UWinnipeg is proud to present two engaging lecture series to help promote lifelong learning within the community. One is held at the Cornish Library, and another series held at three 55-plus senior centres: Fred Douglas Place, Portsmouth, and The Wellington. This sharing of knowledge is part of The University of Winnipeg’s community outreach.
UWinnipeg’s multidisciplinary faculty, instructors, post-docs, and graduate students volunteer their time covering an array of subjects. This year the combined series includes topics on Buddhist art; ancient Egyptian artifacts; psychedelics; the modern-day tribulations of privacy and technology; plus politics – Donald Trump, global imperialism, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and more.
These series are integral to UWinnipeg’s community outreach and promoting accessible lifelong learning while also contributing to the cultural fabric within the community.
Jenna Russell, assistant to the Dean of Science, has organized the lecture series since 2018. She notes the lecture series has grown and morphed over the years, and the appreciation from the partnering institutions remains constant.
“Our continued faculty-wide participation allows us to provide our audiences with a diverse range of topics for all levels of interest,” shared Russell. “I’d like to extend a big thank-you to our UWinnipeg lecturers, whose continued support allows us to maintain these relationships with our neighbours and community.”
In gratitude of their time and expertise, the 55-plus senior centres donate to scholarships or bursaries* that give UWinnipeg students a financial boost that totaled close to $3,000 last year.
“Our UWinnipeg lecturers are fondly welcomed, and their generous scholarship support for each talk given is a testament to their appreciation for our faculty,” said Russell.
The Community Lecture Series, (listed below) formerly known as the Skywalk Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. This year’s themes center on Winnipeg’s sesquicentennial and The Global World.
This year’s presenters include Sage Broomfield (former MDP student), plus Drs. Mary Adedayo (Applied Computer Science), Farra Yasin (Education), German Avila-Sakar (Biology), Kishi Anderson Leachman (Education), Adina Balint (Modern Languages and Literatures), Emma Alexander (History), Sergio Camorlinga (Applied Computer Science), Rafael Otfinowski (Biology), Melissa Funke (Classics), Kevin Walby (Criminal Justice), and Curtis Pankratz (Sociology).
Community Lecture Series, Cornish Library, 20 West Gate
February 12, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Donald Trump, global imperialism, and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine by Dr. Curtis Pankratz
February 27, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies – A Human Threat or an Overhyped Fad? By Dr. Sergio Camorlinga
March 12, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Contesting Global Psychedelic Capitalism by Dr. Kevin Walby and co-presenter Jamie Brownlee, Carleton University
March 27, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The Appian Way: Walking out of Rome, by Dr. Melanie Racette-Campbell
*Each bursary or scholarship has its own criteria and is named after each of the centres. For information on these awards please visit UWinnipeg. To donate to these awards please visit the UWinnipeg Foundation.
