Mycology: The Mystery and Magic of Molds and Mushrooms

Course Full

Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Room 100, Koch Center
Instructor(s): James A. Brenneman, Ph.D.

Fungi are among the least understood and most important organisms on the planet. The purpose of this class is to demystify fungi and illuminate how they affect our lives and the environment, both positively and negatively. This will be accomplished through lectures, discussions, audio-visuals, and lab and field observations. One session will involve a fungal walk in Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. NOTE: Travel to and from Wesselman Park will be the responsibility of the student. There may also be an admittance fee to Wesselman Park which is not included in the course fee.

Materials/Readings:
None required. Recommendations will be provided in class.

Dr. Brenneman was born in Elida, Ohio, in 1943. He earned his B.A. in biology (Goshen College, 1965), M.S. in plant pathology (West Virginia University, 1967), Ph.D. in plant pathology (Louisiana State University, 1970). He was a full-time professor of biology at the University of Evansville 1970- 2006. Courses taught included mycology, plant physiology, botany, environmental science, and human genetics. Since retirement, he continued to teach environmental science at UE 2007- 2017. He continues to teach mycology in the Indiana Master Naturalist program.

More Women You Missed in History Class

Course Full

Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Room 203, University Library
Instructor(s): Danielle Williams

Women are often skipped in history class unless they are queens or villains, but hundreds of women had an impact on history. During this class, we will discover some of their stories.

Materials/Readings:

A different format will be used for this class. There will be no required text, but we will draw for names of some of the women missing from history, and each person will provide a brief biography of the woman they researched for the week. This should be a fun exercise, but students will not be required to participate. There will be a time limit, so in the presented biography, students will need to focus on what makes the woman remarkable.

Danielle Williams has worked at the University of Evansville for 24 years as a transplant from Oklahoma. She has worked in the library for all those 24 years in several different positions, currently as Technical Services Librarian, in charge of all of the behind-the-scenes work in the library. She has taught Freshmen FYS on Fairy Tales, Food as American History, and Politics and Privacy.

Reading Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables: The Novel and the History

Course Full

Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 203, University Library
Instructor(s): Casey Harison, Ph.D.

The class will learn about the historical background of Victor Hugo’s classic nineteenth-century novel Les Misérables. In successive weeks, students will consider the historical setting, the characters, a film version of the novel (Les Misérables [2012]), the story, and the meaning. Students are welcome to read suggested selections from Les Misérables, but because the book is very long, students are not expected to read the entire novel. Dr. Harison’s training is in history, so he will be reviewing the historical background of the story, but the class will also sample other perspectives on Les Misérables, including a film version (which is adapted from the musical stage) along with literary points of view.

Materials/Readings:

Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, tr. Christine Donougher Penguin, 2013) — required Pamela Pilbeam, The Revolting French, 1787-1889 (Routledge, 2023) — optional background reading Eric Hazan, A History of the Barricade (Verso, 2023) — optional background reading Articles available electronically sampling other perspectives: literary, film studies, etc.

Dr. Harison has a PhD in history from the University of Iowa (1993) and taught in the history department at the University of Southern Indiana from 1992 to 2022, before retiring as a full professor. He has published books and articles in French and Atlantic history and has taught a variety of courses in modern (seventeenth century and later) European and World History. View his scholarship, along with his full CV.

Georgia O'Keeffe-Painting Style & Techniques (September 25 – October 16)

Course Full

Date: September 25, October 2, October 9 and October 23
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 204, Krannert Hall of Art and Music
Instructor(s): Michelle Vezina Peterlin

In this class, we will be studying the painting style and techniques of Georgia O'Keeffe. The class is suitable for both beginners and intermediate painters. Class time will be 2.5 hours and compressed into four classes.

Materials needed:

• 2-3 canvas boards or watercolor paper, no larger than 8x10 inches
• Either acrylic paint (preferred) or watercolor paints in tube or pencil form (cake watercolors are discouraged)
• 1 pencil
• a variety of paint brushes
• a small container for water
• 1 roll of toilet paper for blotting

Michelle Vezina Peterlin is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where she studied under legendary painters John Grillo and Leonard Gongora and received a degree in painting. She was born and raised in Gardner, Massachusetts. Currently, she resides with her husband in Evansville, IN. She has been a professional artist for over 30 years and currently exhibits her work throughout the United States.