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Dr. Hal Abelson to deliver Phi Beta Kappa lecture and talk at Falvey Library Forum
Irene Burgo

Phi Beta Kappa Lecture

The Villanova Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa will present Dr. Hal Abelson, a participant in the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program for 2003-4, will deliver a talk titled “Universities, the Internet, and the Intellectual Commons” on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. Abelson is a professor of electrical and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

His talk will describe the initiatives underway at MIT, in the larger academic community and through the Creative Commons Project, designed to promote unfettered sharing of intellectual resources referred to as the “intellectual commons.” The term encompasses that shared wellspring of ideas and innovation, the source of continuing progress in the arts and sciences, from which all may freely draw.

Abelson is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a winner of its Booth Education Award for his contributions to the teaching of undergraduate computer science. His research at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory focuses on “amorphous computing,” an effort to create programming technologies that can harness the power of the new computing substrates emerging from advances in micro fabrication and molecular biology.

Falvey Library Forum

On Nov. 4 at 3 p.m., Abelson also will deliver a talk titled “On the Intellectual Commons” for the Falvey Memorial Library Forum. A reception will follow. For more information, call Joseph Lucia at 94290.

Informal discussions

Abelson will be available for informal consultation with individual faculty and students throughout the day on Nov. 3.

In addition, Abelson will offer two informal discussions on Nov. 3 in Mendel Hall, Room 154. At 10 a.m., he will visit the CSC 1020 class to deliver an informal presentation on amorphous computing. At 7:30 p.m., he will discuss cryptography. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. William Fleischman at 94819.