First Friday Forum: Spring 2012
Professor Joe Peschek
Understanding the Elections of 2012
Noon, March 2, 2012: Hamline University, Sorin Hall, Dining Rooms A & B
The presidential and congressional elections of 2012 are taking place in a context of intense competition and high levels of partisan polarization and public dissatisfaction with politics.
“Understanding the Elections of 2012” will examine the electoral terrain on which the contest for office is being fought, and the political, economic, and cultural conditions that shape the terrain. Topics that will be discussed include President Obama’s political standing, the fight for the Republican presidential nomination, trends in public opinion and campaign fund-raising, and the political impact of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements.
Joseph G. Peschek is Professor of Political Science at Hamline University, where he has taught since 1987. His main area of scholarly interest is contemporary American politics. He is the co-editor of a college text-reader Voices of Dissent: Critical Readings in American Politics (ninth edition forthcoming). From 2002 to 2008 he was editor of the scholarly journal New Political Science. His most recent published article is “The Obama Presidency and the Great Recession: Political Economy, Ideology, and Public Policy.”
Professor Hossein Akhavi-Pour
U.S. Economic Challenges
Noon, April 13, 2012:
Hamline University, Sorin Hall, Dining Rooms A & B
(Please note: this is the second Friday of April.)
The U.S. economy is facing serious challenges that call for wise leadership decisions. These challenges require a shift in economic policies regarding long-term prospects both domestically and internationally.
Domestic challenges include prolonged unemployment and income disparities, while global challenges include the environment and foreign competition. To respond effectively to these challenges, U.S. leaders have to rely on cooperation with other nations while also maintaining and strengthening their own leadership position.
Hossein Akhavi-Pour has been a professor of international economics at Hamline University since 1987. He graduated from the University of Tehran with a bachelor’s degree before receiving his MS and PhD in economics from Kansas State University. Professor Akhavi-Pour’s research interests include regional and international economics with a focus on the global south. He is currently the chair of the Department of Economics, Strategy, and Marketing at the Hamline School of Business.
Dan Loritz ’69
What’s Happening Behind the Headlines in Federal and State K–12 and Post Secondary Education
Noon, May 4, 2012: Hamline University, Sorin Hall, Dining Rooms A & B
Dan Loritz will share his perspectives on current, and pending, federal and state K–12 and post secondary education policy issues.He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Hamline University and his master’s degree in teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. In addition, he was selected for three fellowships. He was an educational policy fellow at George Washington University, a leadership fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and he received a public school executive fellowship from the Bush Foundation in Minnesota.
Loritz served fifteen years in Minnesota state government in a variety of leadership roles. He was a senior policy analyst, director of government relations and an assistant commissioner of education in the Department of Education, and an assistant commissioner for state policy coordination in the State Planning Agency. He also served Governor Rudy Perpich as his director of governmental relations and as his deputy chief of staff. Following his government service, he served Hamline for eighteen years as the vice president of university relations and fifteen years as a associate professor of education. Loritz retired in 2009. He is currently leading Hamline’s leadership gifts effort for its current capital campaign.
REGISTRATION
Pre-registration is required for all First Friday Forums. Lunch and program begin at noon; check-in begins at 11:45 a.m.
Register and pay online by using our First Friday Forum Registration Page.
The attendance of these events is not restricted, and you are welcome to invite guests.
Do you have comments or suggestions for future topics and speakers? We would love to hear them! Contact Betsy Radtke at bradtke@hamline.edu or 651-523-2201 for more information.