Alumni College 2013 Session Descriptions

Saturday, August 3

The Science (and Pseudoscience) of Forensic DNA Profiling. – Dr. Dan Krane

  • This session will take participants by the hand through the science that actually underlies the DNA profiling that is often shown on popular TV shows and is increasingly relied upon in criminal courts around the world.  The molecular biology involved in the generation of DNA profiles from less material than is left behind in a single fingerprint will be explained.  The population genetics that underlies the astronomical statistical weights of DNA profile matches will also be worked through.  Participants will be challenged with actual test results from high profile court cases from around the world to see what it is like to be an international DNA profiling expert and appreciate what aspects of DNA profiling still need to be significantly improved. 

The Psychology of Leading: Understanding Self Others – Dr. Jill Lindsey

  • This session will engage participants in an exploration of research–based leadership attributes and behaviors, with particular focus on understanding and developing one's own leadership. Participants will learn about and assess their own leadership strengths, behaviors,and interpersonal dynamics to better understand how to lead others from a social psychology perspective. Participants will begin the session by assessing their own leadership and collaboratively constructing a working description of leadership, including key attributes of effective leaders. We will thencompare these views to research on leadership attributes and discuss effective ways to develop leaders in differing contexts. This session will involve individual and group participation, application of research, and self-reflection. Participants will leave the session with research-based knowledge about leadership, greater self-understanding, and insight into the behaviors of leaders and followers.

The American Presidency – Dr. Jim Sayer

  • This session will examine the development of the American Presidency, from its conception at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, through the precedents established by President Washington, and to the power Presidency we have today. And we'll look at the more unusual elements of the Presidency, from controversial elections like 1796, 1800, 1824, 1876, and 2000, some "unusual" Presidents, and some fun Presidential trivia. 

Behavioral Finance – Dr. Ainina & Dr. Akhbari

  • Every individual develops their set of investment alternatives dependent upon an objective set of financial circumstances, goals, and constraints that will strongly influence their decision making process. Yet we all have underlying behavioral patterns and personality characteristics that can  also play an important role in setting our risk tolerance and return objectives, sometimes without our even realizing it! In this hour, we will attempt to help you understand which type of investor you are.  Are you a Traditional investor sticking strictly to your analysis? Or do your own Behavioral characteristics also play an important role?

Behind the Scenes Art Gallery Tour, Dinner, and Wine Reception – Tess Cortes

  • The Stein Galleries has existed in the Creative Arts Center for almost 40 years, and has a rich tradition of bringing to campus some of the most important and cutting-edge artists working then and today. Many visiting artists enlisted students to help install or build their projects. 

Sunday, August 4

Presentation of Fort Ancient Archaeological Project Tour of Earthwork, Excavation, and Museum – Dr. Robert Riordan

  • In 2005, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) received a large Federal grant to restore eroded portions of the Fort Ancient earthwork in Warren County. Fort Ancient is a hilltop earthwork constructed by the Hopewell culture (c. AD 1-400) that is elevated 240 feet above the Little Miami River valley. Its earthen wall segments measure a cumulative 3.5 miles in length, ranging from 3-25 feet in height, and enclose about 100 acres. Fort Ancient is a National Historic Landmark, one of the most significant archaeological sites in the midwest. When remote sensing was conducted of the areas within the enclosure that had to be traversed in order to bring rock fill to the eroding walls, a previously-undiscovered circular feature almost 200 feet in diameter was detected. The OHS then approached Dr. Robert Riordan at Wright State, who had worked for years at another Hopewell hilltop earthwork, and invited him to investigate this new and unknown feature.
  • What is now known as the Moorehead Circle, named after a pioneering 19th-century archaeologist, has been shown by WSU fieldwork to have been comprised of concentric rings of standing wooden posts around its perimeter, which surrounded;a central complex that included a 14-foot diameter pit of red soil and an adjacent structure. The Circle and its constituent features is interpreted as having been a ceremonial complex that was probably at the heart ofritual events at Fort Ancient during the period between about AD 100-200. It has been under archaeological investigation by WSU Field Schools in Archaeology since 2006, with the most recent edition having occurred in May and June of this year (the excavations themselves are now completed for the year). Those taking part in this trip will be bused to Fort Ancient, where they will be met by Dr. Riordan at the Fort Ancient museum, shown a Powerpoint presentation on his archaeological work,and then conducted on a walking tour of the Moorehead Circle. There will also be an hour or more during which participants can tour the museum and the earthwork before returning to Dayton.

Lunch and Tour of Calamityville with Jim Gruenberg, Deputy Director

  • Calamityville®(National Center for Medical Readiness)is a state-of-the-art, collaborative training and research facility on 52 acres in Fairborn, Ohio, Calamityville® prepares the civilian and military medical communities to participate and react in an effective and meaningful manner with traditional disaster responders. This provides the nation with a more complete approach to finding patients, offering initial care, and safely evacuating them from acute disaster-related environments. 
  • Calamityville® blends the principles of search and rescue, field assessment, stabilization, field triage, and transport to the next level of care.This is the first site in the United States to fully integrate civilian and military relationships, and medical and non-medical responses that occur in a disaster or other complex rescue situation.

Optional Campus Walking Tour

  • For those who haven't been on campus for a while, take a walking tour of the campus, see the state of the art buildings and renovations that have been done at Wright State.