The VORTEX2 Nomadic Field Study* Presented by Dr. Adam Houston
VORTEX2 is by far the largest and most ambitious effort ever made to understand tornadoes. Over 100 scientists and more than 40 science and support vehicles are participating in this unique, fully nomadic, field program. Meet Dr. Adam Houston and learn about the latest findings from this international research project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Dr. Adam Houston joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences in 2006. Dr. Houston received his Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his B.S. in meteorology from Texas A&M University. Dr. Houston's research focus is on cloud-scale and mesoscale phenomena; specifically those related to severe local storms.
We Lived It! Presented by Christopher Amundson and Mike Whye
Join the editor of Nebraska Life magazine, Christopher Amundson and writer Mike Whye, to explore first-hand experiences of the 1975 Tornado and the Blizzard of 1948-49! Nebraska Life magazine collaborated with The Durham to collect stories from people who lived through these natural disasters and Amundson and Whye will share their findings. Volunteers from the American Red Cross who participated as first responders to these storms will also be on hand to talk about their role and what they observed. If you witnessed these historic storms, we encourage you to take part in the lively discussion too!
Weather’s Greatest Mysteries Solved!
Presented Dr. Randy Cerveny
How did climate almost completely destroy humanity 73,000 years ago? How does weather influence something as horrible as global cocaine production? What kinds of weather are we just now discovering? These are a few of the strange and freakish weather events that Randy Cerveny will discuss in his presentation based on his newest book, Weather's Greatest Mysteries Solved! The enlightening presentation will cover an incredible range of weather and climate stretching from the catastrophic weather that brought an end to the dinosaurs to a strange project involving the weather of the next 10,000 years and beyond. Randall Cerveny is a professor of geographical sciences at Arizona State University, where he has taught since 1986. He serves as Rapporteur on Extreme Records for the United Nations/World Meteorological Organization, and in this connection is responsible for researching and verifying global weather records.
NASA Distance Learning Program
John F. Kennedy Space Center has launched all U.S. Human Spaceflight Missions. Preparing a vehicle to lift off into space requires a special location, massive facilities, unique equipment and tools, and a world-class workforce. It has also been a destination for visitors from around the world. Now you can journey to Kennedy Space Port for a highly interactive two way visit from a front row seat in the Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall. You will have the opportunity not only to see the facility, but to talk to an expert tour guide and ask questions about the space port and why there are alligators in the parking lot.
Youth Town Hall with the Greensboro Civil Rights Pioneers: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Woolworth Lunch Counter Student Sit-In
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (NMAH) is offering an opportunity for your students to experience living history via this special Webcast. The three surviving members of the Greensboro Four, Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair, Jr.), Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil will participate in an oral history about their bold action that ignited student involvement in the Civil Rights Movement when they staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960. The four men were only freshmen at North Carolina A&T University when they began the movement that would lead to the desegregation of that particular lunch counter and sparked a student movement that spread across the nation. This is an opportunity for students around the same age as the Greensboro Four at the time of their protest to learn about student activism and civic engagement first-hand.
This special youth town hall will feature an oral history conducted by Christopher W. Wilson, Director of the Program in African American Culture at the National Museum of American History, along with a question and answer session. It will also include excerpts from the Museum's Historic Theatre programs Sing for Freedom and the award-winning Join the Student Sit Ins. Xavier Carnegie, a talented young actor from the Museum's historic theatre company who presents Join the Student Sit-Ins for the public, will act as the show's host.
“Hip Hop Intellectuals” Presented by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
Join us for this special Black History Month presentation. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is one of the youngest members of the growing body of “Hip-Hop Intellectuals” in the country. His work covers topics such as hip-hop culture, politics, sexuality, education and religion. He regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News and his column The Barbershop Notebooks, appears bi-monthly in PopMatters Magazine. Dr. Hill will discuss the intersection between youth, popular culture and education. Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
The Making of the Gowns for Ak-Sar-Ben
Nationally-recognized Omaha designer Mary Anne Vaccaro will explore the making of the gowns for Ak-Sar-Ben. With her design staff at Omaha Design Studio, Vaccaro has created thousands of Couture gowns, dresses, suits and separates along with bridal wear and costumes. She was the Couturier for the Ak-Sar-Ben Court in 1991, 1997 and 2002. Her Queen gowns from each of those Coronation Balls are on display through November 15 as part of The Durham’s “The Art and Artistry of Ak-Sar-Ben” exhibit. Her presentation promises to be educational and entertaining for design enthusiasts of all ages.
