First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

  605 Morewood Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2999
  412-621-8008

SUNDAY FORUM

Forum is the Sunday Service weekly lecture/discussion forum in the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh in Shadyside.

Forum considers the broad weft and warp of topics that engage our heads and our hearts. Our speakers are often from local universities, organizations, church members, or government institutions. The format is a short presentation (20 to 40 minutes) followed by a vigorous discussion for another half hour. We usually have an audience of about 20 to 40 people. There is a digital projector and screen for PowerPoint and video presentations. Forum is open to all and is coordinated by Michael Lotze [lotzemt@upmc.edu] and a committee of interested individuals including Ernesto Aravena, Barry Farkas, Roy Frye, Joan Harvey, Ali Masalehdan, Audrey Geer Masalehdan, Kathleen Parker, Suzanne Powell, and Jane Steranko. Ralph Gurley serves as our Treasurer and Cinematographer.

Past Forums are available on loan in the 1st Church Library for viewing at other times. We have instituted a Program to allow our speakers to present their material uninterrupted except for clarification until the question and answer period.

March 7. Stem Cells: Where we come from. Joseph Glorioso, PhD. Hosted by Michael Lotze.

Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till in the 1960s.The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells that are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues. Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies.

Dr. Joseph Glorioso is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. However, in addition to his responsibilities within the School of Medicine, he is also an active research investigator. Recently, he has been featured in several publications for his work surrounding the herpes simplex virus (HSV). More specifically, Dr. Glorioso is currently researching the natural history of the virus, which involves repeated cycles of recurrent infection initiated by endogenous latent virus residing in the peripheral nervous system. Broadly, the overall aims of Dr. Glorioso and his research team are: to achieve a greater understanding of the genetic basis of latency and neurovirulence; to precisely define viral envelope glycoprotein-receptor interactions that occur during virus attachment and entry and devise strategies for retargeting virus infection through recognition of novel receptors;
to develop HSV as a gene transfer vector suitable for treatment of nervous system diseases such as cancer (e.g. glioblasoma), neurodegenerative conditions (e.g. diabetic neuropathy), auto-immune brain disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis) and a variety of types of pain, in some instances targeting the stem cell.

March 14. “Jambo!” in the Land of Obama: Teaching in Kenya. Taryn Belmont, MA. Hosted by Ali and Audrey Masalehdan.

Taryn Belmont and Christina Shin met i n the fall of 2005, in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, where they immediately became close friends. Taryn was working as an English instructor with the Berlitz International Language School and Christina was working as a teaching assistant at the satellite campus of Carnegie Mellon University. While there, they had a two-week break during the Muslim Holiday, Ramadan. It was during this time off that they were able to make their first trip to Kenya, a place that both had always dreamed of visiting. One of the most shocking realities they faced during their trip was the many children supporting themselves on the streets. It was heart-wrenching to see children as young as 5 years old, begging for money and carrying their younger infant siblings with them. They could see the desperation in their faces and right away, knew that they had to come back as soon as possible. Joining the Institute for Field Research Expeditions (IFRE), they were able to be placed in an assignment together; at an orphanage where they would be able to work with children. King’s Kids Village is an AIDS-related Group Home Orphanage, where children are growing up in a loving and caring environment. The orphanage was started by a woman named Mama Eleanor Stern in 2002 at the age of 75 years old. There are currently 35 children living at King’s Kids Village.

The home cares for the children by taking them to the best hospitals and clinics as well as providing a well-balanced diet. The kids also go to school, where they are learning many subjects, including English. The home has a vision of constructing a new, larger, educational facility since the present, temporary structure is being out-grown and also eaten by termites. Walking to the orphanage in the morning, coming home in the evening, sitting on a crowded matatu, or bustling through downtown Nairobi, everyone they passed greeted them. They say “Sasa! Poa! Jambo! Karibu (welcome)! Hi Hi!” and either their hands or hugged them or gave them a high-five (their second favorite American tradition after Obama). Sometimes they just looked at them and shouted “Obama!” with a triumphant fist in the air.

Taryn completed Carlow University's MS in Professional Leadership Program. She is on the Board of Directors of Friends of WFP, a U.S.-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on building support in the United States for the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and other hunger relief operations. Friends of WFP unites organizations and individuals committed to solving world hunger. Their education, advocacy and fundraising efforts in the United States support WFP’s life-saving global food assistance and development programs. She teaches in First Church’s RE Program.

March 21. Persian Perspectives: Iran at a Crossroads Following Ashura. Ali Masalehdan, PhD. Hosted by Joan Harvey.

