Past speakers

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Next speakers

Sunday, April 28, 2024 - 10:00am

Presentation by Sandra Comstock about the conditions that shape our endemic housing crisis and the social isolation that we bear witness to as a result. She describes Hygiene For All (H4A)’s participation in efforts to change the status quo, highlighting community survival stories. Understanding the distinctive experiences and needs of our most historically targeted residents is our best hope for achieving wellbeing. Sandra is Executive Director of Hygiene For All (H4A). She has a Ph.D. in Development Sociology from Cornell University. She has worked in Nicaragua. She was a Fulbright Fellow in Bangladesh and an SSRC Fellow in Mexico.

A Non-Utopian Model for a Progressive Society

Sunday, May 5, 2024 - 10:00am

Presentation at Friendly House by Jeff Seward. He presents a list of his favorite reforms that already exist somewhere in the world or have been seriously proposed and nearly implemented elsewhere. What about the politics of actually choosing these reforms for our own society? Ah, that's a subject for a different presentation. Jeff has a Ph.D from Stanford. He has had a career in public television as a political reporter, news anchor, and film producer. A retired professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Pacific University, he has presented to us many times in the past.

The Complexity of Skin

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - 10:00am

Presentation by Helen Christians at Friendly House. She discusses skin anatomy and how skin reacts to injury as well as how wound healing occurs. She also reviews how skin conditions develop from such chronic conditions as diabetes and vascular disease. Helen graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 1983 with a Masters in Occupational Therapy. She has worked at the Legacy Emanuel Oregon Burn Center. She was honored by the American Burn Association as Therapist of the Year in 2015. She currently serves as volunteer educator at Portland Street Medicine.

Braver Angels

Sunday, May 19, 2024 - 10:00am

Presentation by Michael Balter about Braver Angels, a grassroots civic movement dedicated to bringing Americans together to bridge partisan divides. We engage with those with whom we disagree, looking for common ground and ways to work together. We do not seek centrist compromise or try to change one another’s opinions on policy. Balter is a retired CEO at Boys & Girls Aid and adjunct professor at PSU. He has over 45 years of management experience in planning, policy development, fund raising, and board relations. He is frequently called upon to develop public policy within governmental organizations to enhance the public welfare.