We are approaching a decade of formal democracy in Afghanistan. What is the state of democracy in the country? To what extent do Afghans support democratic institutions and the state more generally? Are there differences between attitudes toward national and local governing institutions? What role does informal governance play? This talk will examine results of a large mixed-methods research project in Afghanistan that explores individual attitudes toward the state and other political institutions in the country.

Dan Selcer will lead an informal seminar on chapters two & three of Ann Blair's Too Much to Know: "Information Management in Comparative Perspective," as a lead-up to the author's visit in October.

Email Jennifer Waldron for directions.

Adam Shear will lead an informal seminar on chapter one of Ann Blair's Too Much to Know: "Information Management in Comparative Perspective," as a lead-up to the author's visit in October.

*Part of the The A. W. Mellon Distinguished Lectures in the History of Science

"Newton’s Shadow: Francesco Algarotti and the Passion for Science in the Eighteenth Century"

Paula Findlen is the Ubaldo Pierotti Professor of Italian History at Stanford University.

Everyone is welcome to stop by and snack on foods from Eastern Europe and cupcakes. Potential and returning members, come introduce yourself!

GOSECA is a great way to meet other graduate students interested in Russia, East Europe, and Eurasia and help organize cultural and academic events to spread awareness about these regions.

The first official GOSECA meeting will take place Thursday, September 27, 1-2 p.m.
Posvar, 4209, conference room in the back of UCIS

*Part of the The A. W. Mellon Distinguished Lectures in the History of Science

"Newton’s Shadow: Francesco Algarotti and the Passion for Science in the Eighteenth Century"

Paula Findlen is the Ubaldo Pierotti Professor of Italian History at Stanford University.

*Part of the The A. W. Mellon Distinguished Lectures in the History of Science

"Newton’s Shadow: Francesco Algarotti and the Passion for Science in the Eighteenth Century"

Paula Findlen is the Ubaldo Pierotti Professor of Italian History at Stanford University.

With responses by Nancy Condee (Global Studies), Kathryn Flannery (English), Andrew Weintraub (Music)

The lurid biblical story of John the Baptist, King Herod, and Herod’s precocious stepdaughter became an operatic hit in 1905 with Richard Strauss’ Salome. The lecture presents an earlier musical version of this character, la Figlia in Alessandro Stradella’s oratorio San Giovanni Battista (1675), and considers the reasons why femmes fatales ruled the operatic stage in the seventeenth no less than in the late nineteenth century.

*Lunch provided*
RSVP to losagio@pitt.edu by Monday, September 17, 2012

Graduate students and faculty are invited to participate in this workshop, which will provide training in the theory and application of the multiliteracies approach to teaching advanced-level foreign language courses. Participants will have the chance to develop their own teaching materials.