Speaker Series Event! Book Talk by Amy Agigian, Associate Professor of Sociology.

"The First House--A Memoir of Mom, Berkeley, and Beyond."

When: Thursday, April 21, 1:00 PM

Where: 73 Tremont St, Sawyer Library Poetry Center.
Light Refreshments will be served.

The memoir explores the author’s experiences growing up with love and secrets. What does a ten-year old do when her mom—the funnest, best mom in the world—goes from being an antiwar radical to being a closeted lesbian? How does a thirteen-year old girl cope when her mom is stricken with a terrifying illness that nobody, inside the family or out, can acknowledge? How does a fourteen-year old handle leaving her suburban home in Palo Alto to join her father in a hippie collective in 1970’s Berkeley?

The First House is a story of motherlove and motherloss that winds through decades of discovery. A young girl, then a teen, then an adult, seeks solace, sanity, and love in this collection of moving and surprisingly funny tales. The journey takes her through the unlikely worlds of astrology, academia, feminism, and queer family. Along the way she embraces a procession of surrogate mothers, teachers, lovers, friends, animals, and invisible beings. But how long can she keep the promises she made to the most important person in the world?

Amy Agigian, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Sociology at Suffolk University, where she is also the Founding Director of the Center for Women's Health and Human Rights. Trained in the sociology of women, gender, sexuality and health, she is the author of Baby Steps: How Lesbian Alternative Insemination is Changing the World. Dr. Agigian’s current research applies a feminist health and human rights perspective to the vexing, global issues of human fertility and infertility. A long time activist, Dr. Agigian lives in Somerville, Massachusetts and is the mother of a teen-aged son.

Reports on the Nominating Process, National Conventions, and Voter Identification, from the Congressional Research Service

The Republican National Convention this July in Cleveland may or may not turn into a brawl, but those who wish to be well supplied with information - in order to have a good understanding as the events unfold - may wish to look at the following report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS):

"The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions." This report provides "answers to frequently asked questions about the Presidential nominating process, including how delegates to the national conventions are chosen, differences between a caucus and a primary, national party rules changes for 2016, and information on national conventions."

The Sawyer Library recently began a subscription to a collection of CRS Reports through the vendor ProQuest. This collection may be found by starting at the Sawyer Library home page (http://www.suffolk.edu/sawlib/) > Databases by Subject > Social Sciences > Political Science > Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports.

The Congressional Research Service produces reports specifically for use by Congress. They are known for being nonpartisan reports, which typically include analysis, pro/con viewpoints, and statistics.

In preparation for Professor Rachael Cobb's upcoming talk in the Poetry Center, "Voting Rights and the 2016 Presidential Election," attendees may wish to view the following two reports from CRS:

"Voter Identification Requirements: Background and Legal Issues" updated November 03, 2014 and updated November 10, 2014.

Speaker Series Event! Voting Rights and the 2016 Presidential Election

Speaker: Rachael Cobb

When: Wednesday, March 30th 2016; 1:00 pm

Where: 73 Tremont St, Sawyer Library Poetry Center

In 2006 only one U.S. state required identification to vote on Election Day. Today, 11 states require identification and 34 states have some version of voter identification rules. Other election reforms including early voting have expanded since the early 2000s. What impact will these reforms have on voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election?

Rachael Cobb is Associate Professor and Chair of the Government Department at Suffolk University. Her research focuses on U.S. elections, election administration, electoral politics, civic engagement, and political participation. At Suffolk University, Cobb runs the University Pollworkers Project, a nonpartisan program designed to recruit college students to serve as poll workers in partnership with the City of Boston’s Election Department

Join us for Voting Rights and the 2016 Presidential Election, Wednesday, March 30th 2016 @ 1:00 pm

Location: Poetry Center, 3rd floor, Sawyer Library

Speaker Series Event! Book Talk on Change Leadership

Speakers: Collete Dumas & Richard H. Beinecke

When: Thursday, February 11th 2016; 1:00 pm

Where: 73 Tremont St, Sawyer Library Poetry Center

You know WHAT needs to change in your workplace. But have you ever wondered HOW to make change happen? Join Drs. Colette Dumas and Richard Beinecke as they share the inspiring stories and effective change practices of successful change leaders profiled in their new book series Change Leadership published by SAGE Publications.

Colette Dumas, Ph.D., is Professor of Organizational Behavior and Entrepreneurship at the Sawyer Business School. Dr. Dumas founded the Center for Innovation and Change Leadership at Suffolk University to help organizations develop innovative and collaborative change leadership learning programs.

Richard H. Beinecke DPA ACSW is a professor in the Suffolk University Institute for Public Service and the Healthcare Department in the Sawyer Business School where he teaches courses on leadership, and U.S. and global health policy and conducts research on management of mental health programs and leadership.

Join us for Book Talk on Change Leadership, Thursday, February 11 @ 1 p.m.

Location: Poetry Center, 3rd floor, Sawyer Library