Winter Lecture Series

Winter Lecture Series 2025: Envisioning A Resilient Future Panel Disucssion (Read More)

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln hosts a series of virtual lectures at on Sunday evenings, and this panel discussion is an in-person follow-up to the series, with an option to participate virtually. For more information about the lecture series and receiving the Zoom link, visit the Virtual Winter Lecture Series website. Panel Discussion to include: Kim Morrow – Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Lincoln Brandon Cobb, Indigenous Partnership Program Manager, Nature Conservancy–Omaha Mark Brohman, Executive Director of Wachiska Audubon Society, Lincoln Gene Hanlon, Founder and Coordinator of the Coalition for Environmental Improvement, Lincoln

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Virtual Winter Lecture Series 2025: Envisioning A Resilient Future (Read More)

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln is hosting a series of virtual lectures at 7 p.m. central on Sunday evenings. The lectures are free via Zoom and will be posted on YouTube afterwards. For more information about receiving the Zoom link and viewing the lectures, visit the Virtual Winter Lecture Series website. Governments around the world have responded with different degrees of commitment to carbon reduction, made at the annual climate-change summits. As individuals, we frequently perceive the urgent threat of climate change with a sense of helplessness, feeling that our individual actions may lack the capacity to effect meaningful change. This series seeks to transcend the conventional focus on carbon reduction by offering a vision of hope that emphasizes community-building solutions while addressing critical challenges related to shelter, food security, and sustainability. The activists and experts in the final panel will inform us on local issues and how we can each play a part in resolving them. February 16 - Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead will provide an overview from her perspective of a career in climate, weather, and communication. Barb Mayes Boustead is a meteorologist and climatologist. She received her Ph.D. in Natural Resources: Climate Assessment and Impacts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a dissertation titled, "The hard winter of 1880-1881: Climatological context and communication via a Laura Ingalls Wilder narrative," and her forthcoming nonfiction book Wilder Weather draws further into what we can learn from the weather and climate of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and life. She has served as an author for the 4th and 5th National Climate Assessments. February 23 - Dr. Tim Crews will speak on regenerative agriculture. Tim Crews is the Chief Scientist and directs the International Initiative at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. He pursued a doctorate degree at Cornell, carried out a post-doc fellowship at Stanford, and developed an agroecology program at Prescott College in Northern Arizona. A significant amount of Tim's research on perennial grains has focused on topics closely tied to climate change adaptation and mitigation. March 2 - Dr. John Ikerd will speak briefly on sustainable economics and then hold a conversation with Prof. Charles Francis on the topic. John Ikerd was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri and received his Ph.D. degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. He worked in private industry for a time before moving to academia. He retired from the University of Missouri in early 2000 and has maintained an active writing and speaking schedule since retirement. He has published extensively on economic sustainability. Charles A. Francis is Professor emeritus Agronomy & Horticulture, with expertise and teaching experience in agroecology, farming systems, and global food and equity issues. March 9 - Dr. Elizabeth Sawin will speak on multisolving and engage with Peter Hind and Marc Shkolnick on Lincoln's Low Income Energy Efficiency Rental Rehab Program. Elizabeth Sawin is the Founder and Director of the Multisolving Institute. A biologist with a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,…

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Winter Lecture Series: Can Democracy Be Saved? The Global Trend Toward Strongman Rule (Read More)

Across the globe, many countries display some version of liberal democracy but then gradually yield to strongman rule. This online lecture series asks how and why this can occur in genuine democracies and about any successful recovery. Four countries will be discussed within this framework: Brazil, Hungary, India, and Turkey. To receive an email with the lecture link, register for the email list on the Winter Lecture Series website. Winter Lecture Series recordings will be posted on the Unitarian Church of Lincoln's Winter Lecture Series YouTube channel. February 18 - Zoltan Barany, Erwin Centennial Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. A native of Hungary and with a MA from UNL, he is an internationally recognized expert on civilian-military relations and other key aspects of the struggle for civilian democratic rule. He has personal as well as professional reasons to focus on the leadership of Viktor Orban in Hungary. February 25 - Ashutosh Varshney, Goldman Professor of International Studies, Watson Institute, Brown University. He also directs the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and is Professor of Political Science. A distinguished scholar with a long list of scholarly publications, he knows well the political record of Narendra Modi in India. March 3 - Wendy Hunter, Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. She is a much decorated expert on Brazilian politics. Her impressive scholarship has led to numerous awards, research grants, and visiting positions. She is fully up to date on the rise and fall of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. March 10 - Zehra Arat, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut-Storrs. A native of Turkey, she has published many studies on Turkish politics, human rights, and women’s rights. She has followed closely the long rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish Republic.

