ÖØ¿ÚζSM

Series Description: For Americans, World War II ended in Rheims on May 7, 1945 and September 2 in Tokyo. Though the fighting ended, the end phase dragged on as the problems and possibilities and legacies generated by the war became obvious. The situation of the combatant nations as the fighting ended is our starting point for an examination of the problems (e.g., de-Nazification), possibilities (e.g., European cooperation), and legacies (e.g., the Cold War).

Series Information: Tuesdays, September 16 & 23, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Series Speaker: Dr. Joe Fitzharris, Professor Emeritus of History, taught military history at UST for 40 years and regularly taught courses for the Selim Center, and received the Center's "Distinguished Educator Award" in 2013. The editor of Patton's Fighting Bridge Builders: Company B, 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment which was an Army Historical Foundation "Distinguished Book Award Finalist" in 2007. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Dr. Harold C. Deutsch World War II History Round Table and is actively doing scholarly military history.

Fee for the series: $50.00 per person

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Program Sessions:

• September 16: The end of the European War
  • The situation of the various combatant nations at war's end sets the stage of our course. Germany's unconditional surrender and "de-Nazification" complicated military occupation and governance. Europe's economies were devastated and starvation loomed. To the problems faced by millions of displaced peoples, refugees, liberated concentration camp inmates and prisoners of war, were added millions of surrendered Germans. Among legacies of the European war are issues created by efforts at European cooperation and unification, the "Cold War," and the "Jewish Question."
• September 23: The end of the Great Pacific War
  • Japan's vicious occupation of conquered peoples created many similar problems, most unknown to Americans. Retaining the Emperor and much of the bureaucracy meant surrender was not unconditional and the legacies of the "Great Pacific War" still burn hot today. The "Greatest Generation" saw the failure of the League of Nations and looked to the newly created United Nations and other international organizations to create and maintain the peace. Japan's failure to admit war guilt or to even acknowledge its oppression created issues of trust and acceptance that continue to this day.

Event Description: In this fascinating memoir session, Dr. Bruce Gleason provides a fascinating review of his enlistment with the 298th U.S. Army Band stationed in Berlin at the end of the Cold War. Based on his book, Cold War Cadence, he will share not only the work of army bandsmen and women, but will also offer more than a glimpse of the historic city of Berlin - as well as the Prussian and Nazi ghosts that still reside there. Filled with copious detail and based on exacting and beautifully assembled notes, letters, North Star News articles, and photos, Gleason's latest book of vivid recollections promises to satisfy even the most discerning reader of Cold War and general European history.

Event Information: Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speaker: Stemming from a career that has spanned all levels of instrumental and vocal music instruction, kindergarten through graduate school, Dr. Bruce Gleason is a professor of music history and music education at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM. He has published over fifty articles in both areas, and has published two books on military music history, including his latest release, Cold War Cadence: A Military Musician's Berlin Memoir, 1988-1991 (Calument Editions, 2024).

Fee for the event: $25.00 per person

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Series Description: In this three-part series, we'll explore the policies and shocks that shape our economic world. The first session dives into the economics of tariffs, followed by an inside look at how the Federal Reserve works, and concludes with economic lessons from the pandemic focusing on changes to the labor market and government support. Each session combines data, theory, and real-world examples to help make sense of the complex issues driving today's headlines.

Series Information: Tuesdays, October 7, 14 & 21, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Series Speaker: Dr. Tyler Schipper is an associate professor of economics at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM, specializing in macroeconomics with a focus on growth and development. He has published his research on economic development and real-time forecasting in top economic journals such as the Journal of Development Economics and Applied Economic Letters. Dr. Schipper actively engages with business and civic groups, delivering accessible talks on the state of the local and national economy, the Federal Reserve, and economic policy. He is a frequent media commentator, appearing in media from Minnesota Live and the Star Tribune to CNN and NPR's Marketplace. His ability to break down complex economic ideas into clear, digestible explanations has made him a trusted voice in public discussions on the economy.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

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To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 7: The Economics of Tariffs: Past, Present, and Future
• October 14: The Federal Reserve, Policy Independence, and Why they Matter
• October 21: The Knowns and Unknowns of Economic Policy during the Pandemic

Series Description: The Greeks and the Italians are people with ancient histories, but the Greek and Italian states are recent creations of the 19th century. In this series of lectures, we'll examine how the two countries gained their independence, how they evolved, their dreams for their futures, and their place in the world today.

