The independently-organized event will give each speaker 18 minutes to present an idea or problem related to their field through the lens of its theme, centers and edges.
Ferris, a Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History, said his talk will focus on sense of place in the American South and how storytelling shaped the region.
“I’m speaking really about the heart of the South being in the story,” Ferris said. “That, if you want to really understand the other person you’re with, you ask them their favorite story. And embedded within that story is who they are — their fears, their loves. And embedded within an institution like the University of North Carolina, there is a story.
“So I’m gonna talk about something very basic to everyone, which are stories that we tell,” Ferris said. “And I’m going to accompany that talk with graphic images of people and places in which I’ve worked. So it’s a very emotional and visual engagement with the South...”
“Everyone is part of some community, of some family. And stories define how we relate to those people in those places,” Ferris said.
Ferris said the backdrop for his speech will be photographs from his upcoming book, The South in Color, that he took during the 50s, 60s and 70s in Mississippi.
Frohlich, a psychiatry professor, said he will talk about his work developing new methods for treating patients with psychiatric illnesses.
