"Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton: The News Media as Arbiters of Political Authenticity," Shawn Parry-Giles is Professor of Communication at University of Maryland. She is an important analyst of United States political discourse. Her commentaries have appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Dallas Morning News and Miami Herald. Her lecture will be given on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at 106 Avery Hall, UNL City Campus. This event is free and open to the public. Cosponsored by Political Science & Communication Studies Departments. Supported by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Council.

Suddenly, it’s bioenergy - ethanol and biodiesel. Bioenergy to solve the climate change problem caused by greenhouse gases. Bioenergy to inject vitality into declining rural communities. Bioenergy to free us from international oil villains. But wait… Bioenergy will drive food prices up and starve the poor by appropriating the food supply for energy. Bioenergy will ruin our livestock sector. Bioenergy will deforest the tropics and desertify the plains. Bioenergy will benefit farm landowners, but no one else. And bioenergy will happen only with billions of dollars of subsidies - can we afford it? In this course, students will evaluate the prospects for biofuels in the context of climate change and the world energy market. Participants will first review climate change assessments and the relationship of climate change to world energy markets, and will then examine the potential role of biofuels in reducing carbon emissions. Issues to be addressed include the potential effects of biofuels on food security and on natural resource sustainability, and a comparison of biofuel subsidies versus carbon taxes in mitigating climate change. Participants will be expected to research and report on scientific studies, and to learn and utilize various approaches to cost-benefit evaluation of public policies. Our goal is not to resolve the difficult questions raised above, but help students to sharpen their ability to analyze them and perhaps to more effectively advocate world-saving choices.

“The Molecular Genetics of Meiosis,” will be presented by Dr. R. Scott Hawley, Stowers Institute for Medical Research. A reception will be held at 3:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.