What do democratic elections and learning a new skill have in common? Both involve taking risks, said the University of California, Riverside’s Georgia Warnke.
On Jan. 16, Warnke, director of UCR’s Center for Ideas & Society(CIS), will lead the first installment of the university’s annual Disciplines in Dialogue lecture series.
Running through April 18, this year’s eight-part series, “Risky Business,” will see four pairs of UCR professors from seemingly disparate academic departments come together to consider the merits and pitfalls of various types of risk-taking.
“When considering the research we wanted to highlight in our 2018 series, we noticed the topics that intrigued us the most all related to this overarching concept of stepping into the unknown without a clear picture of what might happen,” said Katharine Henshaw, associate director of CIS, the series’ primary sponsor. “That’s where the idea for ‘Risky Business’ first developed.”
Co-hosted by the UCR Palm Desert Center and the UCR Extension branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, “Risky Business” will feature discussions of four distinct topics, with two companion sessions — one in Riverside at the UCR Extension Center on a Tuesday, and the other the following Wednesday evening in Palm Desert — devoted to each topic.
Warnke, who will return as moderator, said the sessions are formatted to take the shape of a daytime talk show. She will begin each event by introducing the topic at hand and the two UCR researchers providing their perspectives on it.
The researchers will then be given roughly 10 minutes each to offer their individual “takes” on the topic, offer rebuttals to one another’s arguments, and open the discussion up to audience participation.
“Our faculty really enjoy participating in this lecture series,” Warnke said. “It provides a more relaxed alternative to a traditional formal presentation, with an interested, alert crowd — two things that are guaranteed to result in a lot of fun.”
The “Risky Business” series is free and open to the public, and the schedule is as follows:
Electing Leaders
Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at UCR Extension
Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert Center
Shaun Bowler, distinguished professor of political science and dean of UCR’s Graduate Division, and Alec Haskell, associate professor of history, will debate the risks inherent in the democratic process.
Worrying
Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at UCR Extension
Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert Center
Kate Sweeny, associate professor of psychology, and Emily Rapp Black, assistant professor of creative writing, will explore the duality of worrying about risks and the risks of worrying.
New Experiences
Tuesday, March 20, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at UCR Extension
Wednesday, March 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert Center
Rachel Wu, assistant professor of psychology, and Bella Merlin, professor of acting and directing in the theater, film, and digital production department, will speak about the benefits and difficulties of learning new things at any age.
Tinkering With the Earth
Tuesday, April 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at UCR Extension
Wednesday, April 18, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert Center
Jade Sasser, assistant professor of gender and sexuality studies, and Francesca Hopkins, assistant professor of climate change and sustainability in the environmental sciences department, will weigh the implications of interfering with our surroundings.
