Spring 2015 Library Lecture Series
Simi Valley Public Library
2969 Tapo Canyon Rd
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Upcoming Lectures:
Monday, January 12, 2015
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Marie Francois, Ph.D.
Professor of History
Laundering Labor and Images in 19th Century Mexico City
Drawing on census samples from 1753 to 1842, archival records, costumbrista literature and fiction, Dr. Marie Francois, Professor of History, investigates lavanderas working as independent contractors. Their skilled labor-intensive work produced clean white shirts and sheets along with polished images and respectability for their clients, and the income to sustain themselves and their households.
Monday, February 2, 2015
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Sean Carswell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
What it Means to be a Man in America Today
Growing up, boys are often told to “be a man” or “act like a man,” but what does this mean? Certainly part of being a man is biological. The overwhelming majority of it, however, is cultural. Masculinity is based upon the cultural stories we tell ourselves about what it means to be a man. Men are then expected to follow the script laid out in those stories and to perform their masculinity. Literary scholar Sean Carswell, Assistant Professor of English, will examine our cultural stories of manhood through advertisements and various other media outlets, discuss how the definitions of masculinity are developed culturally, and examine some of the ramifications—both positive and negative—of our contemporary gender definitions.
Monday, March 2, 2015
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Panda Kroll, ESQ
Lecturer in Business
The Great GMO Label Debate - Science, Politics, and the Court of Public Opinion
In this seminar, Panda Kroll, ESQ, and Lecturer in Business, will take a look at recent consumer lawsuits against manufacturers of food containing GMO ingredients and legislation requiring and precluding the labeling of such food. In particular, we will explore the constitutional hurdles facing Vermont's first-in-nation mandatory GMO label law, as well as consumer rejection of GMO foods, here and abroad. This promises to be a lively discussion of a many-faceted debate.
Monday, April 4, 2015
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Colleen Nevins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Good, Bad, or Otherwise: Reliable Healthcare Internet Resources
The public seeks healthcare information from healthcare personnel, friends, TV, publications, and the internet. Accessible and generally easy, the internet has become a popular source for individuals to seek information on various healthcare topics. If it is not known whether the website is current, reliable, and/or valid, the information can be erroneous and possibly unsafe. Dr. Colleen Nevins, Assistant Professor of Nursing, will discuss: guidelines on how to determine if the website is current, reliable, and valid; examples of good and bad healthcare websites; and provide a list of good healthcare websites for the public.