Casual Conversation with Prof. Haslam Sunday, January 8, 2023
Join us for a casual conversation with Professor Haslam, who will offer us a window into the Soviet Union and, through it, today’s Russia, on Sunday, January 8 at 3 pm Eastern Time (US).
Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Arthur Fergenson (our mini-Reunion Chair) initiated a series of Casual Conversations among classmates. These 2-hour conversations occur roughly monthly using Zoom and are on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm ET unless otherwise specified. About 3 weeks before each event, an announcement is posted here on the web site and sent to all classmates for whom we have valid email addresses. If you wish to suggest a topic, suggest a classmate, or lead a discussion yourself - you should contact Arthur Fergenson.
Here is a list of classmates who have participated in our Casual Conversations, and here is a (quick and dirty) list of the 100 Casual Conversation events since we started in June of 2020, as of October 2024.
Here is the Save the Date list of coming attractions.
Casual Conversation about Alzheimers December 20, 2022 with Jennifer Rauch
On Tuesday, December 20 at 4:30 pm Eastern Time (US), Jennifer Rauch will join us for a Casual Conversation. Ms. Rauch is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Our Class President Jim Staros asked her to spend time with us, and she has generously agreed. Here is Jim’s email to me from October 21 placing the importance of her work in a context we can all appreciate:
Casual Conversation December 14: Where Did I Come From?
“Where did I come from?”
Casual Conversation December 4, 2022 with Alice Mathias
We are fortunate that Alice Mathias, director and producer extraordinaire, has generously agreed to spend time with us at 3 pm Eastern on Sunday, December 4 in a Casual Conversation. As a short introduction to her work, you can read the short biographical sketch that
Casual Conversation with Bill Coulson November 20, 2022
Getting back on track(s) with a Casual Conversation after a short hiatus, on Sunday, November 20 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Bill Coulson will speak with us about passenger rail in the United States. Here is Bill’s outline and background. Get your old Lionels in tip top shape for the discussion and to circle your Thanksgiving turkey, Chanukah menorah, and Christmas tree.
From Bill...
"The Renaissance of Passenger Rail in the US"
Topics for discussion can include -
Casual Conversation with John and Sue Leavitt, October 23, 2022
The next Casual Conversation is on Sunday, October 23 at 3 pm Eastern, and features classmate John Leavitt and his wife Sue. The topic is Management of the Family Forest in Northeastern United States, and is described below in detail. I hope that you will join us for what promises to be a terrific session.
Casual Conversation with David Kertzer, Oct 9th, 2022
Brown Professor David I. Kertzer won a Pulitzer Prize for his book The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe (Random House 2014), and on June 7 his new book will be published: The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler (Random House). His new book is already (as of May 29) ranked as #90 of all books on Amazon.com.
Casual Conversation with Brendan Nyhan and John Carey October 2, 2022
Please join us for a Casual Conversation with Dartmouth Professors Brendan J. Nyhan and John M.
Casual Conversation September 20, 2022 about Quantum Steampunk
On Tuesday, September 20, at 5 pm we will have a chance to meet, via a Zoom Casual Conversation, Dartmouth Valedictorian Nicole Yunger Halpern, a theoretical physicist and a fellow of the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science at the University of Maryland. Dr.
Casual Conversation with Ted Baehr on September 18th, 2022
After much persuading by Tex Talmadge and me, our classmate Ted Baehr has agreed to spend time with us as our guest in a Casual Conversation to be held via Zoom on Sunday, September 18 at 3 pm Eastern Time (US). Ted has had a career unique, to my knowledge, to anyone in the Class. He has forged his own path, exemplifying through his life and work the values he holds dear, and I consider it a real coup that he has agreed to s