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Speaker: Aram Hessami, Ph.D.
Language: Farsi

Synopsis:

In this presentation, Dr. Hessami will discuss two basic questions regarding the presidential elections in the United States:
1- How do we choose our presidents here in America?
2-Why  do we choose him/her this way?

No other country in the world chooses their head of government the way Americans do. This system is known as the Electoral College. Dr. Hessami will first discuss this electoral process and some of the history behind it. He will then discuss why we do use the simple majority of popular vote for this election. He will critically examine whether or not the Electoral College is democratic and whether or not there is a possibility of changing this system to the popular vote.
He will argue that the Electoral College is quite democratic and that it serves this country better than the alternative of popular vote; in addition, He will argue that the possibility of changing the current system to the simple popular vote is almost none.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Aram Hessami is a professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland. He is a native of Iran and immigrated to the United States in May of 1979. He received his BA, MA, and Doctorate in Political Science & Philosophy from The George Washington University in 1993. Dr. Hessami’s specialization is in Western Political Thought and Post-modern philosophy. His research and publications are focused on Democratic Transition, Discourse Theory and Social Change. He also has numerous published articles ranging from topics such as Iran’s Nuclear Discourse to Globalization and Social Change.  He co-edited Contemporary Social Discourse in Iran. His papers and articles have been published and presented in various colleges and universities including University of Massachusetts, University of Boston, University of South Carolina, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore School of Law, and The George Washington University in topics such as “Power and Control: The Plight of Women in Iran,” “Federalism: The Ultimate Check on Usurpation of Power,” “The Public and the Private Spheres: The Limits of Government,” “Morality, Amorality, and Politics,” “You Can Tweet Your Way to a Revolution, but You Cannot Tweet to Democracy: Lessons From Egypt. Since September 2001, Dr. Hessami has been appearing in various media outlets such as CNN Radio affiliates WRNR, BBC Persian, Voice of America on weekly basis. Dr. Hessami is on the Board of Directors and a vice-president of Iranian Academic & Professional Association. He is also the Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced International Studies in Rockville, Maryland.

For this lecture: light food and refreshment will be provided

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Speaker: Houtan Chaboki, MD
Language: English

Synopsis:

Plastic surgery is both reconstructive and cosmetic, with nasal surgery best demonstrating this spectrum. A deviated septum is a very common condition that can affect the inside and outside of the nose. Rhinoplasty and septoplasty surgery are the most common nasal procedures performed worldwide to improve the function and/or appearance of the nose. The audience will develop a better understanding of nasal anatomy and subsequently the etiology and treatment of nasal obstruction. Photograph and video of nasal surgery will be available.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Houtan Chaboki is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Washington, DC. He is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the world’s largest specialty association that represents over 2,700 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. Dr. Chaboki received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University and his MD from the University of Illinois in Chicago. After completing his residency in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, he served as a facial plastic surgery Fellow. He is currently Assistant Professor of Surgery at George Washington University. He continues to instruct other plastic surgery specialists in both facial plastic surgery fundamentals as well as more specialized techniques. Dr. Chaboki specializes exclusively in surgery of the face, neck, eyes, and nose. His Washington DC cosmetic surgery practice offers facelift and neck lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty, and Botox® injections. Before and after plastic surgery photographs can be seen on his practice website potomacplasticsurgery.com.

Please Note: No Dinner is served, only light refreshment is provided

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Speaker: Azar Etesamypour-King
Language: Farsi

Synopsis:

The field of Psychology has been plagued by the stereotypical viewpoint that the field is devoted to the narrow concern of mental illness in human behavior. Psychology has evolved to encompass larger fields of human behavior and human cognition; even though, Psychology has its origins in the much older fields of physiology and philosophy as well as the study of mental illness. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes which does not just focus on mental illness. The field of Psychology is built on different concepts such as “Unconscious”, or “Relation between Social Behavior and Culture”. Psychology has different fields such as Cognitive Psychology that studies mental processes for example memory, and language. In addition, Neuropsychology is another field that aims to understand how the nervous system relates to specific psychological processes.
Psychologists do not deal solely with mental illness; they have the larger concern of how individuals interact in their environments as they perform everyday activities. Psychologists are also devoted to make people’s lives healthier; therefore they suggest us to laugh more so the natural physiological process of laughter helps relieve physical or emotional stresses we might have.

About the Speaker:

Azar Etesamypour-King, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in Psychology at the Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland. Her education has included a Bachelor degree in Psychology with three majors: Experimental Psychology, Physiology of the Nervous System, and Ethology; a Master degree in Psychology, Cognition, & Communication; a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Rennes II University, France. Additionally, she has a Post Doctorate from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine funded by NIH, toxicology training grant. Her experiences in Iran and in France have included the teaching of Psychology as an Assistant Professor at undergraduate and graduate levels, and working as a clinical psychologist in a private practice (Iran). Her collaboration with two of her colleagues resulted in publishing a textbook in “Multicultural psychology, Reflecting Humanity” in 2013. This textbook has been used as a textbook for the diversity course. She has been presenting in several national and international conferences on topics related to Multicultural Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Behavioral Psychology. She has been doing research in collaboration with one of her colleagues at Isfahan University on various topics. Her interest areas of research are Experimental Psychology (Memory, Learning), Neuropsychology (the effect of neurotoxin on human health) and Multicultural Psychology.

Please Note: No Dinner is served, only light refreshment is provided

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