Science, Medicine, Nature and Nuclear
June
Monday June 2 2:00-4:00
Strategic Nuclear Capabilities for Our Nation’s Security
The US nuclear weapons stockpile and the infrastructure that supports it are aging and need to be updated to support modern defense needs. The role the US plays in the global security landscape has also evolved. Vice Admiral (VADM RET) Chuck Munns will provide CLE attendees with insight into key elements of our national security strategy and the role of nuclear capabilities for assuring our national defense and energy security. VADM Munns has consulted with the Secretary of Defense and the US Strategic Command which enables him to provide in-depth insight into current risks and strategies. He will also provide us with a look into life aboard a nuclear submarine.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Vice Admiral Chuck Munns, USN (ret), is internationally recognized. He served for 34 years in some of the U.S. Navy’s most high-profile and challenging positions, culminating with responsibility for all U.S. submarines worldwide and NATO submarine policy. Then, as CEO of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (LLC), he operated the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, responsible for the site’s 9,000 employees and $2 billion annual budget. Admiral Munns currently serves as a senior advisor to industry and government.
This program is sponsored by John and Harriet Pope
Tuesday June 3 10:00-12:00
Savannah River Site - Nuclear Weapons Powerhouse
Savannah River Site (SRS), located outside of Aiken, SC, has been an important component of the nation’s defense since its creation during the Cold War in the early 1950s. The complex, which encompasses over 300 square miles, is home today to missions that are critical to the continued functioning of the Nuclear Weapons Complex. Chuck Goergen, a retired Senior Scientist from SRS, will provide insights into this highly secure national asset and its role in today’s national nuclear security strategy as outlined by Admiral Chuck Munns in his CLE Lecture. Don’t miss this chance to learn about what our neighbors are engaged in to protect our nation.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Chuck Goergen earned a BS in Chemistry from the University of Detroit. His career covered over forty years at SRS working with nuclear materials in Laboratories, Production, Engineering, and Projects in numerous facilities across the site. He spent a year on loan to the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Weapons, has interfaced with many DOE sites, and liaised with the International Atomic Energy Agency. His international work took him to Japan, Austria, the UK, and Russia.
July
Wednesday July 9 10:00-12:00
Darwin’s Circle and the Evolution of Belief: Science, Faith, and the Struggle for Understanding
Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) marked the public debut of the theory of evolution by natural selection, a seismic event in science and society. While subsequent public debates over the theory are often (and simplistically) portrayed as a struggle between science and religion, the truth is far more nuanced. It is largely unappreciated, for example, that non-religious and religious people alike, including clergy, were (and are) found both among Darwin’s most ardent supporters as well as his most vocal detractors. Or, that Darwin’s own closest friends and fiercest supporters themselves reflected a diversity of religious views ranging from deeply devout to agnostic. In this course and drawing on materials from his most recent book, Radical By Nature: the Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace, Dr. Costa will examine the development of the Darwin-Wallace theory, its implications for society, and how doubt and devotion played out in unexpected ways within and without Darwin’s circle — and what this can teach us today. This program is in collaboration with the Highlands Biological Station.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Dr. James (Jim) Costa is executive director and professor at Highlands Biological Station of Western Carolina University in Highlands, NC. An entomologist, evolutionary biologist, and Darwin and Wallace scholar, Jim’s most recent books include Radical by Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace (Princeton, 2023), and Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants (Timber, 2023). His honors include the Alfred Russel Wallace Medal of the Wallace Memorial Fund (2017) and the Stephen Jay Gould Prize of the Society for the Study of Evolution (2023).
