Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, '80, Dr. Christian Krokus, Dr. Benjamin Lennertz, and Dr. Francis Waller, '65, are featured speakers during the month of October at Niagara University.

The science of developing healthcare interventions, the life and work of Louis Massignon, the ethical dilemma faced by vegetarians, and pitching new business ideas are the topics that will be featured during Niagara University’s October Speaker Series.

Launching the 2019 series on Thursday, Oct. 10, is Dianne Morrison-Beedy, Ph.D., RN, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, the Centennial professor of nursing and chief talent and global strategy officer at the Ohio State University. The nationally known scholar and a nursing leader, a 1980 graduate of Niagara University’s College of Nursing, will discuss “Moving Research into Practice,” shedding light on the ways healthcare interventions are developed as well as the process of moving those interventions into clinical practice settings.

Dr. Morrison-Beady’s talk is sponsored by the Niagara University Hughes Endowed Lectureship in the Health Sciences, established with an endowment created by the late Dr. John Hughes, an accomplished radiologist who graduated from Niagara University in 1967. The lectureship recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the health sciences or to healthcare, and provides an academic forum to address topics of importance in contemporary healthcare.

The series continues on Thursday, Oct. 17, with the McNulty Lecture, featuring Christian Krokus, Ph.D., an associate professor and chair of the theology and religious studies department at the University of Scranton. Dr. Krokus will speak on the extraordinary life and work of Louis Massignon, the French Catholic scholar of Islam and pioneer of Christian-Muslim understanding.

The McNulty Lecture Series is devoted to questions of faith in the contemporary world, especially the topics of social justice and interreligious dialogue. The series was established by the late Rev. Thomas P. McGourty, C.M., a professor of religious studies at NU, in memory of his late aunt and uncle.

On Thursday, Oct. 24, Benjamin Lennertz, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy at Colgate University, will present the Albert the Great Lecture: “Are Mere Vegetarians (Like Me) Irrational?” which will explore the dilemma that vegetarians who choose not to eat meat for ethical reasons may face if they do not adopt the stronger position of veganism.

The Albert the Great Lecture is presented by the Niagara University philosophy department and named for Albertus Magnus, who is most famous for the influence he had as the instructor of St. Thomas Aquinas, the cornerstone of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

The series wraps up on Wednesday, Oct. 30, with the NUSURF Lecture, presented by the Niagara University Science Undergraduate Research Fellow program. Francis J. Waller, Ph.D., a former senior research associate with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., will discuss “The Pitch: Connecting the Entrepreneur and the Investor.” The 1965 Niagara University graduate has more than 35 years of experience in industry and teaching, and is the author or co-author of 46 U.S. patents.

All presentations take place at 5:15 p.m. at the Castellani Art Museum on the Niagara University campus, and are free and open to the public.