Polk State’s Back On Campus Begins March 11, Open to Public

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

Polk State College’s doors are always open — but especially so during its annual Back On Campus Lecture Series.

For more than 10 years, the College has hosted Back On Campus, a free event that is open to the public. During Back on Campus, members of Polk State’s faculty and staff, as well as guest lecturers from the community, share insight into their areas of expertise and interest.

“This is an opportunity for members of the public to broaden their knowledge in many different areas, and to learn about things they might never know anything about,” said Sharon Bevis, Polk State’s cultural events coordinator.

This year’s slate of lectures is indeed broad, from yoga to oceanography.

To register for Back On Campus, contact Bevis at 863.297.1050 or sbevis@polk.edu. Registration is also available at the door.

All Back on Campus sessions take place in room WST 126 at Polk State Winter Haven, 999 Ave. H N.E.

This year’s Back On Campus schedule, includes:

Monday, March 11

  • 12:45 p.m.: Welcome, Lynn Wilson, Director of Financial Affairs, Polk State College Foundation
  • 1 to 2 p.m.: Polk State — Watch Us Grow, Polk State Winter Haven Provost Sharon Miller
  • 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: Game Over — Gamification, book review by Cheri Douglas, who has previously reviewed books for the Winter Haven Public Library
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Yoga, Polk State Professor Mary Ann Murdoch

Tuesday, March 12

  • 12:45 p.m.: Welcome, Polk State College Foundation Executive Director Tracy Porter
  • 1 to 2 p.m.: Obesity Problem in Polk County, retired Winter Haven Hospital executive Nat West
  • 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: Green Horizon Land Trust, Executive Director Rachelle Selser
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Oceanography & Climate Change, Todd Thuma, Polk State Instructional Technologist

Wednesday, March 13

  • 12:45 p.m.: Welcome, Lynn Wilson, Director of Financial Affairs, Polk State Foundation
  • 1 to 2 p.m.: The Landings Update, David Dickey, community and economic development director with the City of Winter Haven
  • 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: The Effect on Wildlife from the Channelization of the Kissimmee River Valley, with local artist Tom Freeman
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Pulse of the Market, with financial adviser Tony LoCascio

Thursday, March 14

  • 12:45 p.m.: Welcome, Polk State College Foundation Executive Director Tracy Porter
  • 1 to 2 p.m.: A Mini Jazz Concert, Polk State College Music students
  • 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: Public Education Partnership, Doug Lockwood, lawyer with Peterson & Myers, P.A.
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: How to Plan a Season, with Norman Small, producing director of Theatre Winter Haven

Polk State College, an open-access institution, was established in 1964, and serves more than 20,000 students annually. Its offerings include the Associate in Arts, which is parallel and fully transferrable to the State University System, and the Associate in Science, which is designed to lead directly to the workforce. The College also offers a variety of continuing education and certificate programs. For more information, visit polk.edu.