UMD News

Director of Public Relations:
Susan Beasy Latto, slatto@d.umn.edu
315 Darland Administration Bldg.
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812
(218) 726-8830 Cell: (218) 348-5688
Fax: (218) 726-7413

April 5, 2006

Contact:
Susan Beasy Latto, Director, UMD Public Relations 218 726-8830 slatto@d.umn.edu
Janelle Wilson, Head, UMD Dept. of Sociology/Anthropology 218 726-6364 jwilson2@d.umn.edu
Gary Davis, UMD Dept of Behavioral Sciences, U of M Medical School Duluth 218 726-7144 gdavis1@d.umn.edu

Dennis Brissett Memorial Lecture Series

The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) will present the annual Dennis Brissett Memorial Lecture on April 27 at 3 p.m. in room 142 of the Medical School Duluth on the UMD campus. Featured speaker will be internationally known urban sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, Professor Emeritus, University of West Florida in Pensacola. The title of his lecture is "The Third Place: A Belated Concept".

Professor Oldenburg's focus on the importance of informal public gathering places is captured in his concept of "the third place". The role of "third places" in allowing for sociability and facilitating local democracy is best described in his book, The Great Good Place. Professor Oldenburg is a highly sought consultant to urban planners who are attempting to vitalize their communities.

Ray Oldenburg and Dennis Brissett (for whom the lecture series is named) collaborated on a number of writing projects. Former UMD Behavioral Science Professor Dennis Brissett died in August 1996 at the age of 56.