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Four �԰����� faculty members are taking their expertise on the road to teach “classes without quizzes” on Saturday, April 21 in Washington, D.C., as part of �԰����� on Tour. Professors will discuss communicating in the era of fake news, the destruction and reconstruction of Syria, and how science fiction echoes material from Greek and Roman antiquity.

In addition, two �԰����� alumni who co-founded Rackspace, a global cloud-based hosting company, will present the keynote address “Rackspace Founders: How We Built Cloud Castle.” Danny J. Anderson, president of �԰�����, also will deliver the State-of-the-University address.

"One of the many things I admire about �԰����� graduates is their drive to be lifelong learners," says Anderson. "�԰����� on Tour is a program designed to nourish that desire and deepen connections with the University and one another."

�԰����� on Tour will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, 3800 Reservoir Road NW, in Washington, D.C. The cost is $49 per person. Register online or call 210-999-8404.

Academic sessions comprising the “classes without quizzes” format will feature:

—  Communication professors Jennifer Henderson and Aaron Delwiche co-presenting “Communicating in an Era of Fake News.” They talk about whether there is a difference between biased news and fake news and answer the question of how we can identify real news from “fake” in an era of immediate, 24/7 information.  

—   David Lesch, the Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of History, presenting “The Destruction and Reconstruction of Syria: What Bashar al-Assad has Won and Lost.” Lesch, who came to personally know Assad better than any other Westerner, assesses the Syrian president’s decision-making as well as the prospects for conflict resolution and the reconstruction of a broken nation.

— Benjamin Eldon Stevens, visiting assistant professor of classical studies, presenting “Science Fiction, Fantasy, and the Classics: Exploring Ancient Myths in Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones, and More.” Among the myths he explores are “Wonder Woman” as an Amazonian heroine against Olympian gods and Harry Potter featuring Latin-sounding spells and mythic monsters.

In the keynote address, Dirk Elmendorf ’97 and Pat Condon ’93-'94 will share their entrepreneurial path to building Rackspace, a global cloud computing company founded and headquartered in San Antonio, along with how their �԰����� education prepared them to build a successful enterprise.

�԰�����, one of the nation’s top undergraduate institutions, is known for its challenging and supportive academic environment, personalized attention from outstanding faculty, large school resources, post-graduate preparation, and vibrant campus life. �԰����� encourages students to discover, grow, and become global citizens engaged with the community and the world. An urban oasis in the heart of America’s seventh largest city, the �԰����� campus encompasses 125 acres noted for its red brick buildings, native live oaks, parklike grounds, and sparkling fountains. �԰�����’s 2,506 undergraduate and graduate students come from 48 states and 44 countries. Students choose from 47 majors, 59 minors, and five master’s degrees that integrate conceptual and experiential learning, emphasize undergraduate research, and develop strong leadership skills.