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 21, 2008

Contact:
Susan Beasy Latto, Director, UMD Public Relations (218) 726-8830 slatto@d.umn.edu
Janelle L. Wilson, Head, UMD Dept. of Sociology/Anthropology, (218) 726-6364, jwilson2@d.umn.edu
Gary Davis, Sr. Assoc Dean, School of Medicine Duluth (218) 726-7144 gdavis1@d.umn.edu
J Clark Laundergan, Professor, UMD Dept. of Sociology/Anthropology (218) 726-7593 jlaunde3@d.umn.edu

The Dennis Brissett Memorial Lecture Series at UMD will present a lecture by J Clark Laundergan, UMD Professor of Sociology, May 8, at 3 p.m. in the Medical School building, room 142. The title of Professor Laundergan's speech is "Rationality and Happenstance: Life as ---- ."

A reception will follow the presentation in the atrium. The public is cordially invited to attend.

Denny Brissett was a charter faculty member of the School of Medicine at UMD, founding member and first head of the UMD Department of Behavioral Sciences, and sage advisor to many faculty and students until his death in 1996. The lecture series honors his contributions to the School of Medicine, and his often unique perspective on work, life and academic pursuits.

Professor Laundergan's work in the area of addictions was prompted by Dennis Brissett. The two were collaborators on alcoholism/addiction research projects with the Hazelden Foundation during the1970's and 1980's. Most recently, Dr. Laundergan's research has focused on prevalence of gambling addiction and on trends in college student drinking patterns among colleges in Duluth.

The lecture series is sponsored by the School of Medicine Duluth and the UMD Department of Sociology/Anthropology in honor of Dennis Brissett.