Highlights from 2011 and before
November 1 2011 - Dr. Jean Goodnow
Dr. Jean Goodnow, president of Delta College, is our speaker on November 1. She will focus on the college’s past, present and future as it marks a half-century of delivering education to our region’s community college students.
Dr. Jean Goodnow, president of Delta College, is our speaker on November 1. She will focus on the college’s past, present and future as it marks a half-century of delivering education to our region’s community college students.
Feburary 1, 2011 - Bob Sarow
February focus on Bay City’s William Clements
January 21, 2011 Our Feb. 1 meeting puts the focus on local and national history, as Bob Sarow takes up the topic of “Bay City’s William Clements and the American Revolution.”
In 1781, General George Washington defeated British General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, ending the Revolutionary War. William Clements was born 80 years later, in 1861. What could be the connection between the two? Attend February’s meeting to find out the answer Sarow’s research has turned up.
February focus on Bay City’s William Clements
January 21, 2011 Our Feb. 1 meeting puts the focus on local and national history, as Bob Sarow takes up the topic of “Bay City’s William Clements and the American Revolution.”
In 1781, General George Washington defeated British General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, ending the Revolutionary War. William Clements was born 80 years later, in 1861. What could be the connection between the two? Attend February’s meeting to find out the answer Sarow’s research has turned up.
January 2011 - Rex Thatcher
Extra! Extra! Newspapers Undergo Upheaval! December 20, 2010 Rex Thatcher, former publisher of The Saginaw News and The Bay City Times, has had a front row seat to changes in the newspaper industry. He’ll share his insights and analysis during our first meeting of 2011.
Rex gives a preview of his insight about the “new era of newspapers”:
“The Internet has brought the newspaper industry new competition, new audiences and new methods of information delivery. For reporters, editors and publishers, the greatest challenge is adapting to formats that emphasize speed, interaction with readers, and a fusion of words, pictures and sound. Publishers and editors must stop viewing the Internet as the “boogieman” ready to swoop down and devour their newspaper. They need to see it as another delivery system to reach and gain new readers. Website presentation of the news must become an important part of the publishing strategy – not an add-on.”
Extra! Extra! Newspapers Undergo Upheaval! December 20, 2010 Rex Thatcher, former publisher of The Saginaw News and The Bay City Times, has had a front row seat to changes in the newspaper industry. He’ll share his insights and analysis during our first meeting of 2011.
Rex gives a preview of his insight about the “new era of newspapers”:
“The Internet has brought the newspaper industry new competition, new audiences and new methods of information delivery. For reporters, editors and publishers, the greatest challenge is adapting to formats that emphasize speed, interaction with readers, and a fusion of words, pictures and sound. Publishers and editors must stop viewing the Internet as the “boogieman” ready to swoop down and devour their newspaper. They need to see it as another delivery system to reach and gain new readers. Website presentation of the news must become an important part of the publishing strategy – not an add-on.”
November 24, 2010 - Dr. Danny J. Krebs
December talk: Transportation of the Future November 24, 2010 This month’s talk will focus on a topic near and dear to the heart of Michiganders: the car. Dr. Danny J. Krebs will discuss why the petroleum-based transportation system that Americans enjoyed during the 20th century is not sustainable into the 22nd century. America is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in petroleum supply because of our dispersed geography and current infrastructure. The pro’s and con’s of various alternatives to our petroleum-based transportation system will be considered, including biofuels, natural gas, synthetic fuels, hydrogen, and battery-powered vehicles. It will be shown how simple physics and engineering principles relate to the choices of technologies to pursue. Comparisons will be made of the new electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles appearing on the market. Finally, past and current public policy will be critically examined.
Dr. Danny Krebs recently retired from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD where he was a lead senior engineer for space flight laser and detector systems. He built the laser that is currently mapping the surface of Mercury, built detector systems for the Spitzer Space telescope, and designed the laser that is currently mapping the lunar surface. Previously he was a lead engineer at McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company in St. Louis, where he designed and built the first all-solid-state, pulsed high power laser. He has a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. in Engineering Management, an M.S. in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Physics, all from the University of Missoui – Rolla. He has taught Physics as Saginaw Valley State University, both as an Adjunct Professor and as regular faculty.
