CCSU Virtual Scholars For Life! Speaker Series

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The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch was designed by Hartford architect George Keller. The arch was dedicated on September 17, 1886, –the anniversary of the Battle of Antietam–to honor the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the Civil War, and the 400 who died for the Union. Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park 15 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT Please Note: This event will require moderate walking and standing for the duration of the tour. Also, to get to the top of the Arch, you must go up stairs. Dr. Matthew Warshauer is a professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and served for six years at the co-chair of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, which was responsible for the state’s many activities remembering the nation’s greatest trial. Warshauer is a widely recognized and sought after lecturer in the field of American political and constitutional history, and is the author of four books. Two on Andrew Jackson and two on Connecticut and the Civil War.

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The conservation of cultural heritage can be very difficult when commemorating recent events and even more difficult when it deals with sites of cultural tragedy and related tourism (so called ‘dark tourism’). This is especially true of cultural heritage and tourism associated with the Holocaust. In this presentation, we will examine tourism of Holocaust sites and how cultural heritage teaches us about our history. We will also look at how heritage sites have evolved over time to more effectively tell those stories. In doing so, we will use the example of a CCSU ‘Central Discover Abroad’ program on Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Memory which is scheduled to take place in June 2026. Dr. Brian Sommers is a professor of geography at Central Connecticut State University. In addition to that role, Dr. Sommers is also the chair of the geography department as well as the co-director of the international studies program here at Central. He has also served as the interim dean of the Carol A. Ammon College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, here he served as the chief academic and administrative officer for departments and programs in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This included 17 academic departments, 209 full-time faculty/staff, and 65 academic programs (43 undergraduate, 14 graduate and 8 certificate) housed in the college.

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Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is considered by many to be a true musical genius. This session will discuss some of the major musical accomplishments of Brian Wilson. We will listen to and analyze some of the Beach Boys hits, with a focus on the album "Pet Sounds". Many music historians believe that "Good Vibrations" is the most perfect single song ever created: we will discuss the beauty of this song. We will also listen to songs from Brian Wilson's solo career. This session will commemorate the recent death of this magnificent performer, composer, and producer. Mr. Stephen Armstrong is an adjunct professor of history at Central Connecticut State University.

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Join Thomas Mione, who earned his doctorate in Plant Evolution at UConn and has been a professor for over three decades at Central, as he presents his adventures hunting for and finding wild tomato relatives in the Andes Mountains.