The Life-Long Learning Lecture Series has been active on campus for the past 24 years. Co-sponsored by the President’s Office and the Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College, LLL Series aims to enrich the College and community by offering free presentations on a wide variety of subjects.
The Thursday evening programs are open to all and run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. All but one of the Fall 2024 lectures will be held in room 130, Noble Hall — the exception is the November 21 offering to be held in the Roshong Music Room in Jones Hall.
While we will record all presentations and make them available on the LLL website the following Thursday, these recordings are not a substitute for the live experience. Attending in person offers the full benefit of engaging with speakers, participating in discussions, and connecting with fellow attendees. We strongly encourage you to join us on campus to fully enjoy and appreciate the enriching atmosphere of our live presentations.
Join our mailing list (below) for weekly reminders.
For additional information, please contact Gary Rottman at gsorcer@hotmail.com.
Storyteller, historian, author and naturalist Brian “Fox” Ellis visits Durango from Peoria, Illinois.
Join well-known Chautauqua presenter Brian “Fox” Ellis as he portrays Meriwether Lewis, highlighting his expedition from 1804 to 1806 to the Pacific Ocean. Ellis brings Lewis to life, showcasing his scientific inquiry, natural history, and mapping methods. The presentation will feature Ellis as both Lewis and as a researcher and Chautauqua actor-scholar.
Join Brian Ellis as he brings to life the garrulous American poet Walt Whitman. Ellis will read from Whitman’s poetry and share tales of his adventures during the American Civil War. As a hospital volunteer, Whitman visited thousands of wounded soldiers, wrote letters for them, and assisted medical teams in various ways.
Join history professor and author Ari Kelman as he explores the 150-year struggle over the memory of the Sand Creek Massacre. On November 29, 1864, soldiers from the 1st and 3rd Colorado Regiments attacked a peaceful Arapaho and Cheyenne village in southeastern Colorado Territory. Kelman, a professor at the University of California, Davis, will discuss these events’ lasting impact, unearthing stories from those who lived through the atrocity and those who grappled with its legacy.
Local historian Charles DiFerdinando will discuss the early history of the original Fort Lewis, a U.S. military post in Southwest Colorado that had multiple locations before becoming a liberal arts college. DiFerdinando will cover the creation of the post, the saga of the Buffalo Soldiers, and the move to the La Plata River.
The selfie has become the visual hallmark of our era, driving a new golden age of photography and self-aggrandizement. Journalist and art historian Judith Reynolds will explore this phenomenon, delving into the colorful history of self-portraiture and examining what the selfie says about American individualism today. Attendees are encouraged to take a selfie on their phones and bring it to the lecture.
Join Susan Atkinson and John Purser, volunteers for the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, as they discuss how we can make wise, climate-friendly choices. The speakers will explore our greenhouse gas emissions and how they can be offset with voluntary carbon credit. They will argue that carbon pricing has a greater cumulative effect from collective use of clean energy alternatives.
Humans are only one small part of Nature, but the legal system does not reflect this reality. Instead, the law treats humans as separate to Nature, with ecosystems and species lacking even basic rights. But this is beginning to change. “Earth Lawyer” Grant Wilson will take us on a journey to explore earth-centered legal innovations from across the world and even Colorado.
Join Chuck Carson, a retired engineer from Sandia Labs and current FLC adjunct professor, in a “fun history—not science talk” and expand your cultural literacy and understanding of how the universe works. Carson will discuss five early works of Albert Einstein which, published in 1905, shook the scientific world and helped define much of the understanding of current physics.
Well-known local gardeners Darrin Parmenter and Tom Bartels will share helpful hints on how to plant a garden that you need to weed only once a year, harvest lots of food, and bring endless smiles to you and your friends. Parmenter is the Western Region Director for the CSU Extension and former Horticulturist and Director in La Plata County. Bartels has been teaching for over ten years, grows vegetables in Durango, and is a worm rancher extraordinaire.
Local historian and author Eilene Lyon will examine how the American Revolution, a civil war between British citizens, placed pacifist sects in the crosshairs of both sides. The Quakers in Philadelphia suffered persecution mostly at the hands of the Revolutionaries, particularly in 1778, after the British relinquished control of the city.
President and CEO of Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Elizabeth Perry explores little-known aspects of Southwest archaeology and their significance. Colorado boasts some of the world’s most important archaeological resources, with far-reaching implications for tribal communities, the discipline of archaeology, cultural heritage, economic and workforce development, and the state’s future.
Retired technology professor George Widmeyer will discuss Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and its role in student learning across various disciplines. He will use four metaphors—Collaborator, Mentor, Tutor, and Debater—to explore its benefits and address challenges and controversies associated with GenAI in education.
The Fort Lewis College Piano Trio will present a lecture recital on Dmitry Shostakovich, featuring a performance of his Piano Trio No. 2 (1943-4) in Roshong Recital Hall. Violinist Richard Silvers, cellist Katherine Jetter, and pianist Holly Quist will discuss Shostakovich’s story and demonstrate how he juxtaposed joy and sorrow in his music to convey his fear and trauma amid Soviet government hostility toward his works.
For over three decades, Greg Hoch, former director of the Department of Planning and Community Development in Durango, guided developments in the historic downtown, commercial corridors, and neighborhoods. Join him as he discusses how these policies and innovative approaches to landscaping, sign controls, and public improvements, resulted in the vibrant urban fabric of modern Durango.
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