Dr. Neal Lerner, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Writing Center in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Northeastern University, presents a workshop for faculty and teaching assistants titled How Does ”Good Writing” Get Defined in our Disciplines? And What Does this Mean For Our Teaching? Register at the link provided, or email Dana Gierdowski at dcgierdo@ncsu.edu. Seating is limited.

Several Psychology graduate students will attend to answer questions about grad school. Pizza and drinks provided. Hope you see you there!

David Shambaugh will lecture on "China's Global Identities: Coping with a Conflicted Rising Power."Shambaugh is professor of political science and international affairs and founding director of the China Policy Program at George Washington Univrsity. Presented by the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program. 

In 2011, every 20 hours a rhino was illegally killed to support the growing demand for rhino horn in Asia, where rhino horn is viewed as a status symbol and is (incorrectly) though to have medicinal properties. Rhino Reality is launching a massive campaign to end the demand of rhino horn by taking influential Asians on a fact-finding expedition through the heart of rhino territory in South Africa. They will attend one of our meetings via skype to talk about rhino conservation and their campaign.

Ellen Schrecker, Professor of History at Yeshiva University, NY, gives a lecture titled, "The Lost Soul of Higher Education: Academic Freedom in the Age of Accountability." Schrecker has written extensively on higher education, including her recent book, "The Lost Soul of Higher Education: Corporatization, the Assault on Academic Freedom, and the End of the American University." She is also the leading expert on McCarthyism and has published several books on the subject. Hosted by the Department of English. 

At least 12.3 million people are victims of forced labor worldwide. Of these, 2.4 million are forced into labor as a result of human trafficking. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing international crimes; it impacts everyone from the victims to knowing and unknowing consumers. Hosted by The Movement, an NC State co-ed activist and peer education group. 

Join us for a thoughtful discussion of the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the North Carolina Conference of the NAACP, will speak. Hosted by the Graduate Student Social Work Association at NC State. 

This documentary highlights the dedication of park rangers around the world who work on the front lines of conservation. Rangers protect animals, parks, and reserves in the face of poachers, wild animals and other challenges. Free, although donations are welcome. Donations are split between the Thin Green Line Foundation and the campus Roots & Shoots organization for NCSU service projects and events. Event sponsored by Roots and Shoots.

Student awards will be presented at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Student Awards Reception, which also will also give students, alumni, faculty, former faculty, and other friends of the Department the opportunity to meet informally. Refreshments provided. For catering purposes, please RSVP to kepeters@ncsu.edu by February 24.

Dr. Richard Edward Green, Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering in the Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, talks about detecting and interpreting admixture from Neandertals in current humans.

Dr. Richard Edward Green addresses human evolution as revealed by a Neandertal. In conjunction with Green's talk, NC State and other anthropology and paleontology students present posters of their relevant work.Green is Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering in the Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Reception and poster session begins at 6:00; the lecture is at 7:00.

Amory Lovins, experimental physicist and cofounder/chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute speaks about his new book "Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era." Lovins offers solutions for four energy-intensive sectors of the economy - transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity - and maps out paths for running the U.S. economy in 2050 without oil, coal, or nuclear energy. Sponsored by NC State's Institute for Emerging Issues.

Meghan O'Sullivan, former special assistant and advisor to President George W. Bush and the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School, will deliver the 2012 John W. Pope Lecture titled "Making Sense of the New Middle East: The Dynamics and Their Implications for US Interests." The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Frank Worrell, a faculty member in the Educational Psychology Department and former Associate Dean of Education at the University of California at Berkeley, will give a talk about the role of culture in academic achievement and the psychological functioning of ethnic minority students. His work has implications for students at the K through post-secondary levels. Sponsored by CHASS and the College of Education.

The NC State University Department of Sociology and Anthropology invites the public to our panel discussion, "Contested Borderlands: Latinos in North Carolina and Beyond." Panelists include Hannah Gill, Ph.D., UNC, Chapel Hill, Chelsea Juarez, Ph.D., U.C. Santa Cruz, Helen Marrow, Ph.D., Tufts University, and Allan Parnell, Ph.D., Cedar Grove Institute for Sustainable Communities.

NC State University's History Graduate Student Association invites any and all to the Eighth Annual History Graduate Student Conference. Because of the diverse interests among the graduate students of the Triangle area and beyond, the conference does not adhere to any one period or theme in history. Instead, attendees have the opportunity to hear talks from almost every period in history. The conference is free to attend, and a free lunch will be provided for anyone who pre-registers at the website. Coffee and pastries served in the morning.

