Convocations

Fall 2006 Schedule

Tuesday, September 5 - 11:30 PM - SUU Auditorium
Desire
Greg Whiteley
Award-Winning Film Director

Greg Whiteley, was born in Provo, Utah and raised in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. Whiteley attended Brigham Young University as an undergraduate where his short film The Village Singer won the Final Cut Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize. He earned an MFA from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. While there he directed two commercial spots, "Egg Test" and "Vegetarian Terrorist." Both spots received Clio Awards.

His feature film debut New York Doll is a documentary of rock star Arthur "Killer" Kane’s religious conversion and the subsequent reformation of Kane’s legendary and seminal rock group the New York Dolls. The reunion was spearheaded by another legendary rock star, Morrissey, who was himself a fan of "the Dolls." This unexpectedly poignant and endearing film was nominated for both a Satellite Award (Outstanding Motion Picture, Documentary) and the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Greg currently lives and works in Los Angeles with his wife and two children and in 2004, Greg started One Potato Productions, which has created DVD and video content for Warner Music, Sanctuary Records, Mattel, the U.S. Marine Corp, and others.

Also on September 5th there will be a special screening of New York Doll hosted by Greg in The Sharwan Smith Center Theatre at 7:30 PM . Admission to the screening is free, priority seating will be available to those attending the Convocation.

Tuesday, September 19 - 11:30 AM - SUU Auditorium
It's a Jungle Up There:  Adventures in Forest Canopies
Margaret D. Lowman, Ph.D.
Biologist specializing in Tropical Rain Forest Canopies

Meg Lowman (aka "Canopy Meg") is the Director of Environmental Initiatives at New College, the premier honors college for the State of Florida, with professorships in biology and environmental studies. Her expertise involves canopy ecology, particularly plant-insect relationships, and spans over 25 years in Australia, Peru, Africa, the Americas, and the South Pacific. She has authored over 95 peer-reviewed publications and three books.

Meg has developed an expertise for the use of different canopy access techniques, including ropes, walkways, hot air balloons, construction cranes, and combinations of these methods. She frequently speaks about her jungle adventures and about rain forest conservation. She received the Margaret Douglas Medal for Achievement in Conservation Education from the Garden Club of America (1999), The Eugene Odum Prize for Excellence in Ecology Education from the Ecological Society of America (2002), election to Leadership Florida (1997), serves on Board of Directors for the Explorers Club, and is part of the senior management team of NEON for the National Science Foundation. Carolyn Shoemaker of the US Dept of the Interior named an asteroid after her (2003). She co-chaired the First and Second International Conferences on Forest Canopies (1994, 1998), and was chief scientist for the Jason Project in Education (1995,1999, 2004). Her latest book, Life in the Treetops, received a cover review in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.

Tuesday, October 3 - 11:30 am - SUU Auditorium
Give & Grow Rich
Dr. Joe Martin
Speaker, respected university professor, author and educational consultant

Dr. Joe Martin is one of the most sought after educational consultants and speakers in the nation. His presentation “It’s Good to Be Ugly!” at SUU last year was so poignant that many students, faculty, staff, and community members requested that he be invited back. Many described his message as "life changing." Southern Utah University is thrilled Dr. Martin has agreed to return for an encore Convocation address. Dr. Martin’s presentation this year is called "Give & Grow Rich" and teaches that you can either lead by example or excuses, but not both. In this stirring presentation, audience members will learn how to lead, motivate, and inspire others by serving.

In spite of growing up in a family plagued by alcoholism, drugs, and abuse, Joe started his first successful business (a retail clothing store) at the age of 22, became the youngest professor ever hired to teach at an accredited university in the state of Florida (at 24), and owned and operated a successful special events/public relations agency at the age of 26. Currently Joe is the president and founder of RealWorld University, the largest college student success web site in the country.

Joe's presentation is offered in cooperation with the Teaching ALL Conference

Tuesday, October 17 - 11:30 am - SUU Auditorium
The Decline and Fall of Journalism and the Rise of the New Media
Mark Seddon
Journalist and UN/NY Correspondent for Al Jazeera International

Mark Seddon is the UN/NY Correspondent for the English language channel, Al Jazeera International. After years of reporting for the BBC and others, from countries such as pre-war Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, China, Israel and North Korea, Mark brings a unique insight into both West and East, Christian and Islamic, Capitalist and Communist. He offers a fresh perspective into what motivates the developed and the developing world, with a special emphasis on the latest conflicts and some candid advice on what to do about them.

Mark was a former Editor of Tribune and member of the UK Labour Party’s ruling National Executive Committee, which brought him into close contact with many key players such as UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and leading political/diplomatic figures both West and East, over many years. Mark has never been afraid of controversy or challenging accepted wisdom. At the age of fifteen, Mark turned his back on his Conservative background, and joined the UK Labour Party. That move would eventually lead him to become the youngest ever Editor of the Labour supporting Tribune, formerly edited by amongst others, George Orwell. Mark’s experiences give him an inside knowledge of the UK Government’s key players, how the UK media works – and how it differs from the US media. He will reveal why he gave up an established journalistic career in Britain and come to work in America for Al Jazeera International.

