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University of Delaware alumni returning to campus for Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 17-19, will find something new on the menu designed to appeal to their hunger for knowledge. They are invited to attend Alumni College, offered for the first time this year by the College of Arts and Science.

A variety of hot-button topics will be covered by UD faculty on Saturday, Oct. 18, during the morning and afternoon, and there will be no exams, no papers—just interesting lectures on timely topics and discussion.

Alumni College will begin with check-in and light refreshments from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in Wolf Hall, followed by welcoming remarks from Mark Huddleston, arts and science dean.

During the day, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., an exhibition, “Buenos Aires: A Tale of Two Cities, Mapping the New Reality Through Poetry and Photography,” will be open in the Perkins Student Center Gallery. Photojournalist Silvina Frydlewsky and poet Gladys Ilarregui, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures, will be on hand to answer questions about the portrayal of contemporary Latin America and Argentina, using Buenos Aires as a case study.

Alumni College sessions begin at 10 a.m., and alumni are invited to choose one class from each of three sessions.

First session, 10-11:30 a.m.

• “Playing Fast and Loose: Global Media and International Relations”—Ralph J. Begleiter, UD’s Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Rosenberg Professor of Communication and former CNN world affairs correspondent will discuss the relationship of politics and the media in shaping public perceptions of international issues.
• “Gene and Stem Cell Therapy: The Next Frontiers?”—Eric Kmiec, professor of biological sciences, will discuss the exciting new procedures being developed to treat diseases, such as cancer, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis, using genes and stem cells.

Second session, noon-1:30 p.m.

• “Don’t Leave Grandma in the Attic: Caring for Your Family Photographs”—Debra Hess Norris, professor and chairperson of the Department of Art Conservation, will talk about the preservation of family photos, from early 19th-century photographs up to contemporary color prints. She will give guidelines relating to long-term care of family photographs with sample collections and photographs. Participants are encouraged to bring samples of their family photographs for review.
• “Iran’s Revolution After 25 Years: Time for a New One?”—Rudolph P. Matthee, associate professor of history, will address the complexities of Iranian politics, assess the chances for reform and the survival of the current regime under President Khatami, as well as possible alternatives.
• “Seeing Is Believing“Or Is It? Psychological Research and Everyday Life.”—Helene Intraub, professor of psychology, will discuss perceptual illusions and errors of memory, with demonstrations to experience the remarkable “tricks” the mind can play. She also will give an overview of exciting new research in UD’s psychology department.

Third session, 2-3:30 p.m.

• “Where Architects Seduce the Eye: Illusion and Allusion on The University of Delaware Green”—Bernard Herman, Rosenberg Professor of Art History, will give a walking tour of The Green and talk about the aspects of The Green from its inception to the present and the ways architects and landscape designers manipulated the area to achieve a variety of goals.
• “Biological Weapons: Warfare and Terrorism”—David Smith, associate professor of biological sciences, will give an overview of the history, production and delivery of different microbial agents that can be used to harm military or civilian populations. He also will discuss protection, treatment and decontamination procedures for suspected materials.

The Dean’s Reception with light refreshments will be held from 4-5:30 p.m., in Gore Hall for alumni and UD administrators.

For a brochure about all College of Arts and Science Homecoming activities or to register for Alumni College and other events, call 831-2793 or send e-mail to [homecoming@art-sci.udel.edu].

Contact: Sue Moncure, (302) 831-1740
Oct. 2, 2003