Curious People Series: Information and Speakers
General information about the Curious People Series events, including an online request form for UNO faculty interested in speaking at future series events.
- published: 2022/04/26
- contact: Heike Langdon
2022-23 Series Information
The fall 2022 and spring 2023 series dates, speakers, and their topics will be announced on this website page between August and September 2022.
Connecting Curious Minds
Curious People events feature a UNO faculty member who speaks about a topic they are an expert in or have studied in their personal and academic lives.
These events are free and open to the Omaha community to explore and learn about a number of topics, ranging from parasitic brain drain to technology developed to bring missing service members home.
2021-22 Series
Theme: Making a Difference Through Engaged Research and Creative Activity
This year, the Curious People Series is spotlighting a diverse array of UNO faculty whose research or creative activity is deeply linked to the community. We call this type of work "Engaged Research" or the "Scholarship of Engagement" -- and it's happening all across campus and in our community. Engaged Research plays an important role at Metropolitan Universities like UNO, as it is defined by collaboration, community partnerships, and tangible contributions to the public good.
Many thanks to the UNO Office of Research and Creative Activity for being our campus partner in this year's series.
| Date | Speaker and Topic | Link to Event | Type of Event | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 27, 2021 | Andrea Grover, Ph.D. --- Science For, With, and By the People | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
| November 17, 2021 | Mark Gilbert, Ph.D. --- Seeing the Patient | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
| February 7, 2022 | Laura Alexander, Ph.D. --- Immigration and Nationalism: What Difference Does Religion Make? | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
| March 3, 2022 | Michelle Black, Ph.D. --- Understanding Deterrence and Why Different Perspectives Matter | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
| March 21, 2022 | Derrick Nero, Ed.D. --- Nurturing the Scientist and Engineer In Everyone | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
| April 12, 2022 | Justin Nix, Ph.D. --- Police Use of Deadly Force: What We Know and What We Need to Know | Learn More | Zoom Webinar | View Recording |
2020-21 Series
The focus of this Curious People Series related to UNO's Big Ideas.
| Date | Speaker and Topic | UNO Big Idea | Link to Event | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 29, 2020 | Ann Fruhling, Ph.D. --- Enhancing Patient Experiences through Technology | Transforming Wellness and Aging Through Business, Informatics and Gerontology | Learn More | Watch Video |
| November 17, 2020 | Peggy Jones, MFA --- Tell Me a Story! | Ted Kooser Center for Health Humanities | Learn More | Watch Video |
| February 9, 2021 | Chris Moore, Ph.D. --- Elevating Human Potential Through Lifelong Learning, UNO STEM Trail Center | STEM TRAIL Center | Learn More | Watch Video |
| February 23, 2021 | Jorge Zuniga, Ph.D. --- Biomechanical Rehabilitation and Manufacturing: Improving the Quality of Life of Medically Underserved Populations | Biomechanical Rehabilitation and Manufacturing | Learn More | Watch Video |
| March 9, 2021 | Gina Ligon, Ph.D. --- UNO in the Fight and Prevention of Terrorism | Security and Intelligence Studies | Learn More | Watch Video |
| March 25, 2021 | Mark Celinscak, Ph.D. --- Samuel Bak, An Inspirational Journey | Samuel Bak Institute | Learn More | Watch Video |
2019-20 Series
| Date | Speaker and Topic | Link to Event |
|---|---|---|
| October 29, 2019 | Sachin Pawaskar, Ph.D., MBA, MS --- CoRA: Honoring the Fallen, bringing our missing service members home | Learn More |
| January 27, 2020 | LaTrina Hall, Ph.D. --- Using the Theory of Synectics to Make Meaningful Connections | Learn More |
| February 20, 2020 | Debora Wisneski, Ph.D. --- The Value of Play Across the Lifespan | Learn More |
| CANCELED | Elizabeth Chalecki, Ph.D. --- Can We Solve Climate Change With Technology? | Learn More |
| June 16, 2020 | Chancellor Jeffrey Gold, MD --- Special Edition: COVID-19 and the Year Ahead | Learn More |
2018-19 Series
| Date | Speaker and Topic | Link to Event |
|---|---|---|
| October 17, 2018 | Gina Ligon, Ph.D. --- How Do People Become Homegrown Terrorists? | Learn More |
| November 7, 2018 | Jonathan Benjamin Alvarado, Ph.D. --- My Life with the Castros: One Scholar’s Unlikely Journey. | Learn More |
| January 28, 2019 | Julie Masters, Ph.D. --- Aging with Intention. | Learn More |
| February 25, 2019 | Paul Davis, Ph.D. --- Parasitic Brain Drain: A Look at Toxoplasma, the Most Common Brain Infection in the World. | Learn More |
| March 25, 2019 | Sofia Jawed-Wessel, Ph.D., MPH --- Sex: What are we so ashamed of? | Learn More |
| April 24, 2019 | B.J. Reed, Ph.D. --- Scotch Whisky: It is a lot more complicated than you think! | Learn More |
More about the Curious People Series
The goal of this series is to stimulate curiosity among attendees. Curiosity has many benefits to those who ask questions, including an increase in the ability to learn and retain information, personal growth, openness to new opportunities, and overcoming stereotypes. It also increases problem-solving skills, maintains a sense of wonder that helps with innovation, and creates positive interpersonal interactions.
Curiosity stimulates productive conversations by seeking to understand another’s beliefs and allowing participants to authentically examine their own assumptions and opinions. In order to genuinely explore new ideas, one must be actively listening and open to exchanging knowledge. This free series is intended to foster a community of like-minded searchers, interested in learning more about the hidden areas of expertise at UNO.
Contact Us
If you are sponsoring a special or public event happening in the CEC or would like to share a news tip or story please contact Robyn Loos via email rloos@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2173.
Unless otherwise clearly stated, any views or opinions expressed as part of events at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) should not be viewed as endorsements by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and do not reflect the official position of UNO or the University of Nebraska system. Please also be aware, the responsibility for any changes to events held at the CEC, including cancellation, lie solely with the event organizer and not UNO or the CEC.