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Winter Lecture Series: Can Democracy Be Saved? The Global Trend Toward Strongman Rule (Read More)

Across the globe, many countries display some version of liberal democracy but then gradually yield to strongman rule. This online lecture series asks how and why this can occur in genuine democracies and about any successful recovery. Four countries will be discussed within this framework: Brazil, Hungary, India, and Turkey. To receive an email with the lecture link, register for the email list on the Winter Lecture Series website. Winter Lecture Series recordings will be posted on the Unitarian Church of Lincoln's Winter Lecture Series YouTube channel. February 18 - Zoltan Barany, Erwin Centennial Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. A native of Hungary and with a MA from UNL, he is an internationally recognized expert on civilian-military relations and other key aspects of the struggle for civilian democratic rule. He has personal as well as professional reasons to focus on the leadership of Viktor Orban in Hungary. February 25 - Ashutosh Varshney, Goldman Professor of International Studies, Watson Institute, Brown University. He also directs the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and is Professor of Political Science. A distinguished scholar with a long list of scholarly publications, he knows well the political record of Narendra Modi in India. March 3 - Wendy Hunter, Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. She is a much decorated expert on Brazilian politics. Her impressive scholarship has led to numerous awards, research grants, and visiting positions. She is fully up to date on the rise and fall of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. March 10 - Zehra Arat, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut-Storrs. A native of Turkey, she has published many studies on Turkish politics, human rights, and women’s rights. She has followed closely the long rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish Republic.

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Winter Lecture Series: Can Democracy Be Saved? The Global Trend Toward Strongman Rule (Read More)

Across the globe, many countries display some version of liberal democracy but then gradually yield to strongman rule. This online lecture series asks how and why this can occur in genuine democracies and about any successful recovery. Four countries will be discussed within this framework: Brazil, Hungary, India, and Turkey. To receive an email with the lecture link, register for the email list on the Winter Lecture Series website. Winter Lecture Series recordings will be posted on the Unitarian Church of Lincoln's Winter Lecture Series YouTube channel. February 18 - Zoltan Barany, Erwin Centennial Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. A native of Hungary and with a MA from UNL, he is an internationally recognized expert on civilian-military relations and other key aspects of the struggle for civilian democratic rule. He has personal as well as professional reasons to focus on the leadership of Viktor Orban in Hungary. February 25 - Ashutosh Varshney, Goldman Professor of International Studies, Watson Institute, Brown University. He also directs the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and is Professor of Political Science. A distinguished scholar with a long list of scholarly publications, he knows well the political record of Narendra Modi in India. March 3 - Wendy Hunter, Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. She is a much decorated expert on Brazilian politics. Her impressive scholarship has led to numerous awards, research grants, and visiting positions. She is fully up to date on the rise and fall of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. March 10 - Zehra Arat, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut-Storrs. A native of Turkey, she has published many studies on Turkish politics, human rights, and women’s rights. She has followed closely the long rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish Republic.

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Winter Lecture Series: Can Democracy Be Saved? The Global Trend Toward Strongman Rule (Read More)

Across the globe, many countries display some version of liberal democracy but then gradually yield to strongman rule. This online lecture series asks how and why this can occur in genuine democracies and about any successful recovery. Four countries will be discussed within this framework: Brazil, Hungary, India, and Turkey. To receive an email with the lecture link, register for the email list on the Winter Lecture Series website. Winter Lecture Series recordings will be posted on the Unitarian Church of Lincoln's Winter Lecture Series YouTube channel. February 18 - Zoltan Barany, Erwin Centennial Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. A native of Hungary and with a MA from UNL, he is an internationally recognized expert on civilian-military relations and other key aspects of the struggle for civilian democratic rule. He has personal as well as professional reasons to focus on the leadership of Viktor Orban in Hungary. February 25 - Ashutosh Varshney, Goldman Professor of International Studies, Watson Institute, Brown University. He also directs the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and is Professor of Political Science. A distinguished scholar with a long list of scholarly publications, he knows well the political record of Narendra Modi in India. March 3 - Wendy Hunter, Professor of Government, University of Texas-Austin. She is a much decorated expert on Brazilian politics. Her impressive scholarship has led to numerous awards, research grants, and visiting positions. She is fully up to date on the rise and fall of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. March 10 - Zehra Arat, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut-Storrs. A native of Turkey, she has published many studies on Turkish politics, human rights, and women’s rights. She has followed closely the long rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish Republic.