This program is sponsored by Jim and Jo Ann Kiley
Wednesday July 23 2:00-4:00
Unearthing the Past: Geologic Foundations and the Quest for Lithium in the Carolinas
The geologic history of the Carolinas spans over one billion years. The forces that built the foundation of the Carolinas have shuffled us between super continents and provided us a wealth of mineral resources. Human history is a tiny fraction of geologic history; however, we have learned to exploit geology beginning with favored rocks for stone tools through lithium resources for batteries. Research into lithium in the Carolinas is significantly impacted by local, State, and national politics, as well as the global market. Even over the past few years, there have been significant swings in the enthusiasm surrounding exploration for, and extraction of, lithium in the Carolinas. Presently, the US Geological Survey is taking new stock of historically mined products across the USA searching for resources once cast aside as waste but now valuable. The talk will summarize the geologic history of the Carolinas and link the formation of economic deposits to their origin story. We will see the role of dating rocks in mineral exploration.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Drew Coleman is Chair of the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, Professor of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, and Director of the Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. His research includes work on lithium deposits in North Carolina and the connections between super volcanoes and economic mineralization.
This program is sponsored by Mark and Genevieve Crozier
Thursday July 24 10:00-12:00
Understanding Generative AI: Demystifying the Technology Shaping Our Future
Generative AI is reshaping industries and redefining what’s possible in technology, creativity, and decisionmaking. In this talk, we will demystify the terms surrounding AI, explain the current AI landscape, and explore its exciting possibilities. From breakthroughs in art and science to its integration into business and healthcare, generative AI is a transformative force. However, with great power comes great responsibility. This session will also delve into the risks, including overreliance, biased decision-making, and ethical concerns, offering a balanced perspective on what AI might mean for the future
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Jennifer Claggett is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at the School of Business at Wake Forest University and a Core Member of the Center for Healthcare Innovation at WFU’s School of Medicine. Her work focuses on behavioral information systems, exploring how and why individuals adopt, resist, and use emerging technologies. Through her teaching and advisory work, Jennifer helps individuals and organizations unlock the potential of technology while navigating its challenges.
Friday July 25 10:00-12:00
Weathering the Storm: Understanding Climate’s Impact on Our Future
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the raging fires in California, extreme weather is a topic of wide public concern. When someone asks about the weather, the focus is typically on what is going on now. When someone asks about climate, the focus is much broader – the weather over time. The answers to those questions involve a host of variables: pollutants in the atmosphere, volcanic activity, solar winds, and the salinity and temperature of the oceans, etc. Dr. Shepherd will discuss how these variables shape weather patterns we experience daily and what can be done now to manage and mitigate their most serious consequences over time. It is a discussion that encompasses not only science and technology but political, economic, and social disruption.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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​Dr. J Marshall Shepherd is a leading international weather-climate expert and a Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on urban climate, hydrometeorological extremes, weather-climate risks, and change. In 2023, he was appointed Associate Dean for research, scholarship, and partnerships in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at UGA. Prior to UGA, he served 12 years as a research meteorologist and deputy project leader at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Shepherd’s many honors include: President (2013) and Fellow of the American Meteorological Society; recent election (2021) to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, our nation’s most prestigious scientific organizations for scientific and engineering achievement.
This program is sponsored by Glenn and Kitty Bosio
August
Wednesday August 6 10:00-12:00
Rooted in Restoration: A Garden Tour with Lisa Dailey
Join Lisa Dailey of Cultivation for an immersive horticulture restoration class on plant diversity, soil rebuilding, and sustainable gardening practices. This interactive tour will guide you through a stunning 5-acre in-town mountain property, showcasing everything from untouched spaces to sophisticated gardens. Discover how Lisa integrates native plants, cutting gardens, dahlias, and seasonal vegetables into her landscape. Learn about the stages of garden development and soil rejuvenation. We’ll cover about 1/2 acre on foot with moderate inclines, so please dress accordingly and wear sturdy, comfortable footwear. CLE will provide a sack lunch, and there will be time to sit and reflect after the tour. Bring a camping chair or folding chair for comfort.
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Location: Private Location. Registered attendees will be given address information a few days prior to the event.