Leading journalist and activist Jonathan Rauch is the 2011-2012 keynote speaker for the American Ideas and the Political Process lecture series. Rauch is a senior writer and columnist for The National Journal and a Writer in Residence at the Brookings Institution. He was a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of 5 books, including his 2004 book, Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Department of Political Science, School of Public and International Affairs.

The world's oceans are essential to life on earth and are tremendously sensitive to global climate change. Panelists  Lada Kochtcheeva, Assistant Professor of Political Science, David Eggleston, Professor of Marine Ecology and Conservation, and Craig Harms, Associate Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife, and Zoologic Medicine, will discuss the reality of climate change on oceanic factors as well as how the U.S. and its international partners can address the emerging challenges to this shared resource. The Global Issues Seminars are co-sponsored by the Office of International Affairs and the School of Public and International Affairs.

Healing in Broken Places: A Social Justice Perspective to Address Trauma is the topic for the Department of Social Work's fifth annual spring symposium. We will present social justice perspectives to address trauma by five key populations. Continuing Education Credits and certificates of attendance will be available. Immediately following the symposium we will hold a wine reception and book signing.

2012 marks the 20-year anniversary of Audre Lorde’s passing. She was a highly influential, award-winning African-American, lesbian, poet, author, mother, teacher and activist. In honor of her legacy three films will be brought to universities, libraries, and community venues. Festival events include a reading by Ika Hügel-Marshall, in German and in English translation (3:00 pm); and a screening of Audre Lorde—The Berlin Years 1984-1992 followed by Q&A session with the film’s director, Dr. Dagmar Schultz (4:00 pm). Contact Andrea Mensch at andreamo@ncsu.edu with any questions.

Service Raleigh is an annual citywide day of service started in 1998 by NC State's Student Government and Park Scholars. Each year, volunteers from the university and surrounding community unite to undertake a variety of projects, each of which provides much needed assistance to local organizations. Registration opens February 1. Sign up with a group or as an individual to make a difference in your community.

Cedars in the Pines is a new documentary that chronicles the story of Lebanese immigration to North Carolina from 1890 to today. The documentary is part of a joint effort between NC State's Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies, NC State's Department of History, and the NC State Department of English's Language and Life project. Free and open to the public.

PR Day gives students from NC State and surrounding colleges a glimpse into the world of communications from  Raleigh's professional community. Panelists will speak on Social Media, Crisis Management, and Event Planning.  Professionals from firms such as Clear Image and Capstrat will join us for a networking luncheon. Want to attend? Contact Caroline Perkins at cbperki2@ncsu.edu. Hosted by NC State's Public Relations Student Society of America.

Join NC State's Department of History to celebrate 75 years of History at NC State. Among other events, lectures include "What Historians Do All Day" by Scott Reynolds Nelson and "The Democratic Potential of Public History in a Multiracial Society" by Claudrena N. Harold. A panel of History alumni will discuss why history matters, while a faculty panel will share what History professors do and why they do it. Free and open to the public.

Every faculty member in the college is encouraged to attend this once-a-semester meeting. Agenda to follow. (Please note change of location.)

You're invited to a reading by San Antonio poet and Trinity University Press director Barbara Ras. Ras' first collection of poetry Bite Every Sorrow won the 1997 Walt Whitman Award and the 1999 Kate Tufts Award. Her other collections of poetry are One Hidden Stuff (2006) and The Last Skin (2010). During the reading, Ras will announce the winners of the NC State poetry contest. This event is part of the Owens-Walters Reading Series, sponsored by the CHASS Creative Writing Program.

Margaret "Canopy Meg" Lowman, director of the new Nature Research Center at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and research professor of natural sciences at NC State, will deliver a keynote address on "Communicating Science" as part of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences' annual Scope Academy, which is participating in the NC Science Festival, a two-week long celebration of science and technology.

Earn your Spanish Business Certificate, Spanish Tourism Certificate, or Health Sciences Certificate.Registration dates are Mon March 12 and Wed March 14 from 2:30-4:00 pm or Fri March 16, 2:30-5:00 pm in 225 Withers Hall. The exam will be held April 17, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm in 331 Withers Hall. Cost is $150.00. For details, contact Ana E. Gray, Faculty Director, 225 Withers Hall 919 515-9280 ana_gray@ncsu.edu

The 24-hour grand opening of the new Nature Research Center at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will celebrate  science and technology, and how we communicate about these areas of our lives. Features will include the SECU Daily Planet, a 3-story multi-media space; investigation labs; the Meet the Scientist research station; the Citizen Science Center; and the Science Immersion Theater, as well as many new exhibits. The Center's Science Communication Director, David Kroll, will have a faculty appointment within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Please join Dean Jeff Braden in honoring CHASS faculty who will be recognized for excellence in teaching, research, and extension. A reception will follow the program at 5:00 pm.