The Spring 2021 Charter Lecture will feature four University of Georgia faculty members who were recently named Regents' Professors, an honor bestowed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to faculty whose scholarship or creative activity is recognized both nationally and internationally as innovative and pace-setting.
The Charter Lecture series was established in 1988 to honor the high ideals expressed in the 1785 charter that made UGA the birthplace of public higher education in America. The virtual lecture will take place on April 6 at 3:30 p.m., and it is free and open to the public.
"The Charter Lecture series has a long history of bringing innovative thought leaders to the University of Georgia," said S. Jack Hu, the university's senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "This year's lecture highlights the expertise of our recent Regents' Professors while also promoting interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration."
The Spring 2021 Charter Lecture speakers are:
Pejman Rohani, 2020 Regents' Professor and University of Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Ecology and Infectious Diseases in the Odum School of Ecology and the College of Veterinary Medicine
Ronald L. Simons, 2020 Regents' Professor and Distinguished Research Professor in the department of sociology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Diane Marie Amann, 2021 Regents' Professor and the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law in the School of Law
Steven R.H. Beach, 2021 Regents' Professor and Distinguished Research Professor in the department of psychology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
For more information on the 2021 Charter Lecture, see https://provost.uga.edu/news-events/events/charter-lecture/. Details on this year's speakers are below.
Rohani focuses on the introduction of the ecological perspectives to infectious disease biology. His work investigates the importance of spatial synchrony in the outbreak of measles and pertussis for predicting the extinction and eradication of these major childhood infectious diseases.
Simons focuses on the processes by which social experiences become biologically embedded and influence mental and physical health outcomes. His research suggests that social factors, such as marital, work, financial and social status variables, impact biological aging and the development of chronic illness more so than the effects of diet, exercise, body mass index, smoking and other known health-risk factors.
Amann focuses on the ways that national, regional and international legal regimes interact as they endeavor to combat atrocity and cross-border crime. Her expertise was recently recognized through her election to the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan organization composed of some of the world's most prominent foreign policy leaders. Her current research will produce the first-ever book on the roles of women professionals at the 1945-46 war crimes trial before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.
Beach focuses on the ways that community, family and marital process affect mental and physical health. His pioneering work and collaborations have shown that strengthening close relationships, including marriage and parenting relationships, can play a critical role in reducing depression and physical health problems, and can buffer the impact of stress from economic and social factors.
The Charter Lecture is sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and is part of the university's Signature Lecture Series.
Requests for accommodations for those with disabilities should be made as soon as possible but at least seven days prior to the scheduled lecture. Please contact Sherri Bennett in the Office of Academic Programs at 706-542-0383 or sherri@uga.edu to request accommodations.