“Wave,” author Sonali Deraniyagala
Monday, November 4, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– On Dec. 26, 2004, Deraniyagala was vacationing with her husband, two sons, and her parents in Yala, Sri Lanka. Within a matter of minutes, the sea had wiped out life as she had known it. In “Wave,” she recalls her experience with the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people, including her own family. She is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York, working on issues of economic development, including post-disaster recovery.
“Hyrdofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know,” author Alex Prud’homme
Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– “Hydrofracking” explores the debate surrounding hydrofracking and provides a clear guide to the science underlying the technique. In concise question-and-answer format, Prud’homme cuts through the maze of opinions and rhetoric to uncover key points, from the economic and political benefits of fracking to the health dangers and negative effects on the environment. He has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Time Magazine. He is the author of five books, including “The Ripple Effect: the Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century,” and the co-writer of Julia Child’s bestselling memoir, “My Life in France.”
“A Buyer-Led Approach to Creating Jobs for the Poor,” development economist, James Riordan
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– Riordan challenges conventional wisdom on international development work in his book, “We Do Know How: A Buyer-Led Approach to Creating Jobs for the Poor.” With practical guidance, he shows how to build on the incentives that drive businesses and, in the process, expand the incomes of poor people. Riordan takes buzzwords commonly used in development circles–“demand-driven,” “results-oriented,” “accountability”– and makes them real, spelling out a proven approach to drive economic growth. With more than 35 years of experience working in the public, non-profit and academic sectors, Riordan has designed and implemented anti-poverty, food security, business development, rural development, and policy reform programs in 59 countries.
“Getting Better: Why Global Development is Succeeding,” development economist, Charles Kenny
Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– “Getting Better” lays out the evidence on growing income disparities between the global rich and the global poor and explains the failed search for a silver bullet to overcome economic malaise. Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, discusses the considerable successes of development, pointing to global progress in health, education, civil and political rights, infrastructure, and even access to beer. He argues that ideas and technologies are the driving forces behind progress and suggests what the success of development and the importance of innovation to that success mean for policies in the developing world.
“Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife,” author Dr. Eben Alexander
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (Clinton Presidential Center, Great Hall) *Book signing to follow
– New York Times best-selling author and neurosurgeon, Dr. Alexander, explores his journey into the afterlife after slipping into meningitis-induced coma for seven days. Alexander’s near-death experience has changed him and the way he thinks about the brain forever. Alexander and his book investigate the true nature of consciousness through his miraculous experience.
“Makers: Women Who Make America,” a film screening and discussion
Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. (Arkansas Union Theatre, Fayetteville Arkansas)
– The University of Arkansas Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service will co-host “18 Million Cracks: The Legacy of Second-Wave Feminism,” the fifth symposium in the Blair Legacy Series. As part of the symposium, the public is invited to a free screening of the PBS documentary “Makers: Women Who Make America” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Arkansas Union Theatre. Sara Evans, one of the film’s advisers, will lead a discussion following the viewing, and a reception will follow the program. For more information about the Blair Legacy Series or the film screening, please see the Blair Center website.
“A Rich Spot of Earth: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello,” author Peter Hatch
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *In Partnership with P. Allen Smith
– Hatch is a professional gardener and historian with 38 years of experience in the restoration, care, and interpretation of historic landscapes. A celebrated author of four books on the gardens of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where he served as Director of Gardens and Grounds for 35 years, Hatch has lectured in 36 states on Jefferson and the history of garden plants. Presently, he gardens and botanizes from his home on Lickinghole Creek in Crozet, Virginia and consults on the installation and maintenance of both public gardens and private estate landscapes
“The Future of Korea and US Relations,” Consul General Suk-bum Park
Friday, November 22, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Ambassador Park, as the current Consul General of the Republic of Korea, is responsible for promoting the relationship between Korea and five southern states in the United States. Having served as Ambassador in Bangladesh and Iraq, as well as a key member of the negotiating team for the historic Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, he has an extensive knowledge and background in promoting trade, cultural awareness, exchange programs, and building relations with Korea on an international level. In his presentation, Ambassador Park will highlight recent major events, milestones and developments that affect the Korea-U.S. relationship to illustrate the importance of reinforcing the Korea-U.S. collaboration in the future.
“Political Branding 101,” political consultant Hogan Gidley
Monday, November 25, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Gidley is a leading communications and political consultant with over 15 years of experience on both the statewide and national stages. Most recently, he served as the National Communications Director for the Santorum for President campaign. Prior to that, Gidley served as the Director of Communications for then-Governor Mike Huckabee and the Executive Director of HuckPAC, served as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party and worked on behalf of a number of Republican candidates, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole. Gidley is a regular on-air political contributor to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and FOX News and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, and Minor in Political Science from the University of Mississippi.
*Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu, or calling 501-683-5239.