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AI is all over the news today, and its short term impacts have not been trivial. Google rolled out an AI product that made a factual error, and its parent company stock price dropped 9%, temporarily wiping out $100B of market value. And there are a myriad of risks beyond factual errors, with a mix of probability and consequences. Much has been made of the fact that over 100 million people have tried ChatGPT in its first two months of public exposure. And that's just one product, in one branch, of a range of new products called Generative Artificial Intelligence!

So, is it time to crawl under a rock? Will some machine come looking for me one day soon, because I disrespected the potential of AI systems? What are the newly arriving benefits or risks of these technologies? What frameworks can we use, as business and society leaders, to think through the coming tradeoffs? We'll talk about work, jobs, risks, benefits, privacy, security, existential threats, weapons gone rogue, and the like. We'll also talk about regulation, and the proposed 6-month "pause" on new AI development to provide time to get "guardrails" around AI products. And without a doubt, the landscape of what we know and plan for today will be different in August, in June, and likely even tomorrow!

Paul Witman (Ph.D.) is a Professor of Information Technology Management, in California Lutheran University’s School of Management. His research interests include social networking for non-profits, information security, usability, health care information, and electronic banking and finance. Prior to joining Cal Lutheran, Dr. Witman served as Director of Integration Engineering for Digital Insight Corp. and as Director of Global Delivery Systems at Citibank. He earned his Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technology from Claremont Graduate University.

Inspired by the French Art Deco style, the architects and designers of American Art Deco interpreted the style in an exuberant display of stylized geometric and floral elements drawn from sources as varied as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb to innovative modern industrial design. From New York to Los Angeles, the sleek aerodynamic styles of the 1920’s and 1930’s Art Deco era infused modern design with an elegant and sophisticated flair. The course will explore the influential factors and chic forms of Art Deco in architectural design, interior decor, furniture, and decorative objects.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

At the start of the 20th century, the art scene in New York severely lagged its European counterpart. Within forty years’ time, New York had become the center of the art world. The crucial event that kickstarted this shift was the 1913 Armory Show, the most important art exhibit in the history of the United States. More than a quarter of a million Americans visited the show and its 1,300 works by avant-garde artists, before the show traveled on to Chicago and Boston. This two-part lecture will take an in depth look at this unprecedented and revolutionary exhibition that changed art in America.

Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Tomato soup, mashed potatoes. Wall papering over masterpieces. Glued protestors. Museum mayhem. Has warfare come to the corridors of art exhibitions? Why is art the target and is this form of action acceptable? What could justify damage to the world’s cultural heritage? UNESCO Blue Shield Emblems signal the protection of cultural heritage during war. Must we now offer that level of protection to museums?

This lecture will highlight the history of art vandalism and examine the recent surge in incidents. Most importantly, we will identify the organizations and their silent partners funding these actions.


Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Employment law firm LightGabler is presenting a free employment law webinar, “There Must Be Fifty Ways to Leave Your Employee: Handling Employee Terminations.” The webinar is Wednesday, May 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

California is an at-will employment state, and yet it also has the highest number of wrongful termination cases in the nation. Avoiding employee lawsuits (even when they are frivolous) requires that employers effectively and lawfully handle employee terminations.

In this webinar for employers, supervisors and human resource professionals, LightGabler employment law attorney Karen L. Gabler will discuss how to prepare for, execute, and then manage the aftermath of employee terminations.

Reservations are required. Attendance is limited to no more than two logins per company. Login instructions will be provided upon registration and again via email the day prior to the webinar. To register, go to https://www.lightgablerlaw.com/seminars.

For more information about LightGabler, visit www.LightGablerlaw.com or call 805-248-7208.

Ever since French director Gaston Melies shot his 1912 Western short, ‘The Ghost of Suphur Mountain’ in Santa Paula, Ventura County has been a popular destination for filmmakers. In this lecture we will reveal the rich history of Ventura County’s most popular locations including Ahmanson Ranch/Upper Las Virgenes Canyon (which appeared in “Gone With the Wind,” “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Pineapple Express”), Simi Valley (“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Babylon”), Moorpark (“The Clonus Horror,” “The Fabelmans”), Ventura (“Little Miss Sunshine,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator”), Lake Sherwood & Hidden Valley (“North by Northwest,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Seabiscuit”), Oak Park (“Tumbleweeds,” “Of Mice and Men”), Montclef Ridge (“Spartacus,” “Wuthering Heights”) and the county-adjacent city of Westlake Village (“80 for Brady”). Rarely seen photos and film clips will accompany the lectures.

