Expert on Palestinian Christians, Host of "Engines of Our Ingenuity," Creators of Virtual Roman Forum to Speak at Yale

The following talks at Yale University the week of May 4-10 are free and open to the public.

Consultant addresses challenges that face Palestinian Christians

“Trying to Be a Christian in the Holy Land: A Reflection on Palestinian Christians Caught Between Islam and Judaism” is the title of talk to be presented on Tuesday, May 5, by J. Martin Bailey, who served recently as communications consultant with the Middle East Council of Churches in Jerusalem. His talk, sponsored by the Overseas Ministries Study Center (OMSC), will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the OMSC, 490 Prospect St. A discussion and refreshments will follow.

Bailey returned to the U.S. earlier this year from a three-and-a-half-year appointment as communications consultant with the Middle East Council of Churches in Jerusalem. He lived in Bethlehem, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by Christians living in the Holy Land. His presentation will explore the views of churches and individuals around the world concerning the life and witness of Christians in Palestine and Israel.

Bailey was formerly associate general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States and was editor of A.D. Magazine, a joint publication of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and the United Church of Christ. He serves as chair of the OMSC’s board of trustees.

Radio personality to give keynote speech at medical library

John H. Lienhard, the M.D. Anderson Professor of Mechanical Engineering and History at the University of Houston and author and voice of the daily national public radio series “The Engines of Our Ingenuity,” will present the keynote address at the 50th annual meeting of the Associates of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library on Wednesday, May 6. His lecture, “The Lesion Within: What Happened to Medicine When 19th Century Ingenuity Seized upon an 18th Century Perception?” will be at 4 p.m. at the School of Medicine’s Medical Historical Library, 333 Cedar St.

The following morning, at 8:30 a.m., Lienhard will be the featured guest at medical grand rounds in Fitkin Amphitheatre, 310 Cedar St., where he will speak on the topic “Two-D Screens and Three-D Reality: The Future of Ingenuity in Engineering and Medicine.”

Lienhard has presented more than 1,300 episodes of “The Engines of Our Ingenuity.” For his ongoing work on the series, he recently received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Ralph Coates Roe Award for contributions to the public understanding of technology. He also won the 1991 Portrait Division Award from the American Women in Radio and Television.

Known for his research in the thermal sciences as well as cultural history, Lienhard is the author of four books and approximately 300 journal articles and other publications. An honorary member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, his other honors include the University of Houston’s highest faculty accolade, the Esther Farfel Award for excellence in research, teaching, and professional and community service.

Multimedia lecture will focus on computer model of ancient site

The Digital Media Center for the Arts will present a multimedia lecture on the UCLA/Getty Model Project – a computer model of the ancient Forum of Roman Emperor Trajan (A.D. 98-117) – on Friday, May 8, 3-4:30 p.m. in the lecture hall of the Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St. Speaking at the event will be James E. Packer, professor of classics at Northwestern University, who will be assisted by William Jepson, director of computing in the department of architecture and urban design at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The lecture, “Restoring Trajan’s Forum: A Three Dimensional Approach for the Early Twenty-First Century,” will be followed by a reception.

Packer is the author of the 1997 book “The Forum of Trajan,” in which he analyzes archival documents and archaeological materials about the ancient site, which is considered one of ancient Rome’s greatest architectural achievements. To date, large-scale excavations have been unsuccessful in helping to piece together the complex. In a collaboration with staff at the Getty Museum and UCLA, Packer helped reconstruct a three-dimensional computer model of the forum, helping to reveal, for the first time, the true character of the structure.