- 2009 Overview
- February 12, Cammie Sublette, Ph.D.
- February 26, Kathy Pinzon, Ph.D.
- March 12, Dennis Siler, Ph.D.
- March 26, Billy Higgins, M.A.
- April 9, M. Oliver Heydorn, Ph.D.
- April 23, Ragupathy Kannan, Ph.D.
- Contact Information
2009 Overview
The Scholar Series is an initiative by UA Fort Smith's Center for Lifelong Learning and the Fort Smith Public Library to provide learning opportunities for the general public free of charge. UA Fort Smith faculty members will present a topic that draws broadly on the faculty member’s research and experience.The Scholar series will be held every other Thursday evening beginning February 12 and ending April 23 from 7 – 8:15 p.m. at the Fort Smith Public Library's Main Branch in the Community Room on the 1st floor.
February 12, Cammie Sublette, Ph.D.
Dr. Sublette earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from Northwest Missouri State University. She also holds a Ph.D. in English from Southern Illinois University.
The Royal Nonesuch: Mark Twain’s Legacy in Hannibal, Missouri
Come and explore the intersections between the literary and historic Hannibal, Missouri, with emphasis on the performative nature of historic downtown Hannibal. Learn how Mark Twain’s literary fiction is absorbed in the town’s history, and how Twain’s Hannibal continues to hold a powerful place in the Americanist imagination.Professional Development Credit: Teachers of literature or history, all grades.
February 26, Kathy Pinzon, Ph.D.
Dr. Pinzon earned a B.A. in mathematics and physics and an M.A. in mathematics from SUNY Potsdam. She also holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Kentucky.Mathematical Party Tricks
Want to impress your friends with tricks that will amaze and astound them? Come and learn the mathematics behind some of the most impressive party tricks around. We will look at things such as the “blind bartender problem,” number finding games, and card tricks. Be the center of attention, life of the party, and envy of all after you learn these secrets..Professional Development Credit: Teachers of mathematics, all grades.
March 12, Dennis Siler, Ph.D.
What Have We Done to Shakespeare?
Discover who Shakespeare really was compared to what we might have been taught. Learn how the performance of his plays has changed over the last 400 years. Somehow over the years the original practices of performance have shifted from a theatre of imagination to a theatre of illusion. Find out what has been lost and why it matters..Professional Development Credit: Teachers of literature or history, 9-12.
March 26, Billy Higgins, M.A.
Mr. Higgins earned a B.S. from Arkansas Tech University and an M.A. from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He also won the Lucille Speakman Excellence in Teaching Award, 1995-96, and earned the Whirlpool Master Teacher
Award in 2004.
The Barling Darling
Hal Smith’s Life in Baseball, is a book about a baseball player from Barling, Arkansas. Becoming the starting Cardinal catcher in 1956, Hal Smith logged seven years as a Major League player, coached for six years in the Major League, managed one year in minor-league baseball, and scouted for the Cardinals for twenty-three years. His professional baseball career spanned a phenomenal forty-two years, most of it with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.Professional Development Credit: Meets AR history requirement for early childhood, middle level, and social studies teachers.
April 9, M. Oliver Heydorn, Ph.D.
Dr. Heydorn earned a B.S. in biology from McMaster University and an M.A. in philosophy from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He also holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the International Academy of Philosophy.
Social Credit: A Political Economy for the 21st Century
Social Credit is an interdisciplinary area of study grounded in the writings of the British engineer Clifford Hugh Douglas (1879-1952). It represents a unique and relatively unknown viewpoint on those important issues which lie at the intersection of philosophy, economics, politics, and history. This talk will focus on the fundamental nature of our enduring economic, social, and environmental problems and briefly explore some of the highly original solutions that were presented by Douglas..Professional Development Credit: Teachers of history, politics, philosophy, and economics grades 7-12.
April 23, Ragupathy Kannan, Ph.D.
Dr. Kannan holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Loyola College, University of Madras, India. He also holds an M.S. in biology from University of Louisiana at Monroe and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Arkansas.
Do the Exotic House Sparrows Affect Nesting of Native Cliff Swallows in Arkansas?
There is some evidence from certain parts of North America to indicate that house sparrows steal nests of cliff swallows. The house sparrows occupy old swallow nests in the winter and spring and probably impede swallows from reusing these sites the subsequent breeding season. There is also evidence that the sparrows may maraud eggs and nestlings of the swallows. We examined this hypothesis in western Arkansas and will discuss our findings.
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Professional Development Credit: Teachers of biology and science all grades.

