University Times

If you were a professor delivering your final, career- capping lecture to an audience of undergraduates on their turf — say, in a residence hall on a Tuesday evening — what would you tell them? Would you try to sum up a lifetime's worth of erudition in a formal oration? Would you draw the students into a bit of Socratic give-and-take? Or would you, instead, present a travelogue, believing that wisdom comes from exploring the world (and knowing that your friends will no longer endure your slides and travel stories)? All of those options are available to faculty members who volunteer for Pitt's new Last Lecture/Travelogue Series.

The series began Jan. 21 with a slide show and talk by Michael Bikerman, associate professor of geology, called "The Spring 1991 Semester at Sea Voyage: A Geologist Looks at the Whole World." Bikerman taught geology and geography on the voyage. His presentation this week in the Litchfield Towers A Conference Room focused on the rocks, mountains, oceans and other physical wonders he explored during his around-the-world trip. About 50 students attended.

The next two presentations in the series are scheduled for Feb. 18 and March 18, likewise in the Towers A Conference Room at 8 p.m.

Series coordinator Matthew Dabulis said lecturers should be junior or senior Pitt faculty members willing to volunteer to share their time and knowledge with undergraduates.

The original concept was for professors to meet with students at Pitt residence halls and give talks based on the premise: What would you say in a valedictory lecture? "Other universities have done programs like this, but it's the first time we're attempting it here at Pitt," Dabulis said.

Dabulis took the idea to David Brumble, Faculty of Arts and Sciences associate dean for Undergraduate Studies, who liked it but suggested giving faculty the option of presenting a travelogue linked to their academic disciplines. "We have so many faculty here who have traveled all over the world, but they rarely get the chance to share those experiences with students," Brumble told the University Times.

"Also, it seemed to me that for some students, the idea of going to a lecture at 8 o'clock at night might not seem very appealing — 'Hey, Tiffany, it's Tuesday night, let's go to a lecture!' But if it's someone showing slides and talking informally about their experiences, it might be seen as being fun. It's also a way of encouraging more of our undergraduates to study abroad." Dabulis, who is a Towers A resident director, said he hopes eventually to extend the series to other residence halls.

"Most of our resident students live on the central campus. That's why we chose the Towers A conference room as a starting point for this series. It also happened to be one of the few [residence hall] meeting rooms available this semester that could accommodate 50-to-60 people," Dabulis said.

"In future terms, we'd like to extend the series to Sutherland Hall on the upper campus, which has some good programming rooms, and maybe McCormick Hall, which recently renovated its conference room." In the meantime, Dabulis is looking for faculty members to fill the Feb. 18 and March 18 slots at Towers A. Faculty will be asked to give a 30-40 minute presentation; refreshments will follow. "It's about a 90-minute commitment, start to finish," he said. Dabulis can be reached at 648-9050.

Professors won't get paid for their efforts, but Dabulis said his office will arrange and pay for slide projectors and other basic audio-visual equipment.

"When it comes to the presentation style, we leave that entirely up to [the faculty]," Dabulis said. "It could be a prepared lecture, or they could speak informally, or they could present slides or video." Presentations are open to all residence hall students.

Dabulis said the series is part of Pitt's increased promotion of learning opportunities outside the classroom.

— Bruce Steele