English professor Thornton to speak on universities’ intellectual mission

"Are Our Universities Failing in Their Intellectual Mission?" will be the title of a free public lecture by UNC English professor Dr. Weldon Thornton on Sept. 28 at UNC.

The talk, this year’s E.M. Adams Lecture for the UNC Program in the Humanities and Human Values, will begin at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building on Pittsboro St.

Thornton, on the UNC faculty since 1961, will share his experiences as a professor and scholar. He led curriculum reform for the UNC College of Arts and Sciences in the early 1980s. Thornton’s research interests include 20^th-century Anglo-Irish literature.

He wrote books on authors D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce and playwright John Millington Synge. Thornton has taught an honors course, "Great Books of the Western World," for more than 40 years and has received four awards for distinguished teaching.

After the lecture, Thornton will be honored at a 6 p.m. dinner at the Carolina Inn. The cost of the dinner is $40 per person; registration is required. Call 962-1544 to register.

The lectureship honors Adams, a UNC professor of philosophy emeritus. Adams helped create the Program in the Humanities and Human Values.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center presents astrophotography lecture Sept. 22

Astrophotographer Johnny Horne will share his secrets for photographing the sky at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 during a free public lecture at UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

Horne’s "Backyard Universe Gallery" now is on display at the center and features 24 of his photographs.

Many of his images came from the vantage point of his own N.C. backyard, but Horne has traveled to exotic locations such as the Australian Outback and Zambia to capture some of his photographs.

Horne is a contributing editor to Sky & Telescope magazine and photo editor for The Fayetteville Observer.

For more information on the exhibit, click on http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org.

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News Services contacts: L.J. Toler, 962-8589, laura_toler@unc.edu; or Deb Saine, 962-8415, deborah_saine@unc.edu