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Lawrence University Theatre Dept. Presents Wilder’s Pulitzer-Winning Play “The Skin of Our Teeth”

APPLETON, WIS. — Thornton Wilder’s 1942 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Skin of Our Teeth” comes to Lawrence University’s Stansbury Theatre May 14-15 at 8 p.m. and May 16 at 3 and 8 p.m.

Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

The comically anachronistic tale focuses on the trials and misadventures of the nuclear American family. With biting wit, Wilder examines the perseverance of the human race through all of life’s disasters and the lessons of history to provide answers for the future.

“Wilder’s deft juxtaposition of the familiar with the unlikely takes us on a wild romp through history and humanity,” said Kathy Privatt, associate professor of theatre arts and James G. and Ethel M. Barber Professor of Theatre and Drama, who will direct the production.

Wilder creates archetypal characters like the protective mother, the prodigal son, and the seductive maid to tell the story of the Antrobus family in this universal drama. Wilder’s loose conception of time and non-continuous plot bring the characters into extreme situations during each act.

The family travels from the dawning of the Ice Age to the moments before the Great Flood (of Noah). Written in 1942, Wilder anticipates the eventual end of World War II: the final scene takes place in the aftermath of a great world war that even included animals.

“Choosing to direct this play was giving myself permission to spend artistic energy on a favorite script,” said Privatt. “World events in the last year have made it a tremendously topical play, including its underlying message of hope.”

Seniors Eric Ohlrogge and Nora Taylor play Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus while sophomores Jeff Rudisill and Erika Thiede play the Antrobuses’ children, Henry and Gladys, respectively. Sophomore Katie Cravens portrays Sabina, the family’s maid.

The Nation’s Best: Lawrence University Musicians Earn Top Honors from DownBeat Magazine

APPLETON, WIS. — One is fun. Two is twice as nice.

Two distinctly different sets of Lawrence University musicians have been honored as the nation’s best by DownBeat magazine in its 32nd annual student music awards competition.

The Lawrence University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of assistant professor of music Andy Mast, was named the winner in the classical group division, which encompasses chamber ensembles, bands and orchestras from around the country. The seven-member student band Fatbook shared top honors with the Funk Fusion Ensemble of the University of Miami in the magazine’s blues/pop/rock category as the nation’s best college band.

Winners will be announced in DownBeat’s upcoming June edition, which hits newsstands on May 19. Known as “DBs” and presented in 15 categories in four separate divisions (junior high, high school, performing high school and college) the DownBeat awards are considered among the highest music honors in the field of jazz education.

The two latest awards push Lawrence’s DB total to 15 since the competition was launched in 1978, and the college’s fifth DB since 2005.

“What a thrill,” said Mast. “I really had no idea what our chances would be, so it was very exciting to receive the news of this honor. I’m proud to be associated with the ensemble.”

The audition CD Mast submitted for the competition was a collection of pieces performed in concerts in the winter and spring of 2008 and the fall of 2008.

“There really are two groups of students who contributed to winning this award,” said Mast. “It’s so gratifying to have the ensemble students recognized like this because they so richly deserve it. They work incredibly hard, are extremely dedicated to being the best musicians they can be and are a true privilege to work with.

“The external recognition is certainly great because it shines a national spotlight on Lawrence as the first-rate school that it is,” Mast added, “but I am even happier for the internal satisfaction this brings the students who work so hard on a daily basis to make it that way.”

Fatbook, which started out strictly as a reggae band in the fall of 2007, becomes a footnote in Lawrence history as the college’s first non-curricular ensemble to be recognized by DownBeat.

The band features three home-grown musicians — senior Harjinder Bedi, lead vocals and guitar, junior Jake Crowe, tenor saxophone and Ted Toussaint, trumpet, all from Appleton — as well as senior Nick Anderson, bass, from Verona, Wis., senior Evan Jacobson, trombone, from Oak Park, Ill., junior Dario LaPoma, piano, from Eugene, Ore., and senior Kyle Traska, drums/ percussion, from Oregon, Wis.

While Fatbook musical style has evolved into a more diverse sound, it hasn’t completely abandoned its original sound and reggae remains a central influence on the band.

