"We designed the course to be a look at Telluride's history, but through the lens of science," said Nana Naisbitt, Executive Direcotr of the Pinhead Institute. "I am excited about taking this course myself. The three professors are renowned in their fields, but better yet, they are all great teachers."
"The museum's relationship with the Pinhead Institute, and the resulting affiliation with the Smithsonian Institute is cause for thanks, and we're very excited to be collaborating with them in this in-depth study of Telluride's mining history," said Lauren Bloemsma, Executive Director of the Telluride Historical Museum. "The lineup of speakers will guarantee three educational and extremely enjoyable evenings."
Rob Blair, Ph.D., who previously lectured to sold-out crowds in Telluride and is the managing editor of The Western San Juan Mountains – Their Geology, Ecology and Human History, returns to Telluride on Nov. 3 for a lecture on the geology of mining. Blair received his Ph.D. in geology in 1975 from the Colorado School of Mines, has worked as a consulting geologist since 1974 and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Mountain Studies Institute based in Silverton and Durango, whose mission is to enhance the understanding and sustainable use of the San Juan Mountains through research and education.
One of the most decorated professors in Colorado, Duane Smith, Ph.D., will lecture on the evolution of mining communities on Nov. 10. An acclaimed professor, Smith is known for winning the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Colorado Professor of the Year award in 1990 and the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities award for Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities in 1989, and the 1981 American Association for State and Local History Award for Contributions to the History of the Rocky Mountain West. His peers chose him as the recipient of Fort Lewis College's Alice Admire Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1978 and he was twice chosen by the senior class to be the commencement speaker in 1990 and 1993. Smith has written or edited more than forty books, including the local favorite, A Visit with the Tomboy Bride. Smith received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
John Straub, Ph.D., will travel from Boston University to speak on the chemistry of mining on Nov. 17. Straub's gift, it is said, is the ability to simplify complex scientific principles for students at any level and to tap their enthusiasm for learning. Compliments on Straub's enthusiasm and dedication abound. In a typical accolade, one undergraduate said: "Although I personally am not too fond of chemistry, Straub's enthusiasm for the subject was infectious." According to a former doctoral student, "John's lecturing style embodies a contagious enthusiasm that reinforces the clarity with which he presents ideas." He joined the Boston University faculty in 1990 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in 1982, two master's degrees and a doctorate in chemical physics from Columbia University, and completing a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship in biophysics at Harvard University. He was the 2003 recipient of the Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching from the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences.
Telluride Unearthed is being produced in cooperation with the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities, thanks in part to grants from the CCAASE, the Telluride Foundation, and San Miguel County.
Tickets for all three events can be purchased at Telluride Ticket (www.tellurideticket.com) or at the door for $15. For further questions regarding these lectures, contact Pinhead Institute at 970/728-0713.
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