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Lisa Dailey is a horticulturist who inherited her passion for gardening and nature from her mother and grandmother. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Georgia. Following college, Lisa worked for thirteen years in the consumer garden products division of Chevron/ Ortho where she discovered her talent and enthusiasm for being an educator. She is energized to use her educational skills to share all that she has learned about gardening, landscape design, healthy soil and botanical floral design over the past several decades. She is the founder of Cultivation.
Tuesday August 12 10:00-12:00
Behind the Scrubs: A Behind the Scenes View of the Operating Room and Hospital Quality Ratings
Ever wonder what actually happens in surgery? Many people have had surgeries, such as a hip or knee replacement, and they have no recollection of what happened until well into the recovery phase. This lecture will cover all the stages of surgery from the other side, from the time a decision for surgery is made through recovery. We’ll talk about the use of robotics in surgery, how trainees participate in surgical care, and where we are headed with surgical care in the next 10-20 years. We’ll also discuss hospital performance ratings and what they really tell (or don’t tell) us about hospital quality. We’ll seek to clarify some of the common misconceptions about these ratings and explain why they often don’t tell the full story.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Dr. Cynthia Emory is the inaugural L. Andrew Koman Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. After completing her residency in orthopaedic surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, she pursued a fellowship in orthopaedic oncology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She returned to join the faculty at Wake Forest and obtained her Master of Business Administration with Distinction from Wake Forest University.
This program is sponsored by Hillary Cone
Friday August 15 10:00-12:00
Unveiling the Smokies: How Discover Life in America (DLiA) is Mapping the Hidden Biodiversity of the Great Smoky Mountains
This presentation will describe and explain the work of Discover Life in America (DLiA), a nonprofit organization committed to studying and conserving biodiversity, with a focus on its flagship project, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The ATBI, launched in 1998, is a comprehensive effort to document the estimated 60,000 to 80,000 species within the park. But an ATBI is more than just a checklist of species names. It is a complex and living database of species locations, habitats, genetic diversity, population density, symbiotic relationships, and predator-prey interactions. Working cooperatively, expert scientists specializing in all different forms of life discover new species needing protection, identify new threats in time to act, and understand how to protect a complex and valuable ecosystem like the Smoky Mountains. DLiA has successfully doubled the number of known species in the park and identified 1,092 species that are new to science. Despite these accomplishments, a vast amount of biodiversity remains to be discovered in the park. To further this research and exploration, DLiA leverages new technologies, engages in community science projects, and collaborates with scientists from around the world.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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Todd Witcher, DLiA Executive Director, is a 9th generation Tennessean born and raised in the small town of Red Boiling Springs in Middle Tennessee. He enjoys hiking, gardening with native plants, wildlife watching, and traveling. He became Executive Director of DLiA in 2007 and has worked in the nonprofit, conservation field for almost 40 years. He obtained his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, as well as his Master of Business from Lincoln Memorial University.
This program is sponsored by The Fred A. Moss Charitable Fund/ Freddie Flynt
Friday August 22 10:00-12:00
The Future of Nuclear Power - An Insiders Perspective
Join John Kotek for a discussion on developments in energy policy and nuclear energy technology. He will explain the recent growth in demand for clean electricity being driven by data center and AI companies, illustrate how nuclear energy fits into the decarbonization plans of U.S. utilities and major energy consumers, provide an overview of the types and status of next-generation reactors, discuss ongoing efforts to demonstrate commercial-scale production of hydrogen and opportunities for nuclear as a source of industrial heat and other non-electric applications, and will explore the business and policy drivers that are raising interest in next-generation nuclear energy systems.
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Location: CLE Lecture Hall
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John Kotek is Senior Vice President for Policy and Public Affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, and is President of Nuclear Matters, a grassroots coalition of nuclear energy advocates. From 2015-2017, John served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in the US Department of Energy. John was Staff Director to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which in 2012 recommended a new strategy for the U.S. nuclear waste management program. John has also served as a Congressional fellow, an R&D program manager at Argonne National Laboratory-West in Idaho, and as a public affairs consultant.