This series, formerly part of the Lilly Vocation Discernment Initiative, offers students and faculty an opportunity to learn more about why some of their favorite professors find the work they do meaningful and worthwhile. The pretext of the lecture is that the speaker is about to retire and has been asked to sum up in a final lecture to students what has made his or her work worthwhile. Given a "last" chance, what's worth saying? What wisdom would be most important to pass on? What challenges have to go unfulfilled?
'Last' Lectures Online
March 25, 2009
An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles: Darwin and Discovery
Karen Ober, assistant professor of entomology and evolutionary biology.
February 4, 2008
Alice Laffey, associate professor of religious studies. Read Professor Laffey's "Last" Lecture. (pdf)
September 19, 2006
Steve Vineberg, Monsignor Edward G. Murray Professor in the Arts and Humanities, theatre department. Read Professor Vineberg's Last Lecture. (pdf)
April 3, 2006
David J. O'Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies. Read Professor O'Brien's lecture. (pdf)
October 12, 2005
Robert Garvey, associate professor of physics, director of the First Year Program. Read Professor Garvey's lecture. (pdf)
Previous 'Last' Lecturers
Lawrence Cahoone, assistant professor of philosophy
Loren Cass, assistant professor of political science
David Chu, associate professor of economics
Vickie Langohr, assistant professor of political science
Joe Lawrence, associate professor of philosophy
Mary Lee Ledbetter, professor of biology
Rick Murphy, professor of religious studies
Vicki Swigert, retired professor of sociology and anthropology, dean of the Class of 2008
Helen Whall, associate professor of English
Stephanie Yuhl, assistant professor of history