The desecration of Ashura rituals in December in Iran has given rise to widespread condemnations and judicial bodies have been urged to seriously deal with the culprits. On the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura, which is a mourning day to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), some protesters staged riots in Tehran. The protesters chanted anti-government slogans and set fires down the streets. Police clashed with protesters and managed to quell the situation by using batons, tear gas and warning shots. Iran accused Western countries of inciting the biggest opposition protests in six months, and said it’s summoning the U.K. ambassador to denounce the interference.

At least eight opposition supporters were killed in clashes with security forces in Tehran and other cities on Dec. 26, state media said. It was the worst violence since mass demonstrations in the aftermath of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed June re-election. The renewed unrest comes as the U.S. and its allies step up pressure on Iran to prove it’s not seeking to build nuclear weapons. President Barack Obama’s administration and European Union leaders condemned the crackdown, and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday said Iranian citizens were showing “great courage.”

Ali Masalehdan and his wife Audrey run an import/export business trading in medical supplies with Iran, have two children who reside in the area and are avid members of First Church. They are vigorous proponents of the arts and find an opportunity to celebrate both the Persian and the Slovenian aspects of their lives.

March 28. Steel Metaphysics: Is God a Ferrous Metallurgist? Roy J. Matway, Ph.D. Hosted by Roy Frye.

Pittsburgh, known as the Steel City and home of the Steelers, has lost most of its steelmaking glow over the past few decades. Where did all of this steelmaking go, if anywhere? What is steel anyway, and how is it different from iron and cast iron? Are we going to keep using it? Why did we learn as children that you need coal and limestone to make steel? Do we still make it this way, and how will we make it in the future (if we need it)? This presentation will answer these burning questions and others (without chemistry or thermodynamics prerequisites), giving consideration to the cosmic sources of iron itself in early galactic history, the chemical composition of the solar system, and other rarely-pondered but astounding facts. Steel yourself to the results!

A native of Pittsburgh and son of a steel worker, Roy obtained his Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon, and subsequently worked at the Max Planck Institute for Iron and Steel Research in Düsseldorf. After returning to Pittsburgh, he has kept himself busy in a variety of steel industry-related jobs and currently works at Allegheny Ludlum in Brackenridge as manager of a process automation group in the melting and casting facility. Roy also serves on the Advisory Board for the Center of Iron and Steelmaking Research at Carnegie Mellon and is a member of First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh.

April 4. Taking Flight: Four Limbs to Launch a Pterosaur. Michael Habib, PhD. [Easter]

April 11. Astrid Kersten B'ahai Diversity

April 18. Michael Zigmond, PhD. The Aging Brain

April 25. We Are Family: Ardi and Me. Ann Gibbons

May 2.

N.B. 3:00pm Special Après Marathon – Growing Up with Clemente, Coming Back to the Marathon. Richard (Pete) Peterson. Hosted (and run) by Michael Lotze. Light Refreshments for Celebration.

Given the difficulty getting to Church on the morning of the Marathon, we have decided to forgo the morning time and spring to 3:00pm where Pete, having run his first marathon will talk about it and his preparation for the Marathon. He is the author of ‘Growing Up With Clemente, A post–World War II memoir of a childhood in working-class Pittsburgh’. Growing Up With Clemente is a personal history of the hardscrabble life of Pittsburgh’s South Side during the city’s post–World War II renaissance. It is also the intimate story of an American boy who played baseball on the city’s dilapidated playgrounds and rooted for his beloved sports teams while growing up and struggling in Pittsburgh’s blue-collar neighborhoods. Though among the worst professional teams in the 1950s, the Pirates and Steelers still inspired the working-class dream of a life beyond the steel mills. And in the midst of it all was the towering, isolated figure of Roberto Clemente. Clemente would eventually become a symbol of pride, loyalty, courage, and sacrifice for a city that had initially rejected him and for a young boy who spent his youth looking for a hero but had to grow up before understanding Clemente’s greatness. With sensitivity and eloquence, Richard Peterson captures a time and place easily overlooked or forgotten but important to understanding the significance of sports in shaping America’s working-class character. Whether discussing race, sex, class, or any of the other larger issues of the world in which he grew up, Peterson conveys an honesty rarely found in memoirs. Growing Up With Clemente is an engaging read, sure to be a hit in both the literature and sports communities. Richard “Pete” Peterson is professor emeritus of English at Southern Illinois University. He is the author of Extra Innings: Writing on Baseball, the editor of both The Pirates Reader and The St. Louis Baseball Reader, and the editor for Kent State University Press’s Writing Sports series. His essays have appeared in the Chicago Tribune and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He lives in Makanda, Illinois.