Lecture Packages   

The Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series features prominent, engaging speakers from “town and gown.” It consists of eight lectures, four in the fall session and four in the winter/ spring session. Learn from well-known experts about an array of fascinating topics. Each lecture is just the beginning; a stimulating question-and-answer period follows each session.

The Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series was planned by Bernard Banet, Ron Bogdasarian, Ron Frisch, Beverley Geltner, Frances Schultz, Leo Shedden, and Katherine Woo, and co-chairs Gerald Gardner and Marie Vitale.

All programs will take place at: Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Building Towsley Auditorium (or nearby meeting rooms) 4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105

All lectures will also be live streamed through Zoom.

The final lecture series of the 2024-25 season will be a journey into artistic expression in the form of music, theater, poetry, and the visual arts. It will deepen your appreciation and understanding of the transformative power of the arts. Experts will give us the tools necessary to make each encounter with the arts a personal experience. By the end of the series, we will have learned how the arts stimulate our thoughts, emotions, ideas and culminate in actions that change the world around us. The “Arts” committee invites you to join us as we explore the beauty and power of the arts.

Committee Members: Beverly Geltner, Avi Eisbruch, Donna Schultz, Jan Sockness, Mary Vardigan, and chair Frances Schultz.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in mental health issues. Over 50 million people currently experience some form of mental illness. This decline is particularly acute in youth and in rural, low-income, and minority populations. Addressing this challenge will demand scientific advances and innovative treatments. This lecture series will look at some of these including brain scanning diagnostics and treatment, research on social media impacts on adolescent mental health, treatments using Ketamine or psychedelics, alternative treatment modalities such as mindfulness and meditation, and enhancing services to underserved populations.

Committee Members: Bruce Friedman, Teresa Schneider, Mike Wixom and co-chairs, Jim MacBain and Leo Shedden

All lectures will also be live streamed through Zoom.