“Evolution as a science is not in conflict with religion,” says Dr. Hewlett of UNM-Taos. “They’re dug in on both sides but my colleagues and I say you can celebrate evolution as the best science but at the same time have room for religion. Our position is called theistic evolution and I will defend it,” he said.
Dr. Hewlett’s lecture will part of a collaborative effort between UNM-Taos and SMU to present a fall lecture series beginning Sept. 10 with “Agua y Cultura” and finishing with “Taos Traditional Foods – Chili vs. Chile” on Nov. 12. Eight other lectures are scheduled in the series which will rotate between SMU’s Fort Burgwin campus and UNM’s Klauer Campus. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
“This is for the community,” said series coordinator Kathleen Knoth, Library Director at UNM/Taos. Knoth said the goal of the project is allow Taoseños from all quarters to meet and enjoy the wealth of interesting and scholarly people who are associated not only with UNM and SMU but who are retired here and live in Taos year round.
Marie-Elena Reyes will moderate the first program, “Agua y Cultura.” She is director of UNM’s Instituto de Agua y Cultura: Water Institute for the Northern Rio Grande. Her panelists will include Sylvia Rodriguez, Enrique Lamadrid and Esteván Arrellano.
The next three lectures in the series are “Herbs and Pharmaceuticals: How they can compliment each other” on Sept. 17 at Ft. Burgwin, moderated by Jean Ellis –Sankari, Academy Head for Health and Human Serives at UNM; “The Word of Wood–5,000 Years of Handmade Wooden Objects” on Sept. 24 at Klauer with furniture maker James Rannefeld who is Academy Head of Trades and Industries at UNM; and “Taos–People, Place and Time,” moderated by Nita Murphy, Head of UNM’s Southwest Research Center.
Murphy’s panel for “Taos People” with include a group who call themselves “The Book Team.” They are Corina Santistevan, Julia Moore, Bob Romero, Corky Hawke and Ernestina Cordova. The team is finishing a book on Taos history, soon to be published.
A meeting hosted a year and a half ago by Taos author and book store owner Art Bachrach brought together Dr. Kate O’Neil and Dr. Mike Adler, executive directors of UNM/Taos and SMU’s Burgwin campuses respectively and produced the idea for a group effort between the two schools. Library Director Knoth then proposed a number of ideas on what could be done. She was joined on the project by Pam Brody, UNM/Taos’ Director of Developmental Studies Program and the two put together the series.
In other presentations, author Dr. Eliseo “Cheo” Torres will deliver a talk called “Curanderismo in the Southwest” on Oct. 8 at Klauer. Dr. Ted Dyman, retired from the U.S. Geological Survey, will present the Oct. 15 lecture at Ft. Burgwin entitled “America’s Energy Crisis and the Future of Petroleum.” UNM faculty member Dr. Marty Hewlett will talk about “Creationism and Evolution” on Oct. 22 at Klauer.
Novelist Sean Murphy will host a writer’s roundtable on Nov. 5. His panelists will be novelist John Nichols and authors Mirabai Starr and Rick Collignon. The final program in the series, “Taos Traditional Foods – Chile vs. Chili,” will be moderated by Larry Torres who teaches languages and culture at UNM and who is a weekly columnist for The Taos News. His panelists will be restaurateurs Ben Sandoval (Tiwa Kitchen), Joseph Wrede (Joseph’s Table, Lambert’s and the OBL) and Adam Medina (Ranchos Plaza Grille).
“Our focus in planning this series is to spotlight some of the interesting people and cultures of Northern New Mexico,” said Pam Brody.
All presentations are open to the public and free of charge.
Contact: Pam Brody 737-6237
Kathleen Knoth 737-6200
Sam Richardson 758-9539