Series Information: Tuesdays, September 16, 23 & 30, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Series Speaker: John A. Mazis is Professor of European History at Hamline University. He has taught, lectured, and published extensively on issues of Modern Greek History. His most recent work is Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis and Greek Irrendentism: A Life in the Shadows (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books 2022).

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• September 16: The Enlightenment, the French Revolution and 19th century Nationalism: The independence of Greece and the unification of Italy
• September 23: Greece and Italy look back to their glorious past, dream big dreams for their futures, but they face problems of "growing pains".
• September 30: Dreams of glory end in catastrophes; life after the end of the dream; Greece and Italy facing the challenges of the future.

Event Description: As World War II came to an end, the United States began a military occupation of Japan that would continue for nearly seven years. During that time, U.S. soldiers and Japanese civilians had countless interactions, especially in the towns and cities that played home to U.S. military bases. This talk will use newly available courts-martial records to explore some of these interactions, with a particular focus on various forms of violence that were remarkably common during these years. In the process, we will explore the question of whether this kind of violence is perhaps an inherent part of even ostensibly peaceful military occupations.

Event Information: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speaker: John A. Mazis is Professor of European History at Hamline University. He has taught, lectured, and published extensively on issues of Modern Greek History. His most recent work is Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis and Greek Irrendentism: A Life in the Shadows (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books 2022).

Fee for the event: $25.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Event Description: This event, the first in the Selim Center's new "Tools for Discovery" series, introduces skills for finding culture in the world around us. How does culture appeaer in landscapes and built environments, in language, and in social interaction? How can reading culture help us to know our world - and the people within it - better? Three faculty from the American Culture and Difference program will take an interdisciplinary approach to a common question: what does it mean to see culture produced and reflected in everyday life?

Event Information: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speakers: biographies forthcoming

Fee for the event: $25.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Event Description: Instead of a traditional send off for her retirement from UST, the Selim Center's music maven, Susan Anderson-Benson, is doing a farewell lecture-performance titled "Rhapsodies" that you won't want to miss. She'll take the OEC stage for a final time on October 21 to benefit the Selim Center at UST, where she's worked as its champion for more than 20 years. The cost of admission is a donation in her honor to the Selim Center, with all proceeds going toward the Center's Tommie Give Day goal. The event will explore the concept of rhapsody in music and will feature several important rhapsodic works, including Gershwin and Queen, plus a live performance of a Brahms rhapsody for piano. Registration accepted only by advance mail-in paper registration or at the door the day of the event, and only by check or cash (checks payable to the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM). Let's make her 25th and final event for the Center an afternoon to remember while helping the Center continue to thrive after she's gone! Suggested donation $20; any amount welcome.

Event Information: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speaker: Susan Anderson-Benson will retire as the Selim Center's Program Manager on November 14, 2025 after more than 20 years in the role, making her the 3rd longest serving employee of the Center. [Dr. Mohamed Selim, Director (1973-2004; 31 years) & Sr. Marie Herbert Seiter (Assistant Director 1978-2004; Director 2004-2009; 31 years) are the only longer serving staff members of the Center.] Susan brings to the stage 51 years of experience as a studio and classroom music instructor, plus as a performer. Her passion is to share the story behind the music so learners can better appreciate what goes into a musical work.

Fee for the event: A donation to the Selim Center. Suggested donation $20; any amount welcome.

Registration for this event is only by mail or at the door the day of the event. To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Series Description: This series offers an introduction to the writings of the Old Testament. We begin by discussing the historical origins of these texts and the ancient world in which they composed. We then investigate the writings themselves and the major sections in which they are divided, the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.

Series Information: Thursdays, September 18 & 25, October 2, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Series Speaker: Dan Pioske received his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in Biblical Studies. After holding positions at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and Georgia Southern University, Dan returned home to Minnesota and is in his fourth year of teaching at ÖØ¿ÚζSM. He is the author of three books, David's Jerusalem: Between Memory and History (Routledge, 2015); Memory in a Time of Prose (Oxford, 2018); and The Bible Among Ruins (Cambridge, 2023). His forthcoming book, also with Cambridge, is tentatively entitled, After the Iron Age in Judah: Biblical Perspectives on its Remains. Dan's scholarly interests center on the relationship between the Bible and archaeology and the larger historical questions that emerge from this conversation.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• September 18: What is the Old Testament? A History of its Origins and its World
• September 25: The Torah and the Story of Israel
• October 2: The Prophets and the Writings

Series Description: This series explores some of the issues that are covered in introductory classes to the New Testament that employ the critical method of biblical study. Among the topics covered will be the dating of the gospels, christological implications of the portrayal of Jesus on film, and the differences between critical analysis of Scripture and the fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible.

