CHICAGO 2023 CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND VIDEOS
The conference began May 25 at the David Rubenstein Forum with an evening reception in honor of Genna Wangsness’ work on a history of Peace Corps Volunteers in Iran.
Sessions were held in the David Rubenstein Forum and at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. (The Oriental Institute has changed its name to The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures.)
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Conference Overview
Thursday, May 25
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Registration begins in the lobby of the David Rubenstein Forum.
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Reception in honor of Genna Wangsness, author of Land Between Two Waters, a history of the Peace Corps in Iran. If you would like to order a signed copy, you can get the form by clicking here.
Evening -- Dinner on your own with friends old and new. Evenings are a good time to organize reunions. Please refer to Ken Opin's list of restaurants in the right panel.
Friday, May 26
7:30 AM - Continental Breakfast at the Forum, second floor
8:30 AM - Welcome
* Jeanette Gottlieb, PCIA President presiding
* Welcome to the University of Chicago by Ahmed El Shamsy
* To view the video, click here.
* Hossein Mahallati and Abbas Motlagh - PC Iran Film Preview, no video available.
9:30 AM - Morning Break
10:00 AM - Opening Plenary Session: Understanding Iran Today
* Paul Barker - Moderator - PCIA Board Member and Editor of Advocacy Bulletin
* Benham Ben Taleblu - Senior fellow at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
* John Limbert - Ambassador
* Assal Rad - Researcher and author on modern Iran
* To view the video, click here.
11:15 AM - Box Lunch and walk to the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (Oriental Institute)
1:00 PM - Presentations at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures and time to browse the museum exhibits. (Be sure to wear your name tag!)
* Mehrnoush Soroush - Assistant Professor, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, U of Chicago
* To view the video, click here.
* Kirsten Neuman - Curator, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (Oriental Museum)
* To view the video about Persepolis she presented in 2022, click here.
* Photos taken during the excavation of Persepolis by the IASC can be explored by clicking here. An ISAC publication featuring photos and discussion of flights over Iran can be downloaded by clicking here.
Evening -- Dinner on your own with friends old and new. Evenings are a good time to organize reunions. Please refer to Ken Opin's list of restaurants in the right panel.
Saturday, May 27
7:30 AM - Continental Breakfast at the Forum, second floor
8:30 AM - Panel: Peace Corps in Iran: The Persian Perspective'
* Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi - Moderator, California State University, Fullerton
* Vida Bourbour - Trainer
* Ali Fakharzadeh - Trainer
* Parvaneh Limbert - Trainer
* Mostafa Rahbar - Trainer
* Tagi Sagafi-Nejad - Trainer
* Hossein Aghai - Trainer
* To view the video, click here.
10:00 AM - Morning Break
10:30 AM - Panel: Using Arts and Literature to Enhance Cultural Understanding
* Kerry Segel - Moderator
* Cameron Cross - Professor of Persian Literature, University of Michigan
* Paul Sprachman - Professor emeritus, Rutgers University
* Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi - Professor of Persian, University of Chicago
* Narimon Safavi - Commentator on WBEZ, Chicago's NPR station, and much more
* To view the video, click here.
12:00 PM - Buffet Lunch
1:00 PM - Panel: Leaving Something of Value Behind
* Richard Eaton - Moderator - Professor of History, University of Arizona
* Eben Naby Frye - Assyrian-Iranian cultural historian
* Barbara Bowman - Early education expert and advocate
* To view the video, click here.
2:30 PM - Afternoon Break
3:00 PM - Panel: The Future of PCIA: Ensuring our Legacy
* Results of the PCIA Future Task Force - Bill Brandon and Charles Kaminski -
Moderators - Members of PCIA Board of Directors
* To download the executive summary, click here.
* To view the video, click here.
4:30 PM - Conference Wrap-Up
TO VIEW SNAPSHOTS TAKEN DURING THE CONFERENCE, CLICK HERE.
5:00 PM - Adjournment
Evening -- Dinner on your own with friends old and new. Evenings are a good time to organize reunions. Please refer to Ken Opin's list of restaurants in the right panel.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY - Be sure to check out the exhibit tables.
* Genna Wansness will sign copies of her book
* Review the lists of volunteers and trainers
* John Krauskopf will disply his collection of books by PCIA authors
* Mary Marks will have sample copies of her book
* Remember those who have passed as listed in the Memorial Book
* Peter Deekle will exhibit information about the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience
* Mazda Publishers will display books by PCIA authors
* Learn about the Peace Corps Commemorative Park
* One table will feature a book exchange
* And likely more!
Sunday, May 28
Explore cultural sites in Chicago such as the nearby Museum of Science and Industry, the Robie House, the Field Museum, or the Art Institute of Chicago. See Ken Opin's list of Chicago attractions on the right.
You may want to visit the Bahai Temple in Wilmette.
Useful Information
For Ken Opin's list of local restaurants, Click Here.
For Ken Opin's list of Chicago activities, Click Here.
To make a reservation at The Study at group rates, Click Here.
Explore the University of Chicago by clicking Here.
The Rockefeller Chapel is across 60th Street from the Rubenstein Forum. For more information, click Here.