Free (Thinking) Lunch

Every month to six weeks during the academic year, the Humanities Institute sponsors a Free (Thinking) Lunch seminar in a private room of the Clay Pit restaurant a few blocks from the University campus. This program is designed to sustain and extend collegiality and collaborative inquiry across disciplines among the Institute's Faculty Associates—an ever-expanding group that consists of all current and past faculty participants in the Institute's annual seminar or in any of its public humanities programs.

Free (Thinking) Lunch participants reserve a place at the table—which can accommodate up to twenty—for the lunch presentations they wish to attend. An Indian buffet and general conversation around the table occupy the first thirty minutes of each Free (Thinking) lunch, followed by the introduction of the HI Faculty Associate presenter, an informal half hour presentation of work in progress or exploration of an issue of interest, and another half hour of questions and discussion.

All programs begin at 12pm with a buffet Indian lunch in the private Wine Room of the Clay Pit Restaurant, 1601 Guadalupe. An informal 20-minute presentation will begin at 12:30pm, followed by discussion until 1:30pm. Seating is limited. Please reserve your place at the table in advance by e-mailing information@humanitiesinstitute.utexas.edu.

Wednesday, November 19
Samuel Gosling (Psychology)
“A Room With a Cue: Personality Impressions Based on Bedrooms, Offices, Web Pages, Music Collections, and Facebook Profiles.”

A leading researcher on both human and animal personality traits, Sam will present some of the results of his recent work on the relationship between personality and environment, drawing on his recent book Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You (2008).

Monday, January 26
Jacqueline Jones (History)
“New Perspectives on Racial Ideologies and Labor in the American South.”

Jackie is a MacArthur Fellow, and a distinguished scholar who works at the intersections of labor history, women’s history, African American history, and the history of the American South. Her book, Saving Savannah: The City and the Civil War, is scheduled for release in 2008.

Tuesday, February 24
Madeline Hsu (History)
“From Chop Suey to Mandarin Cuisine: Chinese Americans and the Politics of Race and Culture.”

The director of the Center for Asian American Studies, Madeline recently edited the 2008 collection, Chinese Americans and the Politics of Race and Culture.

Wednesday, March 25
Matthew McGlone (Communication Studies)
“Social Identity and Stereotype Threat in Interpersonal Communication.”

Matt is the author of numerous important articles on the cognitive, cultural, and psychological foundations of interpersonal communication and persuasion. He has done award-winning research on stereotype threat and academic achievement.

For more information, please contact the Institute at (512) 471-2654 or information@humanitiesinstitute.utexas.edu.