Kickoff Event for The Presidents' College Fall 2023 Courses and Lectures
Jump into pre-election year political discussions, get the latest on artificial intelligence and forest fires and sustainable engineering practices, explore the music and musicians of golden-era jazz, revel in the joys of Jewish humor and the intrigue of spy thrillers, and still more (see our full list below!) with the Presidents’ College as it launches its fall 2023 courses and lectures.
Plus, learn what silent book clubs are all about (calling all introverts!... extroverts welcome, too!).
Alumni, area community members, and the campus community are all invited to programs held by the Presidents’ College, the lifelong learning arm of the University of Hartford. The initiative offers non-credit courses for curious adults, taught by university faculty and distinguished guest lecturers, with course fees charged on a per-event basis.
Fall Kick-off: Thursday, Sept. 14, 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Silpe Gallery/Hartford Art School
Hear from presenters teaching this fall. Reconnect with friends and favorite instructors. Bring a friend for wine and cheese and live jazz! It’s all free, but reserve a seat so we can count you in and send you a parking pass.
The full list of courses and lectures is listed below with links to register, or browse at hartford.edu/pc.
ARTS
- Silent Film’s Lillian Gish: True Heart Susie, Patrick Miller, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Register here
- Florence Price: A Composer Rediscovered (lecture only) Melissa White, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Register here
- Florence Price: A Composer Rediscovered (lecture + performance) Melissa White, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., lecture; Sunday Oct. 22, 3 p.m., HSO performance. Register here
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Art, Cat Balco, Carrie Cushman, Zee Onuf, Thursday, Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 12, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Register here
- Talking Jazz: From “Bird” to Miles, Javon Jackson, Matt Dechamplain, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 18, 25, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Register here
- Playing with Pride and Prejudice (lecture only), Catherine Stevenson, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
- Playing with Pride and Prejudice at Hartford Stage, (2 lectures + performance), Catherine Stevenson, Melia Bensussen, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 31, 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m., lectures; Sunday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m. talk, 2 p.m. matinee. Register here
- Thursday at the Movies: Spy Thrillers, Michael Walsh, Thursday, Nov. 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Register here
- Give Me Your Hand: A Celtic Musical Celebration Dee Hansen, Eric Hansen, Neal Humphreys, Friday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
- Carries Weight: A Performance Art Project with Mountains & Saxophones, Carrie Koffman, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Register here
- The Melody Lingers On: From Beethoven to the Beatles, Steve Metcalf, Monday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
THE PRESIDENTS’ COLLEGE CAFÉ: Important Conversations Over Brown-Bag Lunch*
- Banned Book or Great American Novel: Huck Finn and Contemporary Censorship, Walt Harrison, Wednesday, Sept. 27, noon – 1:15 p.m. Register here
- The Movement for Trans Rights: Past and Present, With Your Questions, Melinda Miceli, Dawn Ennis, Friday, Nov. 17, noon – 1:15 p.m. Register here
*Free for Presidents’ College Fellows: Benefits with your gift of $100 or more include on-campus parking, library privileges and events like these! Visit PC Gift for details.
HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS
- Hot Topics in a Pre-Election Year, Warren Goldstein, Tuesday, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, 24, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Register here
- Supreme Court Round-Up, 2022-23, Jilda Aliotta, Monday, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Register here
- Trials That Shaped America: Legal Battles of Muhammad Ali plus The Trail of Tears, David Goldenberg, Thursday, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 10:30 a.m.– noon. Register here
- The Ambassador Who Tried to Prevent the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Steve Kemper, Friday, Nov. 10, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
- Trials That Shaped America: The Rosenberg Case David Goldenberg, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Register here
LITERATURE AND CULTURE
- The Booker Prize Book Club: A Sampling, Michele Troy, Tuesday, Sept. 12, Oct. 17, Nov. 14, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
- The Silent Book Club: Playhouse on Park, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Register here
- The Silent Book Club: Real Art Ways, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Register here
- Jewish Humor: From the Catskills to Comedy Central, Amy Weiss, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Register here
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Sustainable Communities Now: How We Get There, David Pines, Cy Yavuzturk, Friday, Sept. 15, 22, 29, 10:30 a.m. – noon. Register here
- Welcome to the Pyrocene: Forest Fires and the Future, Laura Pence, Monday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
- Race for the Skies: The Wrights vs. Langley, Paul Slaboch, Fri, Oct. 20, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Register here
- Deep Fakes: Fighting Unregulated AI, Adam Chiara, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Register here
- Water: Our Most Threatened Resource, Mike Magee, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Register here