AARP and LLI at Virginia Tech Free Lecture Series

AARP Virginia and the Lifelong Learning Institute at Virginia Tech have teamed up to offer a series of virtual lectures this spring. The lectures are free and open to the public; AARP membership is not required. Sign up for one or all four complimentary lectures by clicking on each event title below.

• "...And Diverse Others," the Archaeology of the Angela Site at Jamestown
  February 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET
  The Jamestown Rediscovery team spent three years excavating the buildings and landscapes of the Angela site where one of the first Angolan women arrived in 1619. David Givens, Jamestown Rediscovery’s Director of Archaeology, will reveal the current findings that are changing our understanding of Jamestown and the role that it played in the founding narrative of African-American history. 

• West Side Story
  March 18 at 1:30 p.m. ET
  West Side Story, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in a world of urban gang violence, revolutionized the Broadway musical in terms of its plot, music, and integration of dance. This lecture, by musical aficionado Dan Sherman, will explore the musical's creation, innovations and performance history using a mix of audio and video clips, including those featuring the work's creators: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents.

• The Everglades and Beyond: Florida’s Natural Treasures
  March 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET
  The nature of Florida is unlike any other in the United States. Deciduous forests give way to subtropical wetlands, savannahs, and emerald palm-lined beaches. Interpretive naturalist and virtual tour leader Keith Tomlinson will highlight features of some of the state’s best- and least- known conserved parklands. These natural treasures illustrate great challenges and victories in the quest to conserve Florida’s biodiversity.

• What Is the Innovation Campus and Why Is It Important?
  April 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET
  Virginia Tech is creating a bold, new vision for graduate education in computer science and computer engineering in Alexandria, Virginia. The Innovation Campus will unite industry, government and academia in dynamic project-based learning and research to shape the way emerging technologies influence society, driving a new era for the metro area’s tech ecosystem. This lecture will touch on the ideas, collaborations and architecture that define this major venture, which intends to set a new standard for graduate education and research.