Call for PapersThe Transformation of the 21st Century City through the Arts and TechnologyAssociation of Graduate Liberal Studies Program Annual Conference (AGLSP) / www.aglsp.org October 7-9, 2010Dallas, Texas
Host: Graduate Liberal Studies Program, Southern Methodist University
What makes a vital city in the 21st Century? What is the impact of the arts and technology on a city’s prosperity and sense of community? How do we tell our stories while giving new and fresh value to our traditions showcasing our beauty and power in a modern way?
Founded near the banks of the Trinity River, Dallas became a center of commerce and transportation, challenged in its development by flood waters from the river.After decades of wrestling over what to do about the Trinity, civic planners now look to the river as a unifying environment – a place where the city can be sustainable and welcoming. The ongoing Trinity River Corridor Project in Dallas is at-tempting to convert flood protection into major urban redevelopment.As Dallas plans for the 21st century, it embraces a new quality of life. With this comes a watershed moment, in which the arts and technology are encouraged to flourish. With its dramatic history of social, economic, political and cultural change, Dallas is the perfect setting to explore the transformation of the 21st Century City.
The 2010 AGLSP Annual Conference invites papers exploring the transformation of the “21st Century City” through the arts and technology. Special consideration will be given to submissions addressing the integration of this theme into Liberal Studies curricula and classes. Please include multi-media requirements.Topics to consider...
Creating Community in the 21st Century City
Communication, Media and the Digital City
Economics of a City in a Global Economy/Underground Economies
The Role of Higher Education and Research
Arts and Cultural Influence
The Greening/Sustainability and Energy Solutions of the modern city
Urban Spaces and Renewal
Health
Ethics, Race, Culture and Rights
Immigration Reform/Human Trafficking
Papers should be 20-25 minutes long and presented, rather than read, to conference attendees. To submit, please send a 1-2 page abstract to Michele Mrak at SMU, mmrak@smu.edu by May 1st. Be sure to write “AGLSP Submission” in the subject line.
AGLSP Keynote Speakers (October 9, 2010):
Peter E. Raad, Ph.D., P.E.
Peter E. Raad received the BSME (with Honors), MS in mechanical engineering, and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 1986, he joined the mechanical engineering department at SMU. He currently holds the rank of Professor and is the Linda Wertheimer Hart Director of the Hart eCenter at SMU. The eCenter was established in 2000 to stimulate, facilitate, and support innovative interdisci-plinary activities that enable the creative and responsible development and use of interac-tive network technologies. Under his leadership, the Guildhall at SMU was established in 2002 as a major program of the Hart eCenter to train and educate digital game develop-ers. Dr. Raad serves as the Executive Director of the Guildhall, overseeing this unique program that crosses traditional disciplinary lines to combine art, design, software devel-opment, business, physical sciences, and humanities to create the 21st century's first new academic discipline.
Dr. Gail Thomas
Dr. Gail Thomas serves as President and CEO of The Trinity Trust Foundation in Dal-las to remake the Trinity River Corridor. She is the founder and CEO of Cities Alive. In 1980, she founded the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and served as its Di-rector for seventeen years and continues as the Director of their Center for the City where she teaches and conducts seminars and conferences.
Dr. Thomas represented one of the three organizations that led the creation of the “Balanced Vision Plan” for The Trinity. After the plan’s unanimous adoption by City Council, the Mayor of Dallas asked Dr. Thomas to lead The Trinity’s fundraising cam-paign. She works with The Trinity Trust Board of Directors to introduce the project to the entire community and to raise $100 million in private funds to ensure that the Trinity River is the centerpiece of the city.
Dr. Thomas’ life work has been the study and transformation of cities. Through her teaching and lecturing, she has been a catalyst for change in the inner city. For over twenty years she has conducted seminars and conferences on cities and city life not only in Dallas but also in cities as diverse as Montreal, Portland, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Denver, and Devon, England. She began in 1982 a series of conferences called, What Makes a City?, attended by city planners, artists, scientists, poets, teachers, busi-ness and civic leaders, the effect of these conferences has been profound.
She was instrumental in the creation of Pegasus Plaza in downtown Dallas; she was Chair of the Dallas Millennium Project to restore Dallas' icon, Pegasus, the Flying Red Horse. She hosted a five year urban design for Dallas called Dallas Visions.
Dr. Thomas has received numerous awards including the coveted Kessler Award for improving the quality of life in Dallas. She has been named Distinguished Alumna of two universities – SMU and The University of Dallas. She has been a national awards panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Institute of Architects.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
JOURNEY INTO TEXAS HISTORY:
Historical Dallas Bus Tour—led by Dallas Historian and SMU faculty member, Darwin Payne, author of the “Big D: Triumphs and Troubles of an American Supercity in the 20th Century” The Texas State Fair—offering the broadest range of exhibits, entertainment and services unmatched by any exposition in North America.
Dealey Plaza—The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets and supports the Dealey Plaza National Historical Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history.
Ft. Worth Stockyards—get a taste for the old west and the cattle industry with a trip to the Ft. Worth Stockyards. The Ft. Worth Stockyards is the only place in the United States that has a daily cattle drive.
Texas Longhorn cattle are driven down East Exchange Avenue twice daily right through the heart of the stockyards. From museums to rodeos and cowboys to cattle, you won’t want to miss this opportunity.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Stay at the Historic Adolphus Hotel - Downtown Dallas
The Adolphus made its debut on the dusty streets of Dallas, TX on October 5, 1912. From that day forward, this grand historic hotel in Dallas,ushered in a new era for the city, helping to transform a once quiet cattle town into the world-class destination it is today. Envisioned by beer baron Adolphus Busch as an icon of Edwardian opulence, The Adolphus is a baroque masterpiece infused with classic European charm. A museum collection of artwork, including Flemish tapestries, Louis XV chairs and a Victorian Steinway once owned by the Guggenheims, gives the hotel a regal ambiance. Fittingly, The Adolphus has played host to royalty - Queen Elizabeth II and King Olaf V of Norway, as well as other famous names including the Vanderbilts, U2, and Oscar de la Renta. We feel the Adolphus Hotel is the perfect setting from which to explore the transformation of the city.
http://www.hoteladolphus.com/adolphus_hotelinfo.aspxThe conference web site with conference and registration details will be available shortly.
See you in Dallas!
Ellen Levine
Administrative Manager
AGLSP Home Office
Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs
c/o Duke University
Box 90095
Durham, NC 27708
919-684-1987
919-681-8905 (fax)
www.aglsp.org
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