Series Information: Thursdays, October 9, 23 & 30, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available (no session on October 16)

Series Speaker: David Landry earned his B.A. in Religious Studies from the College of Holy Cross (1985), and his M.A. (1989) and Ph.D. (1992) in Religion from Vanderbilt University, specializing in the New Testament. He is the author of Inquiry into the New Testament and co-author of The Christian Theological Tradition, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. He has taught at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM his entire career. He is currently in his 35th year at UST.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 9: When Were the Gospels Written? Techniques for Dating Ancient Literature and Their Application to the Bible
• No session on October 16
• October 23: Jesus on Film: A Comparative Analysis Using the Cleansing of the Temple as a Test Case
• October 30: What's Wrong with Fundamentalism? A Critique of Evangelical Approaches to the Bible

Series Description: This series will explore topics around urban food access in the Twin Cities at the intersection of hunger relief, public health, environmental sustainbility, and social entrepreneurship. The speakers will explore global, national, and local factors that limit access to healthy foods, and will describe challenges and opportunities for creating thriving food systems in US cities that benefit everyone. They will examine these ideas through the lens of a nationally recognized, local nonprofit organization, BrightSide Produce, established in 2014 and currently co-directed by the speakers.

Series Information: Thursdays, September 18 & 25, October 2, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available 

Series Speakers:

• Dr. Justa Heinen-Kay is a social entrepreneur, educator, and biologist who is passionate about creating more equitable and sustainable communities. She currently serves as Co-Director of BrightSide Produce, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on improving access to affordable fruits and vegetables in the Twin Cities. Dr. Heinen-Kay has earned a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from North Carolina State University and an MBA from the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM. She is currently teaching Social Entrepreneurship and has previously taught Biology courses at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM
• Dr. Adam Kay is a Professor in the Biology Department at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM. His scholarship and teaching focus on environmental sustainability, with a focus on urban food systems and urban ecology. He has received several major grants from the National Science Foundation and has over 60 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Kay has also co-founded two non-profit organizations (BrightSide Produce, and Chumisa Community Composting in Cape Town, South Africa).

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Series Description: This three-part series explores the frontiers of brain science and healthy aging. Participants will learn how cognitive function changes over time and what lifestyle factors - such as exercise, nutrition, and mental activity - can support long-term brain health. Each session will include accessible scientific insights, practical strategies, and group discussion, and is ideal for anyone interested in aging well and staying mentally sharp.

Series Information: Thursdays, October 9, 23 & 30, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available (no session on October 16)

Series Speaker: Ben Denkinger, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN, with a background in cognitive and biological psychology. He is a long-time presenter at the Selim Center, and his research interests cover a wide range of topics including memory for faces, intergenerational relationships and social connection, the use of polygraph in criminal interrogation, and neural predictors of substance use disorder.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 9: In this session, we will review the differences between normal aging processes and pathological aging. We will set a foundation for the lecture series by outlining the major cognitive domains that are affected by the aging process (memory, attention, processing speed) to help explore the kinds of changes that are part of the typical aging process, and how these skills are evaluated by pathologists.
• No session on October 16
• October 23: For our second session, we will unpack the "best practices" recommended for healthy aging to better understand how everyday behavior impacts brain function (and vice versa!). We will discuss new findings on the impact of physical activity, nutrition, cognitive resilience and cognitive reserve, social connection, and stress management on healthy aging.
• October 30: In our final session, we conclude our review of the best practive recommendations for healthy aging. Then, we will discuss the practical strategies that can be implemented at any age to help improve one's quality of life and maximize your potential for a healthy brain.

Event Description: One year after the re-election of Donald Trump to a second presidential term some are hopeful yet others fearful about the fate of American democracy and politics. This lecture examines the present and future direction of the Trump presidency and what it means for American democracy and the role of the US in the world.

Event Information: Friday, November 7 2025, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Anderson Student Center Woulfe Alumni Hall, University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available 

Event Speaker: David Schultz is Hamline University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of ÖØ¿ÚζSM. A four-time Fulbright scholar, David is the author of more than 45 books and 200 articles on various aspects of US politics and law.

Fee for the event: $45.00 per person; registration deadline for this event is October 28 for the in-person version due to catering requirements; please also be sure to make any dietary requirements when you register to assure we can accommodate your needs.

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form