December talk: Transportation of the Future November 24, 2010 This month’s talk will focus on a topic near and dear to the heart of Michiganders: the car. Dr. Danny J. Krebs will discuss why the petroleum-based transportation system that Americans enjoyed during the 20th century is not sustainable into the 22nd century. America is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in petroleum supply because of our dispersed geography and current infrastructure. The pro’s and con’s of various alternatives to our petroleum-based transportation system will be considered, including biofuels, natural gas, synthetic fuels, hydrogen, and battery-powered vehicles. It will be shown how simple physics and engineering principles relate to the choices of technologies to pursue. Comparisons will be made of the new electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles appearing on the market. Finally, past and current public policy will be critically examined.
Dr. Danny Krebs recently retired from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD where he was a lead senior engineer for space flight laser and detector systems. He built the laser that is currently mapping the surface of Mercury, built detector systems for the Spitzer Space telescope, and designed the laser that is currently mapping the lunar surface. Previously he was a lead engineer at McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company in St. Louis, where he designed and built the first all-solid-state, pulsed high power laser. He has a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. in Engineering Management, an M.S. in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Physics, all from the University of Missoui – Rolla. He has taught Physics as Saginaw Valley State University, both as an Adjunct Professor and as regular faculty.
September 29, 2010 - Renee Harvey
At our first meeting on Oct. 5, Renee Harvey will present a talk on “Soci@l Medi@: Communication Generation to Generation.” Renee got the idea for her topic when she discovered a “beautifully hand-written letter” from her husband’s grandmother to her husband’s father. “I thought how sad it was that those days of perfect penmanship and articulate sentiment are gone,” she said. Renee will explore how today’s instant, simple – and near-constant – communication has changed the way people interact. She’ll discuss various avenues of social media, including Twitter and Facebook, and explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of becoming active users or such sites. We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP by Thursday, Sept. 30, if you have not already done so.
At our first meeting on Oct. 5, Renee Harvey will present a talk on “Soci@l Medi@: Communication Generation to Generation.” Renee got the idea for her topic when she discovered a “beautifully hand-written letter” from her husband’s grandmother to her husband’s father. “I thought how sad it was that those days of perfect penmanship and articulate sentiment are gone,” she said. Renee will explore how today’s instant, simple – and near-constant – communication has changed the way people interact. She’ll discuss various avenues of social media, including Twitter and Facebook, and explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of becoming active users or such sites. We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP by Thursday, Sept. 30, if you have not already done so.
2010-2011 Program August 9, 2010 The Saginaw Valley Torch Club is pleased to announce this season’s scheduled talks.
October 5, 2010: Renee Harvey, Soci@l Medi@ — Communication Generation to Generation.
November 2, 2010: Bill Lewis (Grand Rapids Torch Club), Dhimma – The Historical Relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Islamic Society.
December 7, 2010: Danny Krebs, Energy & Transportation in the 21st Century and Beyond.
January 4, 2011: Rex Thatcher, The Future of American Newspapers.
February 1, 2011: Bob Sarow, Bay City’s William Clements and the American Revolution.
March 1, 2011: Dr. Carol van der Harst, The Good Life — Modern Decisions for a Country in a Health Care Crisis.
April 5, 2011: Dr. Eric Gilbertson, Higher Education–”Higher” than What?
May 3, 2011: Guest Night!
October 5, 2010: Renee Harvey, Soci@l Medi@ — Communication Generation to Generation.
November 2, 2010: Bill Lewis (Grand Rapids Torch Club), Dhimma – The Historical Relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Islamic Society.
December 7, 2010: Danny Krebs, Energy & Transportation in the 21st Century and Beyond.
January 4, 2011: Rex Thatcher, The Future of American Newspapers.
February 1, 2011: Bob Sarow, Bay City’s William Clements and the American Revolution.
March 1, 2011: Dr. Carol van der Harst, The Good Life — Modern Decisions for a Country in a Health Care Crisis.
April 5, 2011: Dr. Eric Gilbertson, Higher Education–”Higher” than What?
May 3, 2011: Guest Night!