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Retired UW-Madison faculty share unique perspectives in Eloquence & Eminence lecture series

person speaking at podium

The award-winning Eloquence & Eminence returns for its 24th year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, addressing a broad range of timely subjects. The free lecture series features retired faculty members renowned for their scholarship and teaching excellence. Speakers include Ann Hoyt on health care reform, Stewart Macaulay on law, Ronald Numbers on evolution, and Cecilia Ford on social interaction.

Ann Hoyt
Ann Hoyt will discuss innovations in the health care system.

The lectures are held in the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., from 2-3 p.m. Refreshments and conversation follow each event.

“Retired faculty are one of our greatest untapped resources,” says UW-Madison English Prof. Emily Auerbach, the series director. “These speakers offer a perspective we can’t get elsewhere because they’ve been working in their fields for decades.”

Stewart Macaulay
Stewart Macaulay will highlight the contrast between our popular understanding of the law and the way it really works.

The 2017-18 season kicks off on Sept. 24 with Ann Hoyt, professor emerita in the School of Human Ecology and a leading expert on consumer cooperatives. In “Health Care Reform: Really?” she will discuss innovations in the health care system that can contain costs and improve the quality of care. Hoyt directed the Consumer Cooperative Management Association conference for 25 years and developed the Cooperative Management Institute.

On Oct. 29, Stewart Macaulay will address “The Rule of Law and the Law in Action,” highlighting the contrast between our popular understanding of the law and the way it really works. The emeritus professor of law is one of the foremost contracts scholars of his generation and is the author of Law and the Balance of Power: The Automobile Manufacturers and Their Dealers.

Ronald Numbers with award
Ronald Numbers will explore ‘The War on Evolution.’

On March 11, Ronald Numbers will explore “The War on Evolution: Why Does It Continue?,” focusing on the ongoing battle between science and religion. Numbers is an emeritus professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health and the author of Darwinism Comes to America.

On April 22, Cecilia Ford will speak on “The Choreography of Human Connection: How Do We Do This Dance?,” explaining how people establish social relationships through interaction. Ford, who had a joint appointment in the English and Sociology departments, is the author of Women Speaking Up: Getting and Using Turns in Workplace Meetings.

Cecilia Ford
Cecilia Ford will explain how humans celebrate connection and intimacy through interaction.

Sharing UW-Madison expertise

Eloquence & Eminence is sponsored by UW-Madison Continuing Studies, the Institute on Aging, and the Anonymous Committee. It exemplifies the university’s commitment to outreach.

“The series is a testament to the Wisconsin Idea, sharing UW-Madison expertise with the community,” Auerbach says. “The retired faculty members appreciate the chance to speak on subjects close to their hearts, and attendees enjoy seeing eminent scholars they may have only heard about.”

For more information about Eminence & Eloquence, contact Emily Auerbach, 608-262-3733, emily.auerbach@wisc.edu.