CHAMPAIGN, Ill. President Bushs recent decision on federal funding for stem-cell research only ended one part of the debate.
Those who still have questions about this research, or who are seeking more perspective on its moral, ethical and societal implications, are invited to a forum on the topic Wednesday (Aug. 29) at the University of Illinois.
The free, public forum will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Smith Memorial Hall, 805 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana.
"We want this to be as interactive and as informal as possible," said Masumi Iriye, assistant director of the Center for Advanced Study, the event sponsor. The forum is the first in what is hoped will be a series on critical issues of current public concern, Iriye said.
Among the participants will be six professors from a range of disciplines and perspectives: Chip Burkhardt, history; Ira Carmen, political science; Harris Lewin, animal sciences; Larry Schook, animal sciences; Brad Schwartz, medical college; and Joe Thulin, veterinary clinical medicine. Others may be added to the program.
The forum will open with several of the faculty members making brief statements, raising some of the issues and concerns related to stem-cell research. The forum will then be opened to questions from the audience, with the discussion moderated by CAS director Bill Greenough, a professor of psychology.
The forum also is connected with a yearlong CAS initiative, "The New Biology: Issues and Opportunities," which will start this fall with lectures from several prominent experts brought to the campus.
