2023 LUNCHEON SPEAKERS
November 15, 2023
Linda Riebel, Ph.D.: Why Love Opera? An invitation
Linda Riebel, Ph.D., is the author of the book Irene Dalis: Diva, Impresaria, Legend and of the article on opera in the Encyclopedia of Creativity (3rd edition). She has been a member of the Friends of Opera San Jose since its founding in 2014 and served as its president for two years. A retired psychologist and adjunct professor, she played the harp professionally for 13 years and has given lectures on opera and Shakespeare.
This talk is Linda’s way of introducing this splendid art form to newcomers, and to those who are not technically “newbies” but who want to deepen their understanding of opera. She will briefly define opera, share some music, explain why to love opera, describe the different kinds of opera music and end up with easy steps for getting started as an opera admirer. The event will include a rich array of musical selections from opera comedies and tragedies recorded by the greatest singers of our era.
October 18, 2023
J. Campbell Scott
Climate Change: How do we know it is us?
In 1824 a French scientist and expert in heat flow concluded that the earth is much warmer than he expected. He suggested that there is something in the atmosphere that slows its rate of cooling, but he didn’t know what it might be. By the end of the 19th century the “something” had been identified as carbon dioxide and the relevant science was known well enough to allow a Swedish scientist to calculate the warming that it causes.
This talk will highlight the scientists who solved the mystery, presenting their contributions in lay terms. The story continues, the heroes who gathered clues to support the prosecution and the villains supporting the defense who sought to spread doubt and confusion.
J. Campbell Scott is a retired research scientist and educator. After retiring he was trained by former Vice President Al Gore and his team at the Climate Reality Project (CRP). He is a member of Silicon Valley Chapter of CRP where he serves as director of the Speakers’ Bureau with the role of educating the public about issues relating to climate change.
Campbell received his BSc in physics from St. Andrews University in Scotland and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught physics at Cornell University before joining the IBM San Jose Research Laboratory (now IBM Research, Almaden). Dr. Scott has published more than 170 scientific papers and holds over 20 patents. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
September 13, 2023
Supervisor Joe Simitian:
Bridging the Divide
Supervisor Joe Simitian will share his thoughts, based on his own experiences, on why he believes there is a way to push through and past our current political & cultural polarization.
Simitian represents the Fifth District which includes Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, portions of San Jose and unincorporated communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2012 and reelected in 2016 and 2020. He previously served in the California State Senate and State Assembly. Stay up to date on news and events happening in District Five by signing up for Supervisor Simitian’s monthly newsletter: https://district5.sccgov.org/newsletter
August 16, 2023
Mark Cary: An American Volunteer in Ukraine
Mark Cary grew up in Pacifc Grove California and graduated from Stevenson School in 1985. He joined the Marine Corps and served in the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington DC, and as an infantry squad leader with the 6th Marine Regiment.
In 1993, he graduated from James Madison University in Virginia with a degree in political science and economics, with an emphasis on Soviet and Eastern European Studies. He joined the U. S. Border Patrol in 1994 and went on to serve on an intelligence team, and later commanded a special operations unit. He also served as the congressional liaison, and did a year on an officer exchange program with the US Coast Guard.
Mark retired in 2017 and started a small business teaching self-defense and firearms fundamentals. Mark has made five trips to Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. He works as an independent volunteer with a variety of humanitarian organizations and military units. In today’s presentation Mark Cary will discuss the current state of affairs in the Russo-Ukraine war, and his experiences during his five trips there since the war began.