Tag Archives: Clinton School Speaker Series

Back to the Future: The Rise of NeoTraditionalism in Urban Planning at the Clinton School today

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clinton-school-logoIn “Back to the Future: The Rise of NeoTraditionalism in Urban Planning,” Karl Besel explores new urbanism and urban revitalization within the context of public policy trends, such as regional governance and the role of non-profits. The book primarily assesses the commonalities between suburban new urbanist development and inner city redevelopment projects, connecting the roots of historical preservation communities to New Urbanism.

Karl Besel is an Associate Professor at Indiana University Kokomo. His administrative experience outside of academia includes serving for five years as the CEO of a court-related agency that provided a variety of health and human service programs within Johnson County, Indiana. He also worked as the director of a health clinic at the University of Louisville for two years.  Before becoming an administrator, he served as a clinical social worker for hospitals and outpatient facilities within the Louisville area.

His research on nonprofit management within the health and human services field has been published within a number of internationally recognized, peer reviewed journals. In addition to these publications on healthcare related agencies nationally, he has also conducted research on NGOs within the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Jamaica, and India related to economic development, real estate development, as well as nonprofit sustainability. His latest book project is entitled Back to the Future: The Rise of NeoTraditionalism in Urban Planning.

Gardner and historian Todd Longstaffe-Gowan at Clinton School today at noon

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todd-portrait-52b41521e74e7Todd Longstaffe-Gowan is an author, historian, gardener, geographer, and landscape architect will be speaking at the Clinton School today at noon.

Since entering into private practice, Longstaffe-Gowan has advised on a number of public and private historic landscapes. He has developed and implemented long-term landscape management plans for the National Trust, English Heritage and consulted on historic landscapes including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, and the Crown Estate. Longstaffe-Gowan will discuss his re-presentation of the pleasure grounds at Kensington Palace to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. The Kensington Palace Gardens has been a favorite place of residence for various members of the royal family including Queen Victoria, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and will soon be the London home of Prince William and Princess Catherine.

Longstaffe-Gowan takes on a range of projects in Britain and abroad, many with a conservation slant. ‘My work reflects my interest in the dramatic and sculptural potential of landscape, and is imbued with whimsical, historical eclecticism’, he says. ‘I like to think that my gardens are intelligent as well as beautiful, as they are informed by my training as an architect, landscape architect, geographer and historian.’

Longstaffe-Gowan appears at the Clinton School in partnership with P. Allen Smith.

LES MIZ at Ark Rep is focus of Clinton School program at noon today

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replesmizThe Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place today, Thursday, March 6 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre producing artistic director, Bob Hupp, will host a panel discussion on the upcoming production of the Tony Award winning musical Les Miserables, which returns to the Rep’s stage.

Les Miserables, one of the most popular shows in The Rep’s history, is a musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, and returns to the Rep from March 5 through April 6, 2014 under the direction of Robert Hupp. Les Miserables is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and tells the story of Jean Valjean as he evades police after breaking his parole, while protecting a young orphan named Cosette. Panelists will include members of The Rep’s creative team in a conversation about how film productions and stage productions differ while attempting to tell the same story.

Les Miserable opens tomorrow night (with previews last night and tonight). It runs through Sunday, April 6. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

Former Congressman discusses state of Congress tonight at Clinton School

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220px-Tom_Allen_110th_Congressional_portraitWith government shutdown, debt ceiling limit, continuing resolutions and other congressional contentions becoming hot topics for the general public, the Clinton School is featuring a speaker tonight at 6pm who has been in the halls of Congress.  This evening Congressman Tom Allen speaks about his book Dangerous Convictions: What’s Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress.

In his book “Dangerous Convictions,” former Congressman Tom Allen argues that what’s really wrong with the U.S. Congress is the widening, hardening gap in world-views that leaves the two parties unable to understand how the other thinks about what people should do on their own and what they are able to do together.

Allen represented Maine’s 1st congressional district from 1997 to 2009.  He was first elected by defeating incumbent James Longley Jr.  In 2008, he challenged incumbent Senator Susan Collins and was defeated.  Since then he has served as president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers.

Prior to serving in congress he had been a member of the Portland City Council, served as Mayor of Portland and ran for Governor of Maine.

The program will take place at Sturgis Hall.

*Reserve your seats for both programs by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501-683-5239.

