Center for Educational Excellence

Just Read!

USD Just Read! encourages literacy and deep dialogue on social themes presented through outstanding literature. The program promotes active learning and reading not only within the USD community but within the San Diego community at large. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the book selection is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. This common reading project will simultaneously be taking place at the major universities and community colleges in San Diego. Below is a description of some of the events as well as a link to the primary web page for the literacy campaign.

Read the Inside USD Article

Students! Click here to learn about the USD Just Read! Essay Contest

Click here for the Essay Contest Rubric

Click here for a printable flyer listing all the USD book discussions.

Henrietta Lacks Project

SD Educational Alliance Plans 8-Month Exploration of Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Project Overview

Starting this fall, a San Diego science and education coalition will launch an unprecedented county-wide series of events that examine research ethics and diversity issues through the platform of the best seller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

From September 7, 2011 through April 2012, the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology will devote eight of its monthly “Exploring Ethics” forums to different aspects of the riveting story of Lacks, an African-American cancer patient whose cells were used for research without her knowledge or consent. A high point of the series will be a November 2 "Exploring Ethics" lecture by the book’s author, Rebecca Skloot, at the University of San Diego's Shiley Theatre at 6 p.m.

Other monthly “Exploring” forums will feature expert speakers from UCSD, SDSU, USD, Point Loma University, CSU San Marcos, Grossmont College, and other participating institutions. All of the institutions are planning multiple satellite events ranging from art projects to theatrical productions to common reading experiences.

Book Synopsis & Reviews

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks chronicles the true story of how cervical cancer cells taken from Lacks were used, without her knowledge or consent, to produce a human cell line for research purposes. Officially labeled “HeLa” cells, Lacks’ cell line was so resilient and bountiful that it is still being used for medical research 60 years after her death in 1951. HeLa cells have been instrumental in studying cancer, polio, radiation sickness, gene mapping, and a range of other areas.

The book, Skloot’s first, has won widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including the Wellcome Trust Book Prize and the Heartland Prize, It was ranked among the “Top 10 Books of 2010 “by Publisher’s Weekly and among the “100 Notable Books of the Year” by The New York Times, which said of the book, "Science writing is often just about ‘the facts.’ Skloot’s book … is far deeper, braver, and more wonderful."

"We are tremendously excited about this first-of-a-kind series and the opportunities it presents for dynamic public engagement about science," said Center Director Michael Kalichman. “San Diego is the perfect place to stage such an ambitious series, and the story of Henrietta Lacks is the ideal catalyst for it.”

Dates of Events

Here is the list of presentations for the Ethics Center series surrounding the book - more information as well as other events will be forthcoming. Click here for a printable flyer listing all the USD book discussions.

Calendar of Events:

Date	Sponsoring Institution	Lead Speaker	Title	Location
September 7, 2011	University of San Diego (USD)	Laura Rivard Adjunct Professor of Biology, University of San Diego	HeLa Cells	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
October 5, 2011	Point Loma Nazarine University (PLNU)	Jamie Gates Professor of Cultural Anthropology and African Studies & Director of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, Point Loma Nazarene University	The Politics of Race, Class, Gender and HIV/AIDS in South Africa	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
November 2, 2011	San Diego State University (SDSU)	Rebecca Skloot (Books Author)	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Click here to RSVP for the lottery	University of San Diego Shiley Theatre
December 7, 2011	University of California San Diego (UCSD)	Georgia Sadler Clinical Professor of Surgery, UC San Diego	Barriers to Clinical Trial Recruitment	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
January 4, 2011	Grossmont College	Tate Hurvitz Professor of English, Grossmont College	Science Literacy and Underserved Populations	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
February 1, 2011	SDSU PLNU USD	Moderator: Chris Frost, Professor of Religion and Associate Dean, Division of Undergraduate Studies, San Diego State University Panelists: Michael Lodahl, Professor of Theology and World Religions, Point Loma Nazarene University Khaleel Mohammed, Associate Professor of Religion, San Diego State University Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Diego	Is Henrietta Lacks Really Immortal? Religious Perspectives on Life, Death, and Immortality	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
March 7, 2011	UCSD	TBD	TBD	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
April 4, 2011	PLNU	TBD	TBD	Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

How to RSVP

Most events will be held at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center near Balboa Park.
- Event Location: The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center • 1875 El Prado • San Diego, CA 92101
  (619) 238-1233
In order to attend an event, you MUST RSVP at The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology website.
- Click here to RSVP