University Journal Article on Mr. Seddon's Convocation

Tuesday, October 31 - 11:30 am - SUU Auditorium
International Week Address--US Interests in the Middle East in a Time of War: Choices, Costs
and Consequences
Dr. Omar Kader
Former Executive Director, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and current Chairman of the Board, PaL-Tech, Inc.

Omar M. Kader was born in Provo, Utah. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California where he wrote his dissertation on foreign policy and international relations. He served as Assistant Dean in the College of Social Sciences where he served in various roles in the development of general education curriculum development, student affairs and directing student advising. He also taught political science and international relations at Brigham Young University. Dr. Kader left the university for Washington, D.C., where he served as the Executive Director of the United Palestinian Appeal, a Palestinian charity and later as Executive Director of Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a civil rights group.

In 1987, Dr. Kader formed Pal-Tech, Inc., a management consulting firm focusing on training and education, technical assistance, and management. The firm currently has contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, the Office of Personnel Management and the Agency for International Development.

Dr. Kader is very active in civic affairs. In 1994, he accompanied President Clinton to Jordan as a member of the White House delegation to the peace signing between Israel and Jordan. He frequently provides expert commentary to news organizations and conducts public speaking engagements on the development of political issues in the Middle East. He has served as an official international election monitor and observer of elections in Morocco, Yemen, and Palestine.

Tuesday, November 14 - 11:30 am - SUU Auditorium
Running Through a Minefield
Jill Stevens
Afghanistan Combat Veteran

Jill Stevens served as a combat medic in Afghanistan with the 211th Aviation Battalion participating in Operation Enduring Freedom. Jill is a well rounded woman who in addition to her brave military service, has competed in seven marathons and is serving this year as Miss Southern Utah University. Jill will graduate in May of 2007 with a nursing degree from SUU.

Due in part to her diverse and unique background, she has had numerous opportunities to be an advocate for the Unites States Armed Forces and has capitalized on the media curiosity which has been sparked by her being a “soldier turned pageant contestant.” People are intrigued by her experiences as a female soldier and often wonder why she would compete in a pageant. Jill is not a traditional contestant. Most contestants have not fought in a war, ran marathons, flown in a helicopter, or shot an M-16.

Jill’s hope is to inspire others to make the best of any situation, and to identify their own personal combat zones in order to ensure triumph in the ongoing war of life! Her ideal legacy is simply this: She wants to be known as a woman who was willing to fight for what she believed in, whether wearing stiletto heels or combat boots.

Tuesday, November 28 - 11:30 am - SUU Auditorium
Bharata Natyam - The Classical Dance of South India
Neela Moorty
Dancer and Lecturer

Neela Moorty has been training in and performing Bharata Natyam for the past 17 years from her guru, Smt. Viji Prakash – director of the Shakti School of Bharata Natyam in Los Angeles. Neela was born and raised in Cedar City, Utah and she and her mother would drive on the weekends to Los Angeles for dance lessons. Though Neela attended college in Connecticut, she and would fly cross-country to Los Angeles during breaks to train and perform with the Shakti Dance Company. Subsequently, Neela has continued to perform on a professional level, including being part of the Utah Arts Council’s prestigious roster for the Utah Performing Arts Tour.

Bharata Natyam is an effective and unique method to learn, not only about an intricate dance form, but also the classical traditions of India, as it is one of the oldest dance forms of India. Bharata Natyam was nurtured in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times. Later it was codified and documented as a performing art in the 19th century by four brothers known as the Tanjore Quartet whose musical compositions for dance form the bulk of the Bharata Natyam repertoire even today. The art was handed down as a living tradition from generation to generation. Highly talented artists and the male gurus (nattuvanars) were the sole repository of the art until the early 20th century when a renewal of interest in India's cultural heritage prompted the educated elite to discover its beauty. The revival of Bharata Natyam has brought the dance out of the temple precincts and onto the formal stage though it retained its essentially spiritual nature.

Tuesday, December 5 - 11:30 am - SUU Randall Jones Theatre
Distinguished Faculty Lecture: Soundscapes of the National Park System
Dr. Britton Mace
Associate Professor of Psychology at Southern Utah University

Dr. Britton Mace has taught at SUU since 1999. He teaches Environmental and Social Psychology, Environmental Studies, and a field studies course during May in the National Parks. Dr. Mace is renowned for his research in air and noise pollution, and has worked as a consultant with the National Park Service for over a decade. Britt has published his research in such respected journals as Environment and Behavior, Society and Natural Resources, the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, and the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Dr. Mace is currently working on the 6th edition of the book Environmental Psychology, to be published in 2007. Dr. Mace received his B.S. in 1992 from California State University, Chico. Both his M.S. in 1997 and his Ph.D. in 1999 were in Environmental and Social Psychology from Colorado State University.

The soundscape of a national park, like the scenery, wildlife, or geology is a valuable resource that is easily degraded by inappropriate sounds or sound levels. The key analysis issue has been determining what levels and types of sound are appropriate or acceptable for different management areas throughout a park. Several specific studies conducted in the national parks will be detailed to illustrate the complexities of measuring and managing soundscapes. Landscapes from several National Parks surrounding Southern Utah University will be included in this presentation to illustrate why soundscapes are a treasured resource to be protected and preserved.
 

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Last Update: Friday, July 13, 2007