The College of Arts and Sciences and the Liberal Studies Project offer the Meet the Professor series to highlight the college’s research and cultural offerings.

Here are the spring 2019 semester talks:

Jan. 10: “Reading Kanafani in Kentucky: A Dramatic Journey in Five Acts,” Russell Vandenbroucke, theater arts professor and director of the Peace, Justice and Conflict Transformation program. He will link Greek tragedy to a current project of directing a stage adaptation of Palestinian activist Ghassan Kanafani’s novella “Returning to Haifa.” The Kanafani project affirms theater that engages society rather than providing escape from it.

Feb. 7: “Talking to ‘Others’: The Medieval Roots of Civilized Discourse,” Pam Beattie, comparative humanities professor. She will explore the tension between peaceful and violent approaches to the religious “others” of the Middle Ages by focusing on medieval images and texts that show both.

March 7: “Judges Who Look like America: President Obama’s Appointments to the Federal Judiciary,” Laura Moyer, political science professor. She will talk about how nearly three-fourths of Obama’s U.S. Courts of Appeals nominees were women and/or racial and ethnic minorities, how this is reflected in some court decisions and what that may mean for President Donald Trump’s judicial legacy.

April 4: “Low Resolution: Making Paintings in an Expanded Field,” Tiffany Calvert, fine arts professor. She will discuss her artwork related to fragmenting and obstructing images, as well as how modern painting’s legacy of perplexing images, even back to impressionism, dovetails with changing visual information in contemporary, everyday life.

The Thursday luncheon talks begin at noon in the University Club. Reservations are required, with $15 payment by check. To reserve a spot, contact Janna Tajibaeva at 502-852-2247 or via email by the Monday before each event.

During his March 22 visit, Thapar discussed his judicial decision-making process, how his chambers operate and the importance of developing meaningful mentorships with a group of . He also spoke to a University of Louisville political leadership course about lessons from his career and how the federal court system and Article III institutions have developed to serve justice and the American people.

“As a future law student, hearing from Judge Thapar directly about his legal career and judicial philosophy was an invaluable professional and intellectual opportunity,” said Jacob Abrahamson, a senior McConnell Scholar who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the fall.

Sidney Cobb, a sophomore McConnell Scholar, called the two sessions “energizing” and said she is now developing a plan on how to get into the best law school and earn the best clerkship possible based on Thapar’s advice.

“What a phenomenal opportunity for young students thinking about the Constitution and about potential careers in law and law enforcement,” said Dr. Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center. “Judge Thapar is an impressive legal mind and generous teacher. His seminars left us all with a better understanding of the judiciary and energized our students interested in serving in the legal field.”

Gregg invited Thapar to the center as part of its local leader series, which connects McConnell Scholars with city and state leaders.

President George W. Bush nominated Thapar, the first Article III judge of South Asian descent, to the federal bench on May 24, 2007, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent Dec. 13, 2007. Prior to his confirmation, Thapar served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Thapar, of Covington, previously worked for Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., and has taught at the University of Virginia School of Law, Vanderbilt Law School and Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.