Presentation by Dana Lynn Louis about art and the homeless. Louis is a visual artist and a social activist who explores themes of interconnectedness. She works in multiple mediums. In 2017, she founded a project to address the human disconnection at the core of homelessness. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Ohio State University. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
What makes outlandish conspiracy theories so compelling to some people? How are these theories propagated? Alex Olshansky discusses his research findings and then gets into the whys and hows of conspiracy thinking and the role of social media in their spread. Mr. Olshansky is a doctoral candidate and instructor in the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University.
Presentation by Randy Blazak. The insurgence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was the beginning of a new wave of anti-government violence. Dr. Blazak discusses the roots of the current movement, its end-goal, and its likelihood of success. Dr. Blazak is a leading expert on hate groups and right-wing extremism. He was a tenured professor of sociology at PSU and now works as a consultant. He serves as vice-chair of an Oregon Department of Justice steering committee.
Presentation by Attorney Garvin Reiter about the legal aspects of aging. He focuses on such topics as paying for long-term care needs, Medicaid planning, and asset protection. He also discusses the important documents that everyone should have in place while growing old. Attorney Reiter has specialized in elder law for twenty years. He is a past member of the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the Oregon State Bar.