“We don’t like to categorize ourselves in any one genre of music. We like to draw on a wide variety of influences, including rock, pop, jazz, reggae and even a little bit of hip-hop,” said Jacobson.

Fatbook’s entry in DownBeat’s student music awards competition was a disc of three original compositions. They will be releasing their first CD, “No Time to Lose,” a 10-track disc of all original material, later this month.

According to Toussaint, much of the original material they perform is a result of “shared composition.”

“Someone will suggest a core idea, but we’ll flesh it out together as a group,” said Toussaint. “All the guys in the band listen to and participate in a wide range of musical styles, so we naturally bring that diversity to the table.”

The band, which also performs cover material ranging from The Police to Bela Fleck to Bob Marley, has made inroads in the local club scene, performing at such area venues as Mill Creek Blues, Stone Cellar Brewery and Cranky Pat’s.

Fred Sturm, director of jazz and improvisational music at Lawrence, has served as a mentor to the fledgling band and has watched with pride as they’ve evolved.

“These are all talented young musicians who are beginning to realize some of their musical dreams while still college students. That’s a thrill to witness,” said Sturm. “They’re striving to establish a unique musical identity and they’ve got enormous heart for the task of making it all happen. Earning a DownBeat award is a great first step for them.”

This year’s DownBeat competition drew a total of 832 ensemble and individual entries for all categories in all four divisions.

Lawrence University Recognizing New York Times Columnist Bob Herbert with Honorary Degree

APPLETON, WIS. — Award-winning New York Times op-ed columnist Bob Herbert will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree Sunday, June 14 by Lawrence University at the college’s 160th commencement. As part of commencement exercises, Herbert also will address the graduating seniors.

Herbert has written a twice-a-week op-ed column on politics, urban affairs and social trends for the Times since joining the paper in June 1993. Prior to that, Herbert spent two years as a national correspondent for NBC, reporting regularly on “The Today Show” and “NBC Nightly News.”

He launched his broadcast career in 1990 as a founding panelist of “Sunday Edition,” a weekly discussion program on WCBS-TV in New York and also served as host of “Hotline,” a weekly hour-long issues program on WNYC-TV.

Born in Brooklyn, Herbert began his journalism career in 1970 as a reporter with The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., and was promoted to night city editor in 1973. He joined The Daily News in New York in 1976 as a general assignment reporter. He later served as national correspondent, consumer affairs editor, city hall bureau chief and city editor. In 1985, he became a columnist and was appointed to the paper’s editorial board. His column ran in The Daily News until February 1993.

Herbert has been recognized with numerous awards for his work, including the American Society of Newspaper Editors award in 1988 for distinguished deadline writing, Columbia University School of Journalism’s 1989 Mike Berger Award, which honors distinguished and enterprising reporting by New York journalists and most recently, the 2008 David Nyhan Prize from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University for excellence in political reporting. In 1993, Herbert served as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize jury for spot news reporting.

He is the author of the 2005 book “Promises Betrayed: Waking Up from the American Dream,” a collection of essays in which he examines the lives of ordinary citizens, minorities and children who are facing real problems in a society Herbert argues too often fails to meet the American creed of fairness and justice.

Herbert earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the State University of New York (Empire State College). He has taught journalism at Brooklyn College and the Columbia University School of Journalism.

Lawrence University Recognizes Two State Teachers as “Outstanding Educators”

APPLETON, WIS. — Robert Campbell, a physics and chemistry teacher at McFarland High School and Jason Gillette, a music teacher at Brookfield Central High School, will be recognized Sunday, May 3 as recipients of Lawrence University’s 2009 Outstanding Teaching in Wisconsin Award.

They will be presented a certificate, a citation and a monetary award by Lawrence President Jill Beck in ceremonies at the president’s house. In addition, their respective schools will receive $250 for library acquisitions.

Campbell and Gillette are the 51st and 52nd Wisconsin teachers honored for education excellence by Lawrence since the program was launched in 1985. Nominated by Lawrence seniors, recipients are selected on their abilities to communicate effectively, create a sense of excitement in the classroom, motivate their students to pursue academic excellence while showing a genuine concern for them in, as well as outside, the classroom.