Ark Rep’s PAL JOEY at Clinton School today

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PalJoeyThe Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place today, Thursday, September 5 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

The panel will feature the cast of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of Pal Joey.  This reimagined production of the Rodgers and Hart classic musical was conceived and directed by Tony Award winner Peter Schneider.  It features a new book by Patrick Pacheco, based on the original “Pal Joey” stories by John O’Hara.  Tony nominee Dan Knechtges is the choreographer.

Pal Joey opens tomorrow night (with previews last night and tonight). It runs through Sunday, September 29. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

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Clinton School features two programs this week

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Clinton-School-of-Public-Service-LogoJust as the school year is underway, the Clinton School’s speaker series is getting back into full swing.  This week there are two different lunchtime programs.

Tuesday, August 27 – 12 noon “Feet, Forks and the Fate of our Families: Fighting Childhood Obesity,” Dr. David Katz

The epidemic of childhood obesity is having a significant impact on the future health status and workforce productivity of the people of Arkansas. Join us for a lecture about fighting the tide of childhood obesity in Arkansas and beyond by Dr. David Katz, founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. Katz is the editor-in-chief of the journal Childhood Obesity, the only journal that provides a central forum for exploring effective, actionable strategies for weight management and obesity prevention in children and adolescents.

He is also president-elect of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, founder and president of the nonprofit Turn the Tide Foundation, which was created to help combat obesity by developing, evaluating and disseminating creative, yet practical programs that can be used in the real world for free. In 2009, he was a widely supported nominee for the position U.S. Surgeon General. He was named one of the 25 most influential people in the lives of children by Children’s Health Magazine.

The program will take place at 12 noon today, Tuesday, August 27 at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

 

Wednesday, August 28 – 12 noon “Immigration Reform in Arkansas,” a panel discussion

Immigration reform advocates are making a push in Washington, DC, and across the nation to rally support for an effort to overhaul our country’s broken immigration system. The US Senate has passed a bipartisan comprehensive immigration overhaul, and members of the US House of Representatives are at home during August Recess hearing from constituents about immigration reform among many other issues.

Immigrants have a tremendous impact in Arkansas. The immigrant population is the fourth fastest growing nationally, with a net economic impact of $3.4 billion in 2010 according to a study by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Join us for a panel about immigration reform in Arkansas with a diverse group of speakers including:

– Jeffery Hall, Associate Director of National Affairs for the Arkansas Farm Bureau
– Dr. Zulma Toro, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
– Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, President and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
– Randy Zook, President and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce / Associated Industries of Arkansas

The program will take place at 12 noon, Wednesday, August 28 at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

*Reserve your seats for both programs by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501-683-5239.

TONY AWARDS tonight — Some Arkansas connections

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TonyAwards-328x253.328.254The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League present the 67th Antoinette Perry Awards – also known as the Tony Awards – tonight. They will be aired on CBS (THV11 in Central Arkansas) at 7pm CDT.

There are a few Arkansas connections to this year’s nominees of the best of Broadway.

Arkansas natives and previous Tony winners Will Trice and Remmel T. Dickinson are each nominated again this year for producing. Trice is one of the producers of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Dickinson is a producer of Best Musical nominee Matilda. Both of those productions received multiple Tony nominations.

Tony winner Roger Horchow of Texas was married for nearly 50 years to Little Rock native Carolyn Pfeifer, until her 2009 death. Horchow and his daughter Sally are both nominated for producing the revival of Annie which is currently pleasing crowds on Broadway.

Chet Walker is nominated for his choreography for the revival of Pippin. Walker’s parents live in Maumelle. He has been a guest instructor for the Arkansas Dance Network. (Thanks to Christen Burke Pitts–herself an outstanding choreographer–for pointing out this Arkansas connection.)

Japhy Weideman is nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Play for his work on the new play The Nance. This is his first Tony nomination and his first season to be lighting plays on Broadway. He has previously received acclaim for his work Off Broadway. Weideman has been a lighting designer at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in the past.

One final nominee with an Arkansas connection. A couple of years ago, the Clinton School of Public Service brought actor Holland Taylor to Little Rock to discuss her play Ann about Texas Gov. Ann Richards. At that point in time, Ms. Taylor was performing the play throughout the country, but she did not know if it would be performed in New York. It made it to Broadway this season, and she received a Tony nomination for Actress in a Play for her work.

Whether these nominees win or lose tonight, it is a testament to Little Rock’s cultural richness that there are several nominees this year with connections to The Rock.