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Virtual Winter Lecture Series 2023: Polarization in America: Is Foreign Policy Different? (Read More)

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln is hosting a series of virtual lectures at 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The lectures are free via Zoom and will be posted on YouTube afterwards. For more information about receiving the Zoom link and viewing the lectures, visit the Virtual Winter Lecture Series website. It has been often noted that in recent decades America has become a deeply polarized society, a condition translated into its political system.  Yet on some current issues like views toward Russia and China, two important states, there seems to be considerable bipartisan consensus in Washington—at least for now.  The old question thus arises again:  does partisanship stop at the water’s edge?  Should it?  Does it really do so now? This Winter Lecture Series program will explore some perspectives on this subject.  It starts with an overview of bipartisanship in American diplomatic history, moves to views toward China regarding Taiwan and other issues, then takes up the topic of views toward Russia regarding Ukraine and NATO.  The program closes with a deeper look at polarization in American society and politics. Feb. 19 - Professor Thomas "Tim" Borstelmann, Thompson Professor of Modern World History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "An Overview of Bipartisanship in American Diplomatic History." Feb. 26 - Professor J. Megan Greene, Department of History, University of Kansas. "China, Taiwan, and American Politics." Mar. 5 - Professor James M. Scott, Herman Brown Chair and Professor, Texas Christian University. "Polarization in America and Foreign Policy:  the Case of US Policy toward Russia." Mar. 12 - Professor Kevin Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Political Polarization in the United States and What It Means."

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Virtual Winter Lecture Series 2023: Polarization in America: Is Foreign Policy Different? (Read More)

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln is hosting a series of virtual lectures at 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The lectures are free via Zoom and will be posted on YouTube afterwards. For more information about receiving the Zoom link and viewing the lectures, visit the Virtual Winter Lecture Series website. It has been often noted that in recent decades America has become a deeply polarized society, a condition translated into its political system.  Yet on some current issues like views toward Russia and China, two important states, there seems to be considerable bipartisan consensus in Washington—at least for now.  The old question thus arises again:  does partisanship stop at the water’s edge?  Should it?  Does it really do so now? This Winter Lecture Series program will explore some perspectives on this subject.  It starts with an overview of bipartisanship in American diplomatic history, moves to views toward China regarding Taiwan and other issues, then takes up the topic of views toward Russia regarding Ukraine and NATO.  The program closes with a deeper look at polarization in American society and politics. Feb. 19 - Professor Thomas "Tim" Borstelmann, Thompson Professor of Modern World History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "An Overview of Bipartisanship in American Diplomatic History." Feb. 26 - Professor J. Megan Greene, Department of History, University of Kansas. "China, Taiwan, and American Politics." Mar. 5 - Professor James M. Scott, Herman Brown Chair and Professor, Texas Christian University. "Polarization in America and Foreign Policy:  the Case of US Policy toward Russia." Mar. 12 - Professor Kevin Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Political Polarization in the United States and What It Means."

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Virtual Winter Lecture Series 2023: Polarization in America: Is Foreign Policy Different? (Read More)

The Unitarian Church of Lincoln is hosting a series of virtual lectures at 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The lectures are free via Zoom and will be posted on YouTube afterwards. For more information about receiving the Zoom link and viewing the lectures, visit the Virtual Winter Lecture Series website. It has been often noted that in recent decades America has become a deeply polarized society, a condition translated into its political system.  Yet on some current issues like views toward Russia and China, two important states, there seems to be considerable bipartisan consensus in Washington—at least for now.  The old question thus arises again:  does partisanship stop at the water’s edge?  Should it?  Does it really do so now? This Winter Lecture Series program will explore some perspectives on this subject.  It starts with an overview of bipartisanship in American diplomatic history, moves to views toward China regarding Taiwan and other issues, then takes up the topic of views toward Russia regarding Ukraine and NATO.  The program closes with a deeper look at polarization in American society and politics. Feb. 19 - Professor Thomas "Tim" Borstelmann, Thompson Professor of Modern World History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "An Overview of Bipartisanship in American Diplomatic History." Feb. 26 - Professor J. Megan Greene, Department of History, University of Kansas. "China, Taiwan, and American Politics." Mar. 5 - Professor James M. Scott, Herman Brown Chair and Professor, Texas Christian University. "Polarization in America and Foreign Policy:  the Case of US Policy toward Russia." Mar. 12 - Professor Kevin Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Political Polarization in the United States and What It Means."

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