Events

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In the 1500s, Juan Ponce de Leon searched Florida for the fountain of youth, and some people still believe that Florida may hold the key to eternal youth. Can the “magic potions” that are being marketed today help retain youthfulness or will they simply drain wallets and age bodies further? Can you add years to your lifespan by severely restricting your caloric intake? Learn more about the latest anti-aging discoveries that biotechnology is turning into reality at “The fountain of youth: Does it really exist?” lecture to be given by Inge Russell, Wednesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in Transylvania’s Haggin Auditorium in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. This lecture is the third in the Alltech Lecture Series at Transylvania and is free and open to the public. Russell is a research scientist focusing on the areas of fermentation and yeast biochemistry. She is co-founder and editor of the journal “Critical Reviews in Biotechnology” and editor of “The Journal of the Institute of Brewing.” Russell has been widely recognized for her volunteer work promoting science and technology, specifically for encouraging women to pursue studies in this field. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Jim Wallis, author, public theologian, preacher, activist and international commentator on ethics and public life, will speak at Transylvania University’s Haggin Auditorium Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public; however, seating is limited. Wallis is best known as founder and executive director of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, which convenes a national network of churches, faith-based organizations and individuals working to overcome poverty in America. He is editor of Sojourners magazine, which reaches more than 250,000 people, and his latest book, “God’s the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It,” was on The New York Times bestseller list for four months. Wallis is a frequent guest on television and radio programs including “Meet the Press,” Public Broadcasting’s “Frontline” and National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation.” His columns have appeared in major newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe. He teaches the course Faith, Politics and Society at Harvard University and is the author of eight books. The lecture is sponsored by the Lilly Project at Transylvania and funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120 or the Lilly Project at Transylvania at (859) 281-3569.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Karl Dawson, microbiologist and director of worldwide research at Alltech, will give a lecture on the science in beer, wine, whiskey, bread and other foods Tuesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is the second talk in the new Alltech Lecture Series at Transylvania. Dawson will discuss how yeast is the cornerstone of many foods and the basis of important biochemical processes. While the yeast cell is a trusted microbial ally in medicine and agricultural production, it still harbors many secrets that can help us understand biological processes. Science based on yeast fermentation and genetics has provided us with unique functional foods for humans and animals, and is defining new nutritional and pharmacological strategies that will allow for longer lives and improved health. Dawson received his bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from Utah State University, a master’s in microbiology from the University of Wyoming, and a Ph.D. in bacteriology from Iowa State University. He worked as a microbiologist at the National Animal Disease Laboratory and as a professor of nutritional microbiology in the department of animal sciences at the University of Kentucky before joining Alltech as director of worldwide research. Dawson focuses on improving animal performance and health by altering the microbial activities in their in their gastrointestinal tracts. For more information, call the Transylvania public relations office at (859) 233-8120.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In celebration of Women’s History Month, pianist Naomi Oliphant and tenor Daniel Weeks will perform “Women of Firsts,” a recital of art songs by 20th century women composers of the Czech Republic, Poland, United States and France on Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Transylvania’s Mitchell Fine Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. Oliphant has earned a national reputation as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada and Europe. She has appeared as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Ballet, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Niagara Symphony. Since 1983, she has been pianist of the McHugh-Oliphant Duo. She was appointed associate dean of the University of Louisville School of Music in 1998 and has most recently been responsible for coordinating an exchange program between the university and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. Weeks has given professional recitals in 14 states and has performed with the Houston Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony, among others. He has performed opera with the Kentucky Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Nevada Opera and the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. In 2001, he toured the United States in 58 performances of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater. Oliphant and Weeks have performed together in recital since 1999, have toured the United States and Poland and will soon be recording their first CD. For more

Read “Women’s History Month Event at Transylvania – Renowned pianist and tenor to perform songs by women composers Thursday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. at Transylvania; free and open to the public”