World music and Greek temple architecture will be the topics of upcoming University Forum lectures at UNLV, the first two of the Spring 2004 lectures series.

On Jan. 27, UNLV physics professor George Rhee, along with his colleagues Marie Marceau, Richard Williams, and Toumani Kouiate, will present "A World Musical Journey: From Dublin to Dakar."

During the performance, the group will play traditional Irish and Senegalese music, as well as some original compositions. Instrumentation will consist of guitar, bouzouki, flute, tin whistle, violin, and kora. Each musician will also briefly discuss how his cultural roots inspired a life-long interest in music.

On Feb. 5, Robert Hahn, professor of philosophy at Southern Illinois University, will present "Greek Temple Architecture in the Origins of Philosophy."

During this slide-illustrated presentation, Hahn will use archeological evidence to examine the connection between the temple construction in ancient Greece and early cosmology. He will also discuss the role that religion played in the origins of science and philosophy.

Both lectures will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by UNLV's College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by The Jerry Kalafatis Lodge Charitable Foundation and the UNLV Foundation.