Campbell joined the McFarland faculty in 2007 after spending eight years at Sun Prairie High School. He began is teaching career in 1995 at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield. He teaches Advanced Placement physics, physics and advanced chemistry at McFarland and taught AP chemistry at Sun Prairie. He served as coach of the academic decathlon team at Sun Prairie for seven years, leading the team to four second-place finishes at the state competition. He currently coaches McFarland’s academic decathlon team.

Lawrence senior Liz Marshall cited Campbell’s enthusiasm, inspiration and dedication in helping students reach their full potential in nominating her former teacher for the award.

“Dr. Campbell’s teaching style was clear and logical, but it was his ability to push students further than they believed they could go that made him a wonderful teacher,” Marshall wrote in her nomination letter. “He was my first high school teacher to push me past my academic comfort zone.”

Marshall, a classics major at Lawrence, said Campbell’s ability to inspire students to still work hard in subjects they weren’t necessarily interested in “is the greatest testament to his teaching ability.”

A native of Ellsworth, Campbell earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UW-River Falls, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Texas A & M University. He also conducted post-doctoral research in physics at Rutgers University.

Gillette, who began playing the saxophone at the age of seven, has served as director of bands at Brookfield Central since 1996, building the program from 83 students when he started to 175 today. He directs the school’s symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, marching band and pit orchestra. He has led the various bands in performances in Dallas, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Orlando.

He was honored as the school district’s “Employee of the Year” in 2004 and was named “Music Teacher of the Year” in 2006 by Milwaukee jazz radio station WJZI.

Lawrence senior Alex Bunke, who played trombone in the Brookfield marching band, praised Gillette’s infectious passion in his nomination.

“Jason has a love of music that rubs off on his students,” wrote Bunke. “He demands excellence, but not in an overbearing or intimidating way. He knows how to draw the best out of you without making you feel inadequate or too pressured. He’s the kind of teacher you want to impress because you can tell it makes him happy.”

Outside the classroom, Gillette has performed professionally with a bevy of musical heavyweights, including Aretha Franklin, Kurt Elling, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and Josh Grobin, among others.

He holds a bachelor of music education degree from UW-Eau Claire.

U.S.-Russia Foreign Relations Strategies, Challenges Focus of Lawrence University International Series Presentation

APPLETON, WIS. — What lessons has history provided regarding the most productive way the United States and other Western nations can successfully deal with Russia? Peter Blitstein, associate professor of history at Lawrence University, explores that question in the address “Russian-American Relations and the Obama Administration” Wednesday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. in Science Hall 102.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is the third installment of Lawrence’s four-part 2009 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies: “What Should Obama Do?”

A political historian specializing in the Russian empire, Blitstein will review three strategies Western countries have utilized in dealing with Russia, explain why only one of those approaches is viable and examine four current diplomatic challenges facing U.S.-Russian relations.

One approach historically employed by Western nations in dealing with Russia was the notion that, with help, Russia could become “Westernized.” A second approach treated Russia essentially as an alien civilization that could not be fully trusted, that it posed a threat and as such had to be “contained.” But Blitstein argues a third strategy — the understanding that Russia is not Western, it has its own distinct interests and that relations with it must conducted on the basis of mutual interests — is the only one that has resulted in good relations between Russia and the West.

Blitstein’s talk will support the mutual respect viewpoint by examining four moments in recent U.S.-Russia foreign relations: the start of the Cold War, the era of détente, the era of perestroika and the era of “transition.”

He also will discuss the role “mutual interest” will play in resolving four current international challenges facing the Obama administration and the Russian leadership, specifically the issues of Iran, energy policy and “pipeline politics,” missile defense and Russia’s own relations with its former Soviet Union-era neighbors.

A member of the Lawrence faculty since 2001, Blitstein has written numerous published articles on Soviet policies toward its ethnic nationalities and is working on the book “Stalin’s Nations: Soviet Nationality Policy between Planning and Primordialism, 1936-1953.” He has conducted extensive research in the state archives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Moscow and has taught a seminar course that examines the Cold War through the lens of intelligence and espionage.

Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, director general of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology and former governor of Guanajuato, Mexico, concludes the series Tuesday, May 12 with the address “Mexico and the U.S” at 4:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium.

The “What Should Obama Do” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

Brad Mehldau Trio Performs May 2 at Lawrence University

APPLETON, WIS. — Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and his trio close out the 2008-09 Lawrence University Jazz Series Saturday, May 2 with an 8 p.m. concert in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $20-22 for adults, $17-19 for seniors and $15-17 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

A fixture on the national and international jazz scenes since the mid-1990s, Mehldau’s singularly intense performances and his innovative improvisation skills led London’s The Guardian to hail him as “the doyen of contemporary jazz pianists.”

With bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, the Brad Mehldau Trio earned a 2009 Grammy best jazz instrumental album nomination for their release “Brad Mehldau Trio: Live.” The disc develops and improvises on jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Countdown,” but also delves into 1990s pop music with Oasis’s “Wonderwall” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” which Mehldau transforms into a 20-minute-long sonic experience.

“Brad Mehldau is the next logical step in jazz piano after the heyday of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock,” said Lee Tomboulian, who teaches jazz improvisation and applied jazz piano at Lawrence. “His unbelievable technique serves a gigantic conception, that mixes contrapuntal lines, unusual voicings and extreme rhythmic vigor into a swirling vortex of originality.

“To miss Mehldau at our doorstep would be like living in England during Shakepeare’s time and forgetting to go to the Globe Theater until after it had closed,” he added.

A Grammy nominee in 1997 for “Art of the Trio” in the jazz instrumental solo category, Melhdau began his early musical training as a classical pianist and those influences remain evident in his work today.

In addition to his trio and solo ventures, Mehldau has collaborated with jazz greats Joshua Redman, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield and the late Michael Brecker, among others. He also has ventured outside the jazz realm for projects with popular musicians Willie Nelson and Jon Brion and his music has appeared in several films, among them Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.”

Since his 1995 Warner Records debut album “Introducing Brad Mehldau,” his discography has grown to nearly 40 releases as a solo pianist, with his trio and as a sideman.

Lawrence University Seniors Hulburt, Neitzel Awarded Fulbright Fellowships to Germany

APPLETON, WIS. — Jane Hulburt credits her “awesome” high school foreign language teacher, Margaret Draheim, for exciting her about German. Spencer Neitzel’s interest in Germany was stoked after spending a month in Freiburg as an exchange student in 2005.

Hulburt

Neitzel

The two Lawrence University seniors will soon immerse themselves in all things German after being named Fulbright Scholars and awarded fellowships to spend nine months in Germany as English teaching assistants. Hulburt, who is from Appleton, and Neitzel, who lives in Northfield, Minn., are the third and fourth Lawrence students this spring to receive a Fulbright Fellowship. Since 2001, 13 Lawrence students have been named Fulbright Scholars.

Hulburt will be making her third trip to Germany when she begins her teaching apprenticeship in September. She spent the summer of 2003 in Bavaria as a participant in her high school’s German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) and then traveled to Freiburg as a Lawrence sophomore in 2007 on a study abroad program.

“I’ve always been interested in teaching and this is the ultimate teaching experience,” said Hulburt, who plans to leave a month early so she can spend time with her former host family from her GAPP experience. “I’ve also had a long-standing interest in German culture, so the opportunity to go to Germany and teach is going to be the best of both worlds for me.”

A German and piano major who performs with the Lawrence Jazz Singers and the Lawrence Concert Choir, Hulburt spent four years (2003-07) teaching a children’s choir at Appleton’s Memorial Presbyterian Church near the Lawrence campus. She hopes to incorporate her music background into her teaching lessons in Germany.

While “officially” an English teaching assistant, Neitzel said he plans to focus less on grammar and more on the application of the language and the study of American culture.

“I’m interested in the differences and similarities between American and German culture and this will be a great opportunity to explore those,” said Neitzel, a German and psychology major. “I’m hoping to learn more and think seriously about by own identity as an American since I will be representing the United States.”

Hulburt sees her upcoming Fulbright appointment as a “life” experience, not just a teaching experience.

