Cherry Award Finalists' Public Lectures
2024 Cherry Award Finalists' Public Lectures
Jay Banner, PH.D.
F. M. Bullard Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences, and director of the Environmental Science Institute at the University of Texas
21st Century Texas: Climate, water, science, and society
Climatological and geopolitical forces converge in Texas and have the potential to put extreme stress on natural resources and public health. Climate science can be used to project the consequences of increasing greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere for our state. Reconstructing past climate changes in Texas provides context for unprecedented drought and heat risks to come, and the associated impacts on our economy, well-being, and social equity. Are there paths forward to a resilient Texas and reasons for optimism?
Kelly Lambert, PH.D.
MacEldin Trawick Chair and Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Richmond
Brain Sculpting: Stranger than fiction tales of neuroplasticity
Considering that brains change from the womb to the tomb, it is important to understand how various experiences guide the life-long modifications of our neural networks, a process known as neuroplasticity. Drawing from her love of scientific storytelling and ongoing diverse research projects exploring dynamic brains, Kelly Lambert will present a series of “brain-sculpting” vignettes that, at times, may seem more like fiction than evidence-based observations. Her laboratory and field research exploring the neurobiology of resilient rats (e.g., rats driving cars, trust-fund rats, wild rats), paternal mice, curious raccoons, problem-solving macaques, and somewhat mysterious Madagascar mouse lemurs should provide several plot twists for expanding neuronal experiences in the laboratory, classroom, and beyond.
Claire Katz, PH.D.
Claude H. Everette Jr. ’47 Endowed Chair in Education and Professor of Philosophy and Education at Texas A&M
Inquiring Minds: Philosophical Communities and Transformational Education
A philosophy summer camp for teens and tweens!? Who would attend such a camp? Although used nearly every day in our lives (What ought I do?), philosophy is frequently criticized, perceived as either useless or dangerous (Socrates). Throughout philosophy’s own history, educators from as far back as Plato have intentionally excluded children from studying it. In this talk, Claire Katz will discuss her experience teaching philosophy for the past 30+ years, providing evidence of the significant impact not only on college students, but also students in K-12 grades, and the reverberations of this education experienced in the communities to which these students belong.