In all creative endeavours, we are inspired by the work of others to move the frontiers of our intellectual interests forward. Our experiences, in work and life alike, challenge us to grow and evolve. This process allows us to realize the quintessential goal of education: to change ourselves.
In this presentation, Dr. Edward Burger (Mathematics) and Victoria Star Varner (Fine Arts) will not only share two such personal journeys – one within the world of art and the other within the world of mathematics – but also challenge the audience to find the bridges that connect these two different stories.
No art or math background is required and all ages are welcome. There will be several live demonstrations by both speakers, but only one equation will be shown (and it will not be solved… merely massaged)!
About the Speakers
Edward Burger is President of Southwestern University, a professor of mathematics, and an educational leader on thinking and creativity. He has delivered over 700 addresses worldwide at venues including the Smithsonian Institution, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of over 70 research articles, books, and video series. He has been named one of America’s best math teachers by Reader’s Digest, was the 2010 winner of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, and was named of the Huffington Post’s 2010 Game Changers. Microsoft Worldwide Education selected Burger as one of their “Global Heroes in Education,” and in 2013, he was inducted as an inaugural Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He is currently cohosts Higher ED—a weekly program produced by NPR’s KUT in Austin.
Victoria Star Varner is Professor of Art at Southwestern University, where she is also Director of the Fine Arts Gallery and Chair of the Studio Art department. Her artworks range from classically inspired figural work to process-driven conceptual art, most recently addressing national identities and the significance of time and place. Exhibited in over one hundred exhibitions in the USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Ireland, England, and Canada, Varner’s work has been selected recently for exhibitions curated by Freyda Spira, Associate Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Susan Tallman, Editor-in-Chief of Art in Print, and Stephen Goddard, Senior Curator of the Spencer Museum of Art. Varner is represented in museum, university and private collections and has been awarded over thirty grants and a Mundy Fellowship.
Sponsors
The Bridges Lecture Series organizers gratefully acknowledge the ongoing support of our partners:
- St. Jerome's University
- University of Waterloo, Faculty of Arts
- University of Waterloo, Faculty of Mathematics
- University of Waterloo, Faculty of Science
- Fields Institute