Show Me The Money: Unlocking the Mysteries of Today's Economy
Drawing upon an extensive academic and professional career with the Federal Reserve, Jason Henderson will provide an update on the nation's and Nebraska's economy, and explain the new paradigm of monetary policy today.
Henderson received his Ph.D. from Purdue University and as the Branch Executive and Vice President serves at the Bank's regional economist and representative in the state of Nebraska. Henderson's research has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, and USA Today.
US Secret Service – Counterfeit Detection Seminar
The Durham Museum is pleased to host a Counterfeit Detection Seminar on Tuesday, June 9 with John Gutsmiedl, Resident Agent in Charge in Omaha’s United States Secret Service Office. During this informative lecture, Gutsmiedl will discuss the role of the US Secret Service and methods and technology for identifying counterfeiting. John Gutsmeidl has a BS in Computer Science from the University of San Diego. He began his career in 1989 in the United States Secret Service Los Angeles field office and has had roles in forgery, fraud, protective intelligence, and Presidential protection. He currently is the Resident Agent in charge of the United States Secret Service office based in Omaha, Ne.
I've Lived a Thousand Years A Holocaust Survivor's Story
Livia Bitton-Jackson, born Elli L. Freidmann in Czechoslovakia, was thirteen when she, her mother, and her brother were taken to Auschwitz. during this powerful program she will describe her terrible experiences as one of the camp's few adolescent inmates and the miraculous twist of fate that enabled her to survive. Bitton-Jackson is the author of several highly acclaimed books including Elli: Coming of Age in the Holocaust and I've Lived a Thousand Years. Dr. Bitton-Jackson currently lives in Israel with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives
The Durham Museum welcomed Congressman John R. Lewis, Georgia’s Fifth District, for a special presentation to area high school students in the Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall on Friday, October 10, at 10 am. Congressman’s gripping story about “Bloody Sunday” is chronicled in the The Durham Museum’s traveling exhibition: Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
Fridays at The Durham
On several Fridays this Fall, The Durham Museum will have special programming in support of the exhibition Eyewitness. Museum visitors and area students will have a tremendous opportunity to hear about important historical topics from people who experienced them first hand. Call (402) 444-5071 or email aboschultz@durhammuseum.org to reserve your seats.
Friday, October 17, 1 pm
Dr. Sara Crook: “Amateurs No More: The Responsibility of Women in the 2008 Election”
This program reviews the struggles that early women’s rights advocates endured, and the early successes of women in public office. It explores both past and present females who have broken through the rank status of “amateur” to that of “seasoned veteran.” A summary of what has been accomplished, and what is still to be accomplished through women’s responsibility to vote intelligently, concludes the program’s theme.
Friday, October 31, 1 pm
Bea Karp: “Surviving the Holocaust”
Bea Karp, child survivor of the Holocaust, will speak about her experiences in Germany before World War II including Kristallnacht,
the Night of Broken Glass. She will describe her family’s plight as they were taken by the Nazis to concentration camps in France, and tell about her encounters later as a hidden child.
Friday, November 7, 1 pm
“The Pardon of Richard Nixon” via distance learning from The Ford Library
Thirty years ago, Gerald Ford made a decision that would shock much of our nation. On September 8, 1974, he pardoned Richard Nixon “for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969, through August 9, 1974.” Learn about Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon and presidential decisionmaking, and have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters located at The Ford Museum.