“I’ll be working with people I normally wouldn’t have a chance to and be in an environment where English isn’t the first language,” said Hulburt. “This is going to take me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way, and help me grow as a person.”

The fact that the Fulbright program doesn’t require extensive teaching experience is what Neitzel initially found appealing and persuaded him to apply for the fellowship.

“You learn first hand the pedagogy in Germany is different than here in the states,” said Neitzel, who is hoping his teaching assignment will wind up at a school in Hamburg. “It’s an intense program, but it also does a great job of helping you find out what you want to do with your life.”

With an eye on working in the travel and tourism industry, Neitzel is hoping his Fulbright experience could help lead to a career directing tours in Germany, preferably on a bicycle.

Hulburt sees her upcoming Fulbright experience as a launching pad as well.

“I know my time at Lawrence is just about done and I’m ready to move on to the next chapter in my life. That’s exciting. I don’t know what’s ahead, but I’m looking forward to finding out.”

Created by Congress in 1946 to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship program. Since its founding, it has supported opportunities for nearly 300,000 American students, scholars and other professionals in more than 150 countries. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, CEOs, university presidents, professors and teachers. Thirty-seven Fulbright alumni have earned Nobel Prizes.

Lawrence University Honors Appleton Native for Environmental Leadership

APPLETON, WIS. — Appleton native Virginia Purdy was an “environmentalist” decades before the term came into vogue.

In recognition of her commitment to preserving the environment and her contributions to conservation, Lawrence University is awarding Purdy an honorary doctor of humane letters degree Monday, April 20 to kick off a week-long celebration of Earth Day.

Purdy, 92, who lives in Buffalo, Wyo., will be presented the degree in absentia. Lawrence senior Megan Bjella of Appleton, who embodied Purdy’s spirit of land stewardship during an 18-month-long tenure as director of the Sustainable Lawrence University Garden, will accept the degree on Purdy’s behalf. Provost David Burrows will confer the honorary degree during ceremonies beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Science Hall 102.

“As the country prepares to commemorate another Earth Day, it’s most appropriate that Lawrence recognize Virginia Purdy, whose life has been a reflection of her deep love of nature and concern for the environment,” said Lawrence President Jill Beck. “We are proud to celebrate her leadership and honored to count her among our alumni.”

The only child of Danish immigrants who settled on a farm in south Appleton in the 1920s — the current site of the Copps grocery store on Calumet St. — Purdy graduated from Appleton High School and attended Lawrence as a conservatory of music student in the late 1930s.

After leaving Lawrence, Purdy moved west and began a successful career as a rancher. Today, the Purdy Ranch, a working cattle ranch outside Buffalo, totals more than 23,000 acres, with two indoor riding arenas as well as large herds of deer, elk, moose and antelope. In 2000, she put more than 5,000 acres into the Purdy Family Foundation for use as an outdoor ecological classroom by the University of Wyoming.

As early as the 1940s, Purdy became involved in water conservation issues. She established two reservoirs on the ranch, built an irrigation system that is still in use and served on several state commissions that dealt with water issues.

“I just believe it’s the duty of anyone who loves the land to preserve it the way nature has given it to us,” said Purdy. “I never expected anyone to acknowledge me as a great benefactor. I like to do things quietly and humbly because I like saving and preserving the natural environment and the wildlife in it.

“It is important to me to live in an environment that feeds the soul and takes care of the body,” she added. “If you take care of the land, it will take care of you.”

She is an ardent supporter of numerous conservation and environmental organizations, among them Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

In 1972, Purdy became the first woman elected to the Buffalo city council and was appointed mayor in May, 1974, serving until December of that year. She is the only woman in Buffalo history to hold the office. She also was a member of Lawrence’s Board of Trustees from 1985 until 2002, when she was named trustee emerita.

The Purdy family has a long history with Lawrence. Her late husband, R. Hampton Purdy, attended Lawrence in the 1930s, her mother-in-law, Annette Purdy, was a member of the class of 1910, her brother-in-law, Bruce Purdy, is associated with the class of 1939 and her nephew, Steve Purdy, graduated from Lawrence in 1967.

