Lecture series
All lectures are free and begin at 8 p.m. at Hall Auditorium at Miami University. Reserve tickets at the box office in the Shriver Center. Tickets are available to Miami students two days before the public. Information: (513) 529-3200.
Jon Landau: Oct. 11, “From Titanic to Avator: Where is Technology Taking Hollywood.” Tickets available Oct. 8.
Adam Richman: Nov. 1, “Why We Eat, What We Eat, Where We Eat and Why Culinary Anthropology Doesn’t Suck.” Tickets available Oct. 29.
Bill Nye: Jan. 31, “Consider the Following: Let’s Get Cool with Science!” Tickets available Jan. 28.
Soledad O’Brein: April 4, “Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes and in Our Lives.” Tickets available April 1.
OXFORD — The Lecture Series at Miami University has a reputation for bringing unforgettable speakers to Oxford, and this year it certainly will not disappoint.
The lineup of free lectures includes film producer Jon Landau, Adam Richman from “Man vs. Food,” Bill Nye from “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” and Soledad O’Brian from CNN.
Each speaker won’t just bring a big name, according to Lana Rosenburg, chairwoman of the lecture series, they will create an educational experience for those attending.
“We try to find speakers that will challenge students and encourage intellectual curiosity on campus,” Rosenburg said. “We don’t want someone who is just famous; we want someone with credentials.”
Each academic year, the series tries to bring to Miami four or five speakers who will appeal to a wide audience, Rosenburg said.
A growing interest in cooking shows led Miami to invite the Travel Channel’s Richman.
“We wanted to bring in someone with an attachment to food,” she said. Rosenburg added that she’s curious how his lecture will tie his famous habit of eating large amounts of food on his TV show with his speech topic, “Why we Eat, What we Eat, Where We Eat and Why Culinary Anthropology Doesn’t Suck.”
“It will be interesting to see what direction his speech goes and how he ties things in,” she said.
The speakers are spread throughout the academic year, but lecturers O’Brian and Nye are already stirring up excitement among the students.
“I think I will really enjoy hearing from Soledad O’Brian since that is a big interest of mine,” said Lee Jones, a junior studying journalism and political science.
Bill Nye in particular is lighting up the eyes of students from a wide variety of majors.
“Bill Nye is my hero,” said Rebecca Gibson, a sophomore at Miami. “I’m excited for the Dalai Lama for my major (East Asian languages and cultures), but I’m excited about Bill Nye because he’s fun.”
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