With topics ranging from marijuana legalization, to gravitational waves, to healthcare, Trinity’s Food for Thought lecture series will give alumni and members of the community a glimpse of the stimulating topics and engaging professors Trinity students encounter daily. The three-part lecture series begins on February 4 and concludes on April 1.

The San Antonio chapter of Trinity’s Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations host the series annually. The lectures feature a buffet lunch. Trinity alumni as well as members of the San Antonio community are encouraged to attend.

“This is my 17th year at Trinity and the series was going on even before I got here,” said director of alumni relations Selim Sharif. “The alumni are our primary audience, but anyone who is interested is welcome.”

One goal of the Food for Thought series is to showcase Trinity’s faculty and allow them to present the research they have been working on. The lecture topics vary, giving  audiences an idea of the diversity of knowledge and research within the university.

During the first lecture on Feb. 4, assistant professor of political science Keesha Middlemass will be speaking about her research dealing with the effects of marijuana legalization on the political landscape.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for faculty to interact with individuals that are not on campus on a regular basis, but are still affiliated and connected with the university  in a different kind of way,” Middlemass said.  “It shows the importance of research and that the faculty here are doing interesting and unique new things.”

Professor of physics and astronomy Dennis Ugolini is the second speaker in the series and will present the findings of his ongoing research concerning gravitational waves on Wednesday, March 4.

“It is a chance to learn about something that is at the cutting edge of technology, something that most people do not necessarily hear about very often on the nightly news,” Ugolini said. “I hope it also gives a higher profile to the university and shows that this is a place that can participate in major experiments of this kind.”

In addition to Middlemass and Ugolini, professor of healthcare administration Amer Kaissi will be the featured lecturer on April 1.

The buffet lunches and lectures will take place in the Fiesta Room. For those unable to attend, talks will be broadcast live online and viewers will be able to tweet in questions. Registration information is available at alumni.trinity.edu/event/2015_Food_For_Thought.