One of the MSU Alumni Office's long-standing featured offerings, the Coffee with the Profs series highlights research and work done by some of the university’s finest faculty and staff. This lifelong education program is open to all.
The cost includes coffee and parking. All presentations begin at 10:00 a.m. and take place at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.
Monday, March 16
A Question of Power and Glory: The American Psyche and Superheroes
Julian Chambliss, Val Berryman Curator of History, Michigan State University Museum, and professor, Department of English
Comics tell our story. Superheroes mirror our culture from pulp magazine origins to recent cinema triumphs. Through a uniquely American window reflecting enduring values, these characters help define the inspiration and aspiration of our society.
Monday, March 23
Terrorism and Democracy in Germany
Karrin Hanshew, associate professor, Department of History
Terrorism is seen exclusively as a threat to democracy, both in its capacity for destruction and potentially anti-democratic measures to combat it. One result is a tendency to fear and forestall public discussion. However, 1970s West Germany shows open dialogue on security and freedom can actually build consensus around democratic institutions and empower civil society. A society’s ability to cope successfully with crises may even depend on it
Monday, March 30
The Experts Among Us
Zach Hambrick, professor, Department of Psychology
Beyond born vs. made, a new look at excellence. Who achieves it and why? How do basic ability, practice, brain games, training, etc., play into the process?
Monday, April 6
Shakespeare’s Foreign Queens: Monarchy, Patriarchy and Conditional Hospitality In The Winter’s Tale
Sandra Logan, associate professor, Department of English
Meet William Shakespeare’s foreign queens – four queen consorts who marry into the royal households from beyond national borders. Get an overview of Shakespeare’s engagement with the intersections of monarchy and patriarchy through his representation of these consorts and learn about the broader critical framework related to hospitality and sovereignty. We’ll conclude with a discussion of how The Winter’s Tale reveals connections between sovereignty, patriarchy, and hospitality that render the queen – and by extension, all subjects – vulnerable to the monarch’s abusive violence.
Several presentations from the series are livestreamed each semester. Check out our Livestream archive for past presentations that you can watch at any time.