Life of the Mind is an annual lecture series featuring interdisciplinary conversations with UC faculty from a variety of disciplines around a one-word theme. The fall lecture, scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, will focus on the theme of “next.”

Life of the Mind lectures feature one faculty member presenting his or her work and expertise in concert with the prescribed theme. The presentation is not simply a recitation of the presenter’s work, but promotes a point of view. A panel of three faculty members responds to and discusses the lecture from diverse perspectives, and a moderator encourages audience engagement.

The Life of the Mind Steering Committee seeks nominations for the featured UC faculty presenter. Each featured UC faculty presenter possesses:

• Accomplished UC faculty member with national/international reputation.
• Proven record of scholarship or creative works.
• Recognized as an expert in their field of study, research or creation of works.
• Experienced at presenting their work to an audience outside the classroom.
• Excellent and engaging speaker able to relate to a non-specialist audience.
• Provocative topic of study/research/creative work.

The Life of the Mind Steering Committee is looking for speakers to explore the nature of “Next” — what is the next step for your discipline, your community, your research or your creative focus? We’d like to encourage consideration of the historical, cultural, scientific, artistic and other disciplinary renderings, imaginings, interrogations and explorations of the term. How, for example, is the term used, co-opted and even exploited for political, economic, social justice, religious, medical and/or educational use?

“Next” can signify opportunities, as the world was reminded when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon as part of the Apollo campaign, or when Albert Sabin took the next step in medicine with the development of the Sabin polio vaccine. Yet “next” for some communities may mean less rather than more. Who decides what is “next”? Will the next step in the climate change dialogue, or in the world response to Ebola prevention, or in community relations in Cincinnati and around the world signal the power of change or will it sound a warning knell to remember past lessons learned?

The Life of the Mind Steering Committee will review all nominations and select the Featured UC Faculty Presenter. Members of the Steering Committee are: Co-chairs Cynthia Ris and Xuemao Wang, Caleb Adler, Jenny Doctor, Yonatan Eyal, Helene Harte, Jenny Mackiewicz (ex-officio), Melissa Cox Norris (ex-officio) and Michael Sharp. Life of the Mind is sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost with support from the Office of the President. It is organized by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, University of Cincinnati Libraries and Faculty Senate.

For more information, or to view past lectures, visit the Life of the Mind website at http://libraries.uc.edu/lifeofthemind.html.