Editor's Note:

The UNLV College of Liberal Arts presents a fall lecture series. Free and open to the public, these events bring experts from UNLV and across the nation to discuss a range of political, social and cultural issues. Events are subject to change. For more information, call (702) 895-3401 or visit the College of Liberal Arts website.   Marginal Workers: The Politics of Workplace Reform This lecture examines current legislative efforts for labor law, immigration law and equal pay reform that are affected by workers’ political marginality.  When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 5 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speakers: Ruben J. Garcia, professor, UNLV Boyd School of Law The Disneyfication of Brideland: Creating the Ultimate Feminine Fantasy The author of "The Bride Factory" discusses how Disney-themed weddings create an image of weddings, love and marriage as wonderful, idealized and perfect. When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 10 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Erika Engstrom, communication studies professor, UNLV Are Corporations People?  The Supreme Court Case, Citizens United and the Constitutional Rights of Corporations This lecture will reveal how the fascinating history behind Citizens United places corporate personhood in context, and shows where the current reform movement goes wrong. When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 17 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Adam Winkler, professor of law, UCLA Chasing Butterflies: Endemic Butterflies of the Spring Mountain Range, Clark County, Nevada Surrounded on all sides by the Mohave Desert, the Spring Mountains provide the only remaining refuge to a variety of endemic species of butterflies. When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 25 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Daniel Thompson, life sciences professor, UNLV, and Paula Garrett, research scientist, UNLV Public Lands Institute The Journalist as Fiction Writer The speaker, who is the best-selling author of "On Top of the World," will talk about his experiences as a journalist making a transition to writing fiction. He will read from his new collection of short stories, "Stay Up With Me." When: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 3 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Tom Barbash, associate professor, English and creative writing, California College of the Arts, San Francisco The Amazing Saga of Albert Einstein’s Brain After his death in 1955, Albert Einstein’s brain was removed from his body (against his earlier wishes), photographed, and dissected. Although bits and pieces of the brain were distributed to a few scientists, most of the materials were lost to science until last year. Learn about the extraordinary saga of Einstein’s brain and surprising findings that scientists have learned from the new materials. When: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 8 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Dean Falk, anthropology professor, Florida State University/Tallahassee How Thirsty Are You?  Quenching the World’s Thirst with Wastewater This presentation explains why wastewater will – and should – be coming to a tap near you.  It will also highlight numerous examples of water reuse projects throughout the world, including one of the largest in Las Vegas. When: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 15 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Daniel Gerrity, assistant professor, civil and environmental engineering and construction, UNLV Silent Films to Silent Springs: The History, Ecology and Stories of the East Mojave Desert This talk will focus on the historic Mojave Trail, the scenic areas of Nevada and California, sacred Native American sites, and ghost towns and untouched natural areas. When: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 23 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: David Lamfrom, California Desert senior program manager, National Parks Conservation Association “Aspects of Duke Ellington” This lecture on Ellington's music will be augmented with audio and video from the lecturer’s personal collection. When: 7 p.m., Oct. 26 Where: Doc Rando Recital Hall, Beam Music Center, UNLV Speaker: Arnold Jay Smith, educator and jazz journalist who has written for the Village Voice and New York Times Interpreting History of U.S. Foreign Relations This talk will examine the changes of America's international standing and how historians have interpreted them. When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 26 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Joseph A. Fry, distinguished professor of history at UNLV Everything About Social Security Benefits This lecture will provide an overview of the Social Security benefit formula to facilitate more informed decision-making about retirement options. When: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5 Where: Barrick Museum Auditorium Speaker: Francine J. Lipman, law professor at UNLV's Boyd School of Law