Lineup Announced for 2010 "More Than the Score" Pre-Game Lecture Series

August 6, 2010 — Before the University of Virginia's football team takes the field for games at Scott Stadium this fall, some of U.Va.'s top minds will take the stage at Alumni Hall for "More Than the Score" pre-game talks.

The talks, which begin at 10 a.m. on home football Saturdays, are free and open to all, but seating is limited, so registration is strongly encouraged. Register online here.

Listen to the UVA Today Radio Show report on this story by Brevy Cannon:



This year's topics include the history of U.Va. football, Virginia wine, Haiti's earthquake recovery, space flight, and the outlook for the U.S. economic recovery. On Oct. 16, politics professor Larry Sabato will share his annual "Crystal Ball" predictions for the November elections.

The U.Va. Office of Engagement's Alumni Education program partners with the U.Va. Alumni Association to offer the "More Than the Score" series.

This year's schedule:

Sept. 4: Wahoowa: History of Virginia Cavalier Football. Speakers: Coy Barefoot, adjunct professor at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, local talk radio host, alumnus and author of "The Corner: A History of Student Life at the University of Virginia"; Kevin Edds, writer and director of the documentary "Wahoowa: The History of Virginia Cavalier Football."

Clips from the documentary will accompany a discussion of the 140-year history of U.Va. football – how the players, students, coaches and administration played a role in the development of the game and had an impact on the college football world.

Sept. 25: Haiti: The People, Politics and Plans for the Future. Speakers: Dr. Rebecca Dillingham, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases; Robert Fatton, associate dean in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and Julia A. Cooper Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs

The world watched Haiti collapse as a result of the tragic earthquake in January. No longer in the headlines, how have the Haitians moved on? Fatton, a native of Haiti, will discuss his homeland's history. Having provided medical care for many Haitians, Dillingham will give a firsthand account of the medical conditions before and after the earthquake.

Oct. 2: Space Flight: An Astronaut's Historical Perspective. Speaker: Kathy Thornton, former astronaut, associate dean at the School of Engineering and Applied Science and professor in the Department of Science, Technology and Society

More than 50 years into the Space Age, we are still just beginning to explore the solar system. Why do we go to space? What can we learn? Thornton, a veteran of four space shuttle missions who was recently inducted into the NASA Hall of Fame, will describe her experiences in space and share her perspective on the future.

Oct. 16 (Homecomings): Sabato's Crystal Ball. Speaker: Larry Sabato, director of U.Va.'s Center for Politics and Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics

Sabato will discuss the crucial 2010 midterm elections and their potential effects. In 2008, Sabato's nationally watched Crystal Ball website correctly predicted the outcomes of 95 percent of the 2008 Senate and House races, and came within one electoral vote of the final tally in the presidential contest. Five months after the votes were counted, he published a comprehensive look at the 2008 election in his most recent book, "The Year of Obama."

Oct. 23: Do We Know What Makes Us Happy? Speaker: Tim Wilson, Sherrell J. Aston Professor of Psychology

What is the No. 1 predictor of happiness? Does money make us happy? Are there things we can do to become happier? What is happiness, anyway? Wilson will share current research on these questions and more.

Oct. 30: Another Credit Crisis ... Is it a Double Dip? Speaker: Edwin Burton, professor of economics.

Since the summer of 2007, credit markets have hovered on the brink of collapse. Across the globe financial markets seemed to be on the mend by early 2010 and then … the Greek government restated their fiscal outlook and the sovereign credit crisis began. How will things play out in the Eurozone? Burton will assess whether the U.S. will face a double-dip recession in 2011.

Nov. 13: Virginia Wine: Past, Present and Future. Speaker: Chad Zakaib, general manager of Thomas Jefferson Vineyards and 1994 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences.

With historical photos and a timeline, Zakaib will lay out the evolution of wine in Virginia, from the Act of 1612 to the present day and the wines that have made Virginia the seventh-largest wine producing state in the nation.

— By Brevy Cannon

Media Contact