Lawrence University Presents World Premiere of “When the War is Done”

APPLETON, WIS. — When Charlotte King traveled abroad to France on a study-abroad program in the fall of 2007, the Lawrence University senior theatre and French major had no idea she would come across a piece of French theatre that would become the basis of her senior project.

The result is the world premiere of the Lawrence student-produced musical “When the War is Done.” The story of German-occupied France in 1942 will be performed April 24-25 at 8 p.m. and April 25 at 3 p.m. in Lawrence’s Cloak Theatre, 420 E. College Ave. A free dress rehearsal performance will be staged Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

While working as a diction coach for French playwright Marie-Celine Lachaud, King discovered Lachaud had written a book and lyrics for a musical entitled “Quand la guerre est finie” based on the book. The story follows several French citizens as they navigate the rapidly-changing world of the Nazi occupation. Some choose to work with the Resistance while others refuse to believe the horrors of the war are actually happening.

For this premiere, author Norman Stokle wrote an English translation of Lachaud’s original script. King and junior composition major Nikko Benson translated Lachaud’s lyrics for the production, which featured new arrangements of the hauntingly beautiful original score written by London composer Nicholas Skilbeck.

Senior Peter Welch directs the production, while Benson is the musical director and 2007 Lawrence graduate Katrina Schuster designed the show’s costumes.

The production contains some adult language and several scenes of violence.

Former Foreign Service Officer Examines U.S-European Relations in Lawrence University International Series Address

APPLETON, WIS. — Robert (Todd) Becker, a former U.S. foreign service officer and deputy head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Croatia, delivers the address “U.S. and European Relations” Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center auditorium.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is the second installment of Lawrence’s 2009 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies: “What Should Obama Do?”

For more than 300 years, Europe and what is now the United States have been inexorably linked. For the first 200 years of that relationship, the United States was the “junior partner.” From World War I until World War II, the United States reached a certain level of parity and since the end of the second world war until the end of the 20th century, the United States has been the dominant power.

In his address, Becker will review the evolving nature of this relationship, discuss whether the balance of power is tilting back toward Europe and examine some of the common challenges facing both the United States and Europe in the coming century.

“Can the United States continue to lead as in the past 60 years?,” said Becker, who is spending the Spring Term as Lawrence’s Distinguished Visiting Scarff Professor in the government department. “Is Europe regaining a position of superiority? While it is large, wealthy and influential, it is very diverse politically, economically and far from unified, despite the growth of the European Union. In the face of common financial, terrorist, ecological, social-migration and international criminal threats, these two continental societies must find an effective manner to work together. The question is how?”

During a 34-year career with the U.S. State Department, Becker served two assignments in Greece spanning five years during crises in the Aegean and southern Balkans, as well positions in Germany and Brussels.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Becker established the U.S. Consulate General — the first in a former Warsaw Pact country — in Leipzig in the former German Democratic Republic. From 1997-2000, Becker directed the political affairs unit in the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, where he was responsible for developing closer political and security relations with the EU.

In 2000, Becker joined the OSCE, a 56-member inter-governmental organization that traces its roots to the 1975 Helsinki Accord and was established under the charter of the United Nations.

He served as OCSE’s Deputy Head and Ambassador to the Mission in Croatia for seven years. During his tenure, he saw Croatia transition from a post-Communist and authoritarian regime into a struggling democracy seeking NATO and EU membership. At the end of his assignment in Croatia, Becker was recognized with the Croatian Helsinki Committee Human Rights Award, the first foreigner to receive the honor.

Prior to coming to Lawrence, Becker spent a year in Kiev, Ukraine, as an OSCE senior project manager.

Remaining talks on this year’s series schedule include:

• April 29 — “Russian-American Relations and the Obama Administration,” Peter Blitstein, associate professor of history at Lawrence. Blitstein will review the different approaches Western nations, including the United States, have used in their relations with Russia, make the case only one of these approaches is effective and examine the issues facing the current U.S.-Russia relationship from that standpoint.

• May 12 — “Mexico and the U.S.,” Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, director general of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology and former governor of Guanajuato, Mexico.

The “What Should Obama Do” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.