Wednesday II 2022
Wednesday II offerings are engaging presentations on a variety of topics. They are traditionally offered at 2 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month. The following list describes presentations for March-November, 2022.The list includes a title, date, presenter, and description for each event. Although these programs are typically offered in The Heinig Emeriti Lounge in Walwood Hall on East Campus, the October program is being offered in the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE) and the Michigan Geological Survey (MGS) at 5272 W. Michigan Avenue near COSCO. No Wednesday II presentations are scheduled for June, July, August, or December. Emeriti and current faculty members are typically engaged in other activities during June and July, and the second Wednesday in August is traditionally when the Emeriti Council hosts the Emeriti Break Fest.
March 9, 2022 WMU’s Great Lakes Center and Cleanup of the Kalamazoo River
Presenter: Charles F. Ide, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University
Dr. Ide’s talk will highlight work carried out by WMU’s Great Lakes Center with EPA funding. The Center’s work better defined the ecosystem and the human health risks related to PCB contamination in the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan. The relevant science and the political, legal, and financial issues will be described to show how the beginning of the cleanup was delayed for decades and is now underway.
April 13, 2022 Age-related Vision Changes: When and Where to Seek Help for Them
Presenters: Associate Professor Elyse Connors and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Masters Students in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Western Michigan University
Dr. Connors and her students will overview typical vision changes associated with aging, and common age-related eye diseases that may lead to vision loss. Participants will be introduced to the medical and rehabilitation professionals that address eye health and adaptive skills training for living with impaired vision. Local and online resources will be covered.
May 11, 2022 Achieving Resilient and Survivable Structures
Presenter: Brian Montgomery, Director, Bronco Construction Research Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Western Michigan University
Turbulent and laminar wind flow over a geometric structure induces an uplifting force. This force, subjected to low/no-slope commercial roofing systems creates catastrophic failure of the system as a result of hurricane/tornado events. Our Dynamic Wind Uplift chamber simulates the pressures associated with these systems and induces a cyclic loading effect upon the test specimens we assemble. Often, if not completely, the fatigue effect of this cyclic loading is overlooked in the design codes, yet the current industry MODEL is to "build, destroy and rebuild", our MOTTO is to "build...sustain...survive". We are designing innovative construction solutions to absorb or transfer these forces elsewhere within the structure, or to increase the elasticity of the entire system, and thus, have a more resilient and survivable structure.
September 14, 2022 Just in Passing (A New Set of Original Monologues)
Performer: Stanley Robin, Professor Emeritus, Sociology, Western Michigan University
In addition to his performances in several theatrical productions, Stan has created and performed a substantial number of original monologues. A new set of monologues is, Just in Passing. It's funny how the ephemeral things add up, leaving their mark, until the sum of them becomes what we are. Names of the individual monologues are: FDR, The Sweet Science, Miss Malfatano, The Blessing, The Friend, What Is Wrong with That Man? At The Theater, America, On Being a Professor, Aging, and Regrets.
October 12, 2022 An Introduction to the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), the Michigan Geological Survey (MGS), and the Search for Critical Minerals
Presenter: William B. Harrison, III, WMU Professor Emeritus and MGREE Director
Professor Harrison will discuss the geological samples and data preserved at the MGRRE facility and share research focused on finding prospective sites in Michigan where critical minerals might be found. Such minerals are needed in cell phones, medical equipment, military communications, and farming. Many states are working to find domestic sources of these materials that the US currently imports from other countries.
November 9, 2022 Racism
Presenter: Barbara Hemphill, Professor Emerita, Department of Occupational Therapy, Western Michigan University
People of color in the US are systematically denied access in economic capital, bodily security, health, recreation, education, and ownership. The presentation will provide an overview on racism. The presenter will define racism and define terms that are related to what it means to have white privilege.