Adult Education -- Christ Church Summit NJ

Speaker: Frank Bolden, (Retired) Board Member and Vice President of Diversity for Johnson & Johnson

Program: In the course of Frank's career as an attorney at J&J, he rose to the Vice President & member of the Board of Directors, and he was tasked with setting up a Diversity Program for the entire, globally dispersed, $19 billion company. In carrying out this charge, he learned the the deep spiritual value of diversity.

Presentation & Discussion: The Big Bang, Evolution, and the Soul -- Intelligent Design?

Speaker: Laura Bothwell, Center for the Study of Science and Religion (CSSR) of the Earth Institute at Columbia University

Program: Through the Center for the Study of Science and Religion, Laura has been working primarily on a project to advance dialogue between scientists and clergy. She has been drawn to this program through her abiding belief in the capacity and necessity of religion to remain connected to the natural world and contemporary society in order to maintain an accurate understanding of social justice needs. She is interested in the ability of cross-field interaction to address and dispel fears that religious people may have of science and that scientists may have of religion. Laura recently completed her MA at Union Theological Seminary, with emphasis on Science and Religion. [ press release ]

Program: Author of a witty memoir, Madam, Have you Ever Really Been Happy, chronicling her adventures and intimate journey of self discovery as a middle-aged divorced woman trekking solo through the heart of Africa and Asia, Meg will speak about her experiences, encouraging listeners to take risks at any age. [ press release ]

Presentation & Discussion: From Drug Discovery To Medical Donation: The Fight Against River Blindness

Dr. William C. Campbell, a Summit resident & Christ Church member widely acclaimed for discovering an effective treatment for River Blindness and spearheading the decision of his employer, Merck & Co., to distribute the drug free of charge to the millions of people who need it, will be featured in an Adult Education program of Christ Church in Summit, NJ, on October 15th from 10:30 am to noon. He will be joined by Kenneth Gustavsen, current manager of the Merck drug donation program.

Program: Michelle will speak about the rise of Christian fundamentalism as a political force in the United States, and about her recently published book Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. Quoting from Michelle's website, www.kingdomcoming.com: "Michelle Goldberg... has been covering the intersection of politics and ideology for years. Before the 2004 election, and during the ensuing months when many Americans were trying to understand how an administration marked by cronyism, disregard for the national budget, and poorly disguised self-interest had been reinstated, Goldberg traveled through the heartland of a country in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time. From the classroom to the mega-church to the federal court, she saw how the growing influence of dominionism — the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers — is threatening the foundations of democracy." [ press release ]



	February - April

Dr Robert Weisbuch Presentation & Discussion: Trends in Higher Education

When: TBA

Speaker: Dr Robert Weisbuch, President of Drew University

Program: Dr Weisbuch will speak on the state of higher education in the United States today. He is a recognized leader in the field. Before being appointed President of Drew Univeristy, he served eight years as head of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. During his tenure at the Wilson Foundation, the foundation undertook a number of significant education reform initiatives such as The Humanities at Work, The Responsive Ph.D., Teachers as Scholars, and High School Early College. Weisbuch emphasized the foundation's role in connecting higher education to social sectors beyond academia and in promoting interaction between grades K12 and universities.

Dr JoAnn Deak Presentation & Discussion: Girls Will Be Girls

When: 10:30 AM, Sunday, Date TBA

Speaker: Dr JoAnn Deak, author

Program: Dr Deak will speak to us on the topic of her recently published book, Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters (co-authored with Teresa Barker). Quoting a review from her website (www.deakgroup.com), "Bringing together stories and lessons from more than twenty years as a school psychologist, Deak is renowned for her knowledge of what makes girls ages six to sixteen tick. In Girls Will Be Girls, she introduces original concepts as a framework to help parents better understand their daughters... Deak looks past the "scare" stories to those that enlighten parents and enable them to empower girls, and draws from the latest brain research on girls to illustrate the exciting new ways in which we can help our girls learn and thrive. Most telling of all, she gives us the voices of girls themselves as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual growth, peer pressure, and media messages."

Your feedback on the Adult Ed program and suggestions for future events are welcome.