Happenings

Lectures/Seminars/Readings

“Why Trump and What is Next,” Cokie Roberts, political commentator for ABC News and National Public Radio, 7 p.m. Dec. 6, 7th floor auditorium of Alumni Hall, The Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy and University Honors College, https://www.thornburghforum.pitt.edu/news-events/why-trump-and-what-next

“How to Maintain Your Aging Brain,” Kirk Erickson, associate professor of psychology, 12 p.m. Dec. 7, 102 Benedum Hall, Brown Bag Lunch Event sponsored by University Senate's Benefits and Welfare Committee

"Making Unequal Systems Less Unequal,” Na'ilah Suad Nasir, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, 11 a.m. Dec. 9, Ballroom A, University Club, 2016­–17 Motivation Center Speaker Series, School of Education, Psychology Department, and Learning Research and Development Center, motivation.pitt.edu/event/motivationspeakerseries 

“Michael Chabon: In Conversation,” New York Times best-selling author and University of Pittsburgh alumnus Michael Chabon will be holding a conversation and reading excerpts from his new novel, Moonglow, 8 p.m. Dec. 9, Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave. For tickets.

Concerts

Heinz Chapel Choir Holiday Concert, “Open My Heart,” features holiday choral favorites such as Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” and new settings of holiday standards like “O Tannenbaum,” 8 p.m. on Dec. 3 and Dec. 9; 3 p.m. on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, Heinz Memorial Chapel. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Visit www.music.pitt.edu

Miscellaneous

Blast Furnace Demo Day, celebrating student startups and entrepreneurs—hear 90-second business pitches and vote on your favorite to go on to the finals, 5–7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, O'Hara Student Center, 2nd Floor Ballroom. More details.

Christmas Day at Pitt Donation Drives: Drop off a new gift for a child in need. Office of Community and Governmental Relations, 710 Alumni Hall. More details.

 PhD Dissertations

Alexis Carter, Graduate School of Public Health, “Effect of High Fat Diet and Liver X Receptor Agonism in Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes,” 1 p.m. Dec. 5, 100 Technology Dr., Bridgeside Point I

Senem Guler-Biyikli, Department of Anthropology, “Sacred Secular Relics: World Trade Center Steel in Off-Site 9/11 Memorials in the United States,” 2 p.m. Dec. 5, 3106 Wesley W. Posvar Hall Anthropology Lounge

Jilong Hu, Department of Mathematics, “Vortex Sheets in Elastic Fluids,” 10 a.m. Dec. 6, 325 Thackary Hall

Timothy Licquia, Department of Physics and Astronomy, “Multi-Photon Photoemission Study of TiO₂ for Photocatalysis,” 2 p.m. Dec. 6, 219 Allen Hall

Roberto Ponce-Cordero, Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures, “A Dynamo of Violent Stories: Reading the Feminicidios of Ciudad Juarez as Narratives,” 12 p.m. Dec. 8, 5601 Sennott Square

Shih-Yi Chien, School of Information Sciences, “The Influence of Cultural Factors on Trust in Automation,” 12:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 135 N. Bellefield Ave., 522 Information Sciences Building