel at home. Learn about Torero Days, residential life, the Preceptorial Program, FRESH, and what its like to be a college student in today’s world. Don’t miss out on Bridges Academy’s first ever student presenters!
Climate Change: What San Diego Can Do to Help
Presented by Scott Anders, Director, USD Energy Policy Initiatives Center
Wednesday, October 7, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
We release greenhouse gases as a result of using energy to drive, using electricity to light and heat our homes, and through other activities that support our quality of life like growing food, raising livestock and throwing away garbage. But did you know that greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and natural gas use account for about 34% of total regional (San Diego) emissions, second only to on-road transportation? Join EPIC director, Scott Anders, as he explores specific local and regional policy options to reduce emissions. Find out what truly makes a difference, what plans are being made for the future, and learn about what you can do to help!
The Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) is a non-profit academic and research center of the USD School of Law that studies energy policy issues affecting the San Diego region and California. EPIC's mission is to educate the public and public officials concerning energy issues and policies; encourage the use and development of less costly and more environmentally friendly energy resources; and to encourage the location of efficient energy resources and products in the San Diego region – including current manufacturers of energy saving and solar-related devices.
About the Speaker
Scott Anders joined USD School of Law in October 2005 as EPIC’s inaugural director. In this position, he executes EPIC’s work plan and research agenda, and manages the day-to-day activities of the Center. Prior to joining the Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC), Anders was director for policy and planning at the San Diego Regional Energy Office (SDREO).
Anders was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa and holds a B.A. in international politics from Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA) and an M.A. in public policy, with a concentration in environmental policy, from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.
Guatemala: Land of Injustice?
Presented by Elena McCollim, program office, Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice
Thursday, October 15, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
In the first half of 2009, Guatemala was rocked by the murder of a prominent lawyer, by accusations that the president, his wife, and his personal secretary were behind it, and by the massive mobilizations that followed – some supporting the government and others opposing it. The international attention that followed on those events shone a bright light on the instability that Guatemalan citizens had already been experiencing for many years. Twelve years after the signing of UN-brokered peace accords – the most ambitious in the hemisphere – Guatemala remains a place where basic human security, defined as freedom from both fear and want, is still elusive. At the same time, vibrant civil society organizations persistently seek a way toward a more just and stable peace. The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice visited Guatemala in June and will report back on possibilities for building future partnerships for peace.
About the Speaker
Elena McCollim is a Program Officer at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at USD. She has an M.A. in International Relations, with concentrations in International Economics and Social Change & Development, cum laude, from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University; and a B.A. in development studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Born in Mexico, she is bilingual in Spanish and English, and has lived in South America and traveled in southern Africa.
Fiscal Fitness: Year-end Tax Planning for 2009 and Beyond
Presented by Marshall Varano, tax partner, and David Gibbs, tax manager, of J.H. Cohn
Wednesday, November 4, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
“Isn't it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool's Day and ends with cries of 'May Day!’” – Rob Knauerhase
Unfortunately, there is very little you can do after December 31st to reduce your taxes for the current year. So, take stock of your tax issues now with help from the professionals! Get a handle on the “unknowns” for the next coming year. This informative presentation will cover a wide range of topics, such as recent tax law changes, minimum distribution requirements, charitable giving, tax-deferred exchanges, the alternative minimum tax, and how you can prepare for next season by doing some year-end planning today. While no one looks forward to tax season, you can help ease the pain with this informational seminar. Don’t miss out!
About the Speakers
Marshall Varano, tax partner, and David Gibbs, tax manager, of J.H. Cohn will co-present this hands-on workshop. J.H. Cohn was founded in 1919 and is now one of the largest independent accounting firms in the country. Both Marshall and David sit on USD’s Planned Giving Professional Partner’s Council.
Varano graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State with a degree in Business Administration. He has over 24 years of experience in public accounting with an expertise in business tax consulting and real estate transactions.
Gibbs graduated summa cum laude from USD where he received his Bachelor of Accountancy. He has over 10 years of experience in public accounting serving small to medium-sized businesses and specializes in technical areas that include compliance and planning for clients in diverse industries.
The Miniscule Majority: Why do insects really dominate the planet?
Presented by Geoffrey Morse, assistant professor, Department of Biology
Thursday, November 19, 10-11:30 a.m.
DEGHERI ALUMNI CENTER, ROOM 120
November 24, 2009 will mark the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species - a book that revolutionized the natural sciences and every literary, philosophical and religious thinker who followed. But is Darwin’s work still influential today?
Meet Professor Geoffrey Morse and you’ve got your answer. Morse is an assistant biology professor here at USD and, incidentally, was named a Charles Darwin Fellow at the University of Massachusetts. Professor Morse works in a field called evolutionary biology – a sub-field of biology concerned with the origin of species from a common descent, as well as their change, multiplication and diversity over time.
Learn about Morse’s work concerning how complex interactions shape the biodiversity of the planet's most successful group of organisms: insects. Insects have intimate interactions with the plants, fungi, or animals on which they feed; they have interactions that range from highly mutualistic (e.g. pollinating honeybees) to highly parasitic (think about that mosquito you wished you'd slapped away); and they have sexual interactions that run the gamut from combative to cooperative. Join Morse to learn how he studies insects in the field and the laboratory and just how much Darwin’s work has influenced the world of science today.
About the Speaker
Morse received his Ph.D. in organismic and evolutionary biology from Harvard University in 2003. His research interests include evolutionary ecology of insect-plant interactions, speciation, and population structure and looks at the role of selection in the evolution of new species.
Bridges Academy Holiday Luncheon
Friday, December 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Room D
Lunch: $35 per person, includes USD Christmas Concert tickets for December 4th or 6th
Registration deadline: Friday, November 13th
Reserved parking in Institute for Peace and Justice South Lot
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
- Dr. Seuss
This tradition is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy delicious food and delightful company. Meet this year’s scholarship winners as we award them $1,000 each from the Bridges Academy Endowed Scholarship Fund- a fund which many of you generously contribute to. Enjoy a private, Christmas-themed performance by The Founders Chapel Choir. Separate invitations will be mailed out later in the semester, but sign up early to reserve your spot. Payment can be made over the phone or by check.