Friday, December 12, 1 pm
Mark Adams, Truman Library: “I Like Stalin: Truman and the Potsdam Conference”
President Harry Truman attended the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945. His views of Stalin and Churchill were sent home to his wife Bess and revealed through his own personal diary. This program will explore what Truman had to say about members of the “Big Three” and how his views changed during the conference.
Friday, December 19, 1 pm
Smithsonian Air & Space: “Apollo 8: 40 Years Later”
Enjoy an interactive distance learning experience from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. focusing on the challenges and subsequent victories faced by the Apollo space program in 1968 as we ventured toward the moon.
Amazonian Rhythms
Presented by Dr. Anthony Seeger, Professor from the University of California in Los Angeles
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Anthony Seeger brings music from the Amazon to The Durham. Seeger is an anthropologist, ethnomusicologist, archivist, record producer and musician whose research has concentrated on the music of Amazonian Indians. Having lived in Brazil for nearly ten years, he brings the music and issues of the region to life.
The Amazon Basin and Conservation Mapping: A Key to Sustainable Development
Presented by Ryan Valdez, Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Brought to The Durham from the Smithsonian Associates, Ryan Veldez gives a compelling presentation on the eight country regions of the Amazon with the greatest concentration of biodiversity anywhere on earth. He explores why accommodating sustainable development has become one of the greatest conservation challenges. Valdez is a research fellow at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and has conducted extensive research in the Amazon and Kenya.
Smithsonian Family Day: Magpie Performance
Presented by Terry Leonino and Greg Artzer
Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Magpie's Terry Leonino and Greg Artzer are internationally known for their musical work in the environmental movement. They will perform a variety of songs including the well-known anthem "We Belong to the Earth."
Smithsonian Family Day: Bugology
Presented by Nathan Irwin
Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 10:30 am
Insects are fascinating, bizarre, alien-like, beautiful, have amazing stories, and are just down right cool. Spend time discovering what is really going on around you. Nathan Erwin is the Manager of the Smithsonian Institution's Otto Orkin Insect Zoo located in the National Museum of Natural History. In addition to caring for and culturing a wide variety of insects, spiders, crustaceans, millipedes and centipedes, Irwin has traveled in Central and South American forests to collect exotic insects to culture and display in the Insect Zoo.
Jazz for Curious Listeners
By Loren Schoenberg, Executive Director of The Jazz Museum in Harlem
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Jazz for Curious Listeners is a combination of lecture, demonstration and Q&A. Audiences will learn how to listen to jazz, and explore Harlem's jazz legacy and the heritage of jazz in Omaha. Serving on the faculty of Julliard's Institute for Jazz Studies, Schoenberg is a leading jazz historian and performer who has won two Grammy's. Seating for lectures is limited so reservations are required.
John A. Creighton: Blazing the First Internet
By Brian Kokensparger, Lecturer from Creighton University
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Portraying John A. Creighton, Brian Kokensparger introduced the audience to the first transcontinental telegraph. Although his brother, Edward, was the chief superintendent, John observed the installation of the line and helped win the race to Salt Lake City. Kokensparger also demonstrated a simple telegraph system. Sponsored in part by the Nebraska Humanities Council.
James Naismith - The Beginnings of March Madness
By Dr. Bill Worley
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Donning the persona of James Naismith, Worley introduced visitors to basketball in 1891 and then discussed its growth and acceptance in the United States and Europe.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
Nebraska Through Song and Story
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Nebraska Humanities Council presenter Dan Holtz presented Nebraska's rich literary and musical tradition through songs and excerpts from Willa Cather, John Neihardt and others.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
Nebraska's Winding Road to Statehood: In the Footsteps of a Female Settler
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Nebraska Humanities Council presenter Sara Brandes Crook recounted an early female settler's impressions in territorial Nebraska.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.
Malcolm X Chautauqua Performance by Charles Everett Pace
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Noted Chautauqua Charles Everett Pace presented a historical characterization of Malcolm X, who rose from an early life of drug abuse and petty crime to become a respected yet controversial figure in the cause for universal human rights. Sponsored in part by the Nebraska Humanities Council.
Click here to play an audio recording of the event, produced by Bob Coate of KIOS radio.