A Southern California native, Harry Medved has served as the PR lead for Fandango, Yahoo!, Warner Bros. Online and the Screen Actors Guild. Prior to creating the “Lost and Found” travel column for the Pasadena Star-News, he co-authored the popular movie books The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, The Golden Turkey Awards and Hollywood Escapes. He lives in the Conejo Valley with his wife Michele and family.

Launched on Christmas morning 2021, and after a 1-million-mile journey and a six-month commissioning process, the Webb Telescope began full operations in the Summer of 2022.

And already the telescope has provided amazing insights and upended the accepted models of the early universe. A review of the JWST, its capabilities, most recent observations and what lies ahead for the flagship space telescope will be discussed.

Christopher Mick is the Education and Outreach Director for the STEAM educational nonprofit, Space St. Croix. Space St. Croix’s mission, Connecting Kids to the Cosmos, brings Space-themed STEAM programming and teacher support materials to all Hudson, WI. area public, private, and home school students.

Christopher is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, Space Station Ambassador with the ISS National Lab, member of the NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance, and an Aerospace Education Member with the Civil Air Patrol. He is a blogger for the Space Science Institute, through their StarNet Library website, and recently served on the Education Advisory Board for Infiniscope (2019). Christopher was named an International Teacher Liaison in 2022 by the Space Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was a judge for the National Space Society’s, Space Settlement Contest and the NASA Space Apps Challenge – Brescia, Italy.

He lives and works in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Are humans wired to leave their trace? Wondering who was the first human to leave a message on a wall? Join in as we follow the trail of the history of street art around the globe from ancient times to today.

In our trek we will search for the meaning behind messages, some hidden, some blatant. We will investigate how street art went from being viewed as property damage and vandalism to marketable art. Street Art has provided artists and civilians with a means to communicate and create a bridge that not only encompasses but merges with public art and public opinion. Who are these Wall Warriors? Come along.

Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

During the past 14000 years, the human brain has evolved to adapt to our environment and each other. Unfortunately, violence among humans has not been a stranger to our communities – but a particular kind of violence has fascinated us for centuries. Despite making up less than 1% of human beings across the globe, serial killers have fascinated humankind as far back as the 1600s. That fascination has only grown in modern times, as is evidenced in popular media and through the rapid growth of true crime podcasts.

Much of true crime media is spent focusing on “pop” sociological, psychological and biographical reasons as to why otherwise seemingly “ordinary” people become serials killers and social deviants, committing heinous and nightmarish acts such as the acts of Dennis Raider (the BTK Killer) or Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker). What is less discussed and understood are the neurological components behind this grim reality. Nature and genetics are thought to reign supreme when it comes to our behavior, but upbringing and nurture seem to have just as much of an impact. Discover what we do know about how the three pounds of tissue we call the human brain dictate’s behavior, whether someone is a non-violent human being or a brutal serial murderer.

Wesley Tierney is currently a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Arizona State University. He studies the mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus infection of neurons. He has worked in various research labs for seven years ranging from social psychology, entomology, regenerative medicine, virology, and neuroscience.

“The Last of Us” is a popular video game that has now been developed into a popular show on HBO (Max). The premise of the show and video game is of a fungi-driven pandemic. Fungi infected "zombies" terrorize a post-apocalyptic world, people are infected through bites from infected individuals and infected individuals appear to be controlled by the fungus. How much of this is fact, fiction, is there room for both? This lecture will answer some of these questions and give you the foundation to answer these questions for others.


Dr. Paloma Vargas (she/they/ella) is the Dean of Mathematics, Science, Health Education, Kinesiology and Athletics at Oxnard College, a 2-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In her capacity as Dean, Dr. Vargas works with administration, faculty, and staff to determine best practices in serving diverse student populations. She often serves as a facilitator and trainer for faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions in centering equity with a particular focus on inclusivity in STEM and is an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and President of the Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institute Educators (AHSIE).

Dr. Vargas previously served as a biology faculty member, researcher, HSI Director, Science Coordinator and STEM Advisor at private and public institutions. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (HSIs), and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Medical and Molecular Parasitology from The Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at New York University. Her graduate and post-doctoral work focused on host-pathogen interactions of both parasitic amoeba (E. histolytica) and Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire’s Disease.