News Briefs

Forum
on Islam scheduled for Oct. 3
…………………………………………………………………

The student group
ADVANCE is sponsoring a forum on Islam Wednesday, Oct. 3.
The event, titled “Holy War? Perceptions of Jihad in
Islam,” will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in McMurtry
Auditorium, Anne and Charles Duncan Hall.

Speakers will
include David Cook, assistant professor of religious studies;
Mahmoud El-Gamal, professor of Islamic economics, finance
and management; Ussama Makdisi, assistant professor of history;
Allen Matusow, the William Gaines Twyman Professor of History;
and Paula Sanders, associate professor of history.

Ramont
named best director in Houston
…………………………………………………………………

Mark Ramont,
director of the Rice Players and lecturer in the English
department, was chosen by the Houston Press as the year’s
best Houston director. Here is what the Press wrote about
Ramont and a play he produced: “Jon Maran’s Pulitzer
Prize finalist, ‘Old Wicked Songs,’ is an elegant,
understated play about art, music and the exquisitely terrible
power of history. In it, two Jewish musicians find themselves
in Austria, one of the most paradoxical places in all of
the Western world, for it gave us Mozart, Schubert and Hitler.
There, they must come to grips with history as they struggle
to find themselves through the power of music.

“It is
a delicate story, rich with the sort of nuance that requires
intelligence, patience, generosity and reserve from its
director, which is exactly what the gifted director Mark
Ramont brought to Stages this past winter. First he put
together a perfect cast. Then Ramont put these fine actors
into motion, sparking up a rare chemistry on stage, filled
with tender grief and a wild passion for the power of art
to make a moment better.”

Corporate
strategist to speak Oct. 1
…………………………………………………………………

The Jesse H.
Jones Graduate School of Management will welcome corporate
stategy guru C.K. Prahalad to campus for the Oct. 1 Neuhaus
lecture.

Prahalad, the
Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor of Business Administration
at the University of Michigan Business School, will talk
on “Emerging Markets as Sources of Innovation”
from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. in Herring Hall, room 124.

Prahalad specializes
in corporate strategy and the role and value of top management
in large, diversified, multinational corporations. He also
has authored many books and articles.

Kornblith
first speaker of lecture series
…………………………………………………………………

The first speaker
of the Department of Philosophy’s 2001-2002 Ethics,
Politics and Society Colloquia is Hilary Kornblith, University
of Vermont professor of philosophy. Kornblith’s research
has focused on questions in the theory of knowledge about
the relationship between the ideals that we set for ourselves
as believers and reasoners, on one hand, and our human limitations
and capabilities on the other. He is the author of several
books on epistemology and philosophy of the mind
Kornblith’s talk, “Knowledge and Social Practices,”
will take place Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. in Humanities Building,
Room 119. For more information call (713) 348-4994.

Honor
Rice authors, editors, artists
…………………………………………………………………

On Sunday, Feb.
10, the Friends of Fondren Library will present a program
honoring Rice faculty, staff, alumni and Friends’ members
who authored books or edited journals published in 2001
or composed a major musical work or mounted a one-person
art show in 2001.

Those wishing
to be included or those who know of someone who should be
included can contact the Friends at (713) 348-5157 or <mjulian@rice.edu>
and provide the name of the author, editor, composer or
artist, the title of the work, publisher and publishing
date.

Volunteers
wanted for Outreach Day
…………………………………………………………………

Faculty, staff
and students are invited to participate in the Rice Student
Volunteer Program’s Fall Outreach Day Saturday, Sept.
29. This one-day event is a chance for Rice to reach out
to the greater Houston community through a variety of volunteer
opportunities with nonprofit agencies.

For a list of
opportunities and to sign up to help, visit the RSVP Web
site at <www.ruf.rice.edu/~rsvp/oday.htm>.
For more information contact Chad Chasteen, <chasteen@rice.edu>.

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