WEST PLAINS, Mo.– Missouri State University-West Plains will participate in Missouri State University’s 2014 Public Affairs Conference, “Global Perspective: Why It Matters,” April 9-11 by offering area residents the opportunity to hear conference speakers via interactive television (ITV).
Local campus officials joined forces with conference organizers at the Springfield campus to make arrangements for area residents to see and hear three of the event’s plenary addresses on the local campus, said Emily Gibson, coordinator of theater and events with Missouri State-West Plains’ University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department, which is hosting the event locally.
This year’s conference, the 10th hosted by the university, will focus on working collaboratively across nations and cultures toward a more just and sustainable future, according to information on the conference website, http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/conference/.
“In the 21st century, developing a global perspective is no longer merely an option; it is a cultural imperative that involves examining our experiences, our knowledge and our learning in the light of the people and cultures of an increasingly interconnected world,” explained Dr. Kevin Evans, associate professor, geography, geology and planning at Missouri State University in Springfield and this year’s provost fellow for public affairs.
The three plenary addresses that will be provided via ITV to Lybyer Technology Center Room 202 in West Plains include:
• “The Human Journey: A Genetic Odyssey” by Spencer Wells, National Geographic explorer-in-residence and director of the Human Genographic Project, from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 9. Wells will offer insights on the human journey by highlighting National Geographic’s Genographic Project. Introduced in 2005, this project uses advanced DNA analysis and works with indigenous communities to help answer fundamental questions about where humans originated and how we came to populate the earth.
• “An Interview with Award-Winning Author George Saunders” from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 10. In this interview, best-selling author, columnist and MacArthur Foundation Fellow George Saunders will offer thoughtful insight on the conference theme. Sanders is a professor of English at Syracuse University and was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 by Time Magazine. His books include CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, In Persuasion Nation, and a series of essays in Braindead Megaphone. In the latter, he highlights experiences as a reporter in Africa, Nepal and Dubai. His most recent collection of short stories, Tenth of December, was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award. Saunders has been interviewed on National Public Radio and has appeared on PBS NewsHour and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
• “Multicultural Strategies for Success in the Business World” by Gonzalo Vargas, finance director for Groupon in Latin America, from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, April 11. Vargas will provide an analysis on how to manage multicultural teams in different countries, backgrounds and settings. “One key element is to focus on why it is important to have global perspectives as part of creating your own identity and work path within a business organization,” he explained. “In a globalized world, there is a growing attempt for multinational companies to have and create talents with multiple skills that will define their mission and carry out the execution through individuals educated on such topics.”
All local presentations are free and open to the public.
A number of other keynote sessions, panels and special events also are planned on the Springfield campus. Complete program information can be found online at http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/conference/. All events are free and open to the public.
For more information about the local presentations of plenary addresses, call the U/CP Department office at 471-255-7966.