Fascinating Potpourri I
Fridays, 9:00 – 10:00 AM
San Gabriel Presbyterian Church
January 31: Early Settlers of Hutto, Wilco’s Fourth Largest City – Jon Stephenson (In-person, On-demand)
From 1843 to the coming of the railroad in 1876, the early settlers along Brushy Creek between Round Rock and Norman’s Crossing were families who made essential contributions to the political, economic, and social foundations of Williamson County. This presentation provides numerous fascinating and inspirational life stories of these pioneer families, Black and White, who helped found the city of Hutto.
-Jon Stephenson is a retired educator/professor, administrator, editor/writer, and historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Asian History from Brigham Young University. He moved to Hutto in 2020 to be near family. He currently serves on the Hutto Historical Preservation Commission and the Williamson County Historical Commission.
February 7: Georgetown Snakes: Cuddly creatures without legs – Jim Christiansen, PhD (In-person)
Jim Christiansen has a life-long attachment to a group of animals most people don’t like! In this session, he will explore these interesting and surprisingly intelligent animals that we live with in Georgetown.
-Dr. Christiansen is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Drake University and founder of The Snake Wranglers in Sun City. He is an author of more than 70 scientific publications and two editions of The Biology of Aging.
February 14: How We Know What We Know – Allister McNeish, PhD (In-person, On-demand)
This lecture will begin with the classic video, The Powers of Ten, which takes the viewer in 10 second intervals from the human scale to the scale of the universe’s one trillion galaxies each of 200 billion stars, then back to the human scale, and then to the scale of molecules, atoms and the elementary particles that make up our universe. Using layman’s terms and no mathematics, Allister will discuss: How do we know how big and how old the universe is? How do we know how small an atom is and what a proton is made of?
-Dr. McNeish holds a BS degree in Applied Physics and a PHD in Physics (Quantum Electronics) from Heriot Watt University, Scotland. He also did post-doc work in Lasers in Chemistry at the University of Newcastle, England. He worked in England and Wales before moving to the US where he was Product Developer, Isomet Corp., Springfield VA., and Engineering Fellow, BAE, Austin, TX.
February 21 and February 28: The Federal Reserve: History and Functions – Craig West, PhD (In-Person, On-Demand)
The Federal Reserve System was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. It is the central bank of the United States and functions to promote the effective operation of the U.S. economy, and more generally, the public interest. Dr. Craig West will present 2 lectures: (1) the origins and structure of the Federal Reserve and (2) an overview of how the Fed implements monetary policy.
-Dr. West has an AB in economics from the University of Missouri and a PhD in economics from Northwestern University. He taught economics at the University of Maryland and Drake University. He spent 25 years with the Federal Reserve System in Kansas City and Chicago as a researcher and capital markets supervisor. He retired to Sun City in 2007.
March 7: Neurodivergent Skills – Miranda Rose (In-Person, On-Demand)
In this session, Miranda Rose builds off of her LLGTX Fall 2024 session on Neurodiversity Awareness. No prior experience with ADHD, autism, or learning differences needed! This engaging presentation explores adult learning theory from an inclusive lens and is based on current education research to support neurodivergent adult development. The presentation will teach practical skills, interesting facts, and unique perspectives on inclusive instruction. These accessible tips are tailored to improving the quality and ongoing love of learning.
-Miranda Rose holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, an M.A. in Education Leadership and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education Leadership and Special Intervention Services at Wichita State University. Her passion is helping neurodivergent learners (ADHD, autistic, dyslexic, and cognitively creative thinkers) and their allies come together to learn differently.
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