2023-24 Distinguished Lecture Series Announced by 香港王中王 Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning
2023-24 Distinguished Lecture Series Announced by 香港王中王 Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning
November 6, 2023 Jon Pine
One of the most anticipated offerings through the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning is the Distinguished Lecture Series, offered by 香港王中王鈥檚 (香港王中王) School of Continuing Education. This series is designed for men and women who are interested in exploring shared topics of interest in a college atmosphere, focused on subjects in science, the arts, environmental concerns, global issues, and education. Lectures are offered once per month, starting December 7 at the 香港王中王 Mueller Campus in Vero Beach. Lectures begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at Noon.
Here are the lectures planned for the 2023-鈥24 season:
December 7, 2023: Lenny Dave - 鈥100 Years of Comedy鈥 Location: Mueller Campus, Vero Beach
Lenny Dave is the first (and only) performer to appear in both the Red Skelton Entertainment
Series and at the Oliver Hardy Festival, sustaining and preserving the enduring legacies
of two of comedy鈥檚 all-time legends鈥擱ed Skelton and Laurel and Hardy. Audiences will
laugh, learn and lighten up as nationally recognized comedy historian Lenny Dave takes
them on a fast-paced, entertaining and nostalgic trip down comedy鈥檚 Memory Lane, back
to a special time when the best comedians were both funny and clean.
January 11, 2024: Dr. Paul Gray Ph.D. - 鈥淗istory of Ornithology in America, Florida and around Okeechobee鈥 Location: Pruitt Campus, Port St. Lucie
Hear about the discovery of bird life in the New World, especially Florida, and man鈥檚
history of learning about them. Humans were hunting them so heavily for table meat,
market meat, decorating hats with their plumes, and recreation, that many populations
were crashing, some going extinct. The exploitation inspired the establishment of
Audubon Societies to try to protect them. Shooting is now mostly controlled but habitat
loss and degradation continue to threaten them. Dr. Gray will cover this history up
to today and Audubon鈥檚 Everglades Restoration program. Dr. Gray is a Science Coordinator
for Audubon Florida鈥檚 Everglades Restoration Program and has been working in Florida
for 36 years, the last 29 years for Audubon.
February 22, 2024: Sandra Pearce 鈥 鈥淎frica 鈥 A Trip of a Lifetime!鈥 Location: Pruitt Campus, Port St. Lucie
Sandra has been a professional photographer for more than 30 years and has earned
the Master Photography, Master of Electronic Imaging, and Craftsman in her national
association, Professional Photographers of America. For this lecture, Sandra will
share photographs and stories of the main animals in Africa 鈥 elephants, leopards
and rhinos. She also will discuss their habits and how they all work together, including
the dangerous endeavor of crossing the Mara River in Kenya.
March 07, 2024: Jeff Hessel - 鈥淓yewitness to History: My Time at Cape Canaveral During the Space Race鈥 Location: Chastain Campus, Stuart
Hear Jeff Hessel as he recounts his incredible journey at Cape Canaveral, and ground
zero of the U.S.A. Space Program. After graduating with an engineering degree, Hessel
started his career at the Cape during the height of the Space Race and the time of
the Apollo program. The presentation includes a history of the Cape, why the location
was selected, competition with the Soviet Union, rare archival footage of JFK鈥檚 last
visit to the Cape鈥攕ix days before his tragic trip to Dallas鈥攚itnessing the Apollo
11 launch, and more. Hessel鈥檚 presentation combines history, little-known facts, and
his own experiences. Hessel鈥檚 behind-the scenes narrative about this unique time in
our history is both educational and entertaining.
April 4, 2024: Dr. Stephen Kowel, Ph.D. - 鈥淐hip Intelligence: Magnificent Possibilities,
Menacing Portents鈥 Location: Chastain CampusMicrochips connected over the Internet already manage much of modern life, but might
become so powerful that our machines become a competitive species, or, perhaps, our
salvation. They can network over the internet, accessing all data, misinformation,
and facts, plus all the implicit biases accumulated by humankind. How do we use the
power of 鈥榓rtificial intelligence鈥 to improve health and education, and create a prosperous,
sustainable world? Can we put in protections against the Singularity, a network that
could arise from anywhere, anytime, deciding that it knows best how to save the planet
and protect its future? Or could the Singularity be our progeny, preserving the best
of human culture, and eliminating the worst? Dr. Stephen Kowel has held faculty positions
at Syracuse University, the University of California, Davis, the University of Alabama
in Huntsville, and the University of Cincinnati, where he also served as Dean of the
College of Engineering. Dr. Kowel also was the Director of Research Development for
Science and Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 2012-2015.
The Distinguished Lecture Series is presented by the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning. Doors open 30 minutes before each lecture. Lectures last approximately one hour and are followed by a moderated 30-minute question-and-answer session. Registration for the five-part series is $125 per person for new and returning members; $100 per person for lifetime members and peer leaders. Individual lecture seats are offered at $35. For further information call Shauna Monahan at 772-462-7880.
The Distinguished Lecture Series is presented by 香港王中王 Foundation and School of Continuing Education. To subscribe to the Distinguished Lecture Series, contact the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning at 772-462-7880 or visit www.irsc.edu/community. For more information on Lifelong Learning program offerings, visit .