Marshall University’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies will present the 2024 Charlotte Schmidlapp Distinguished Lecture in Women’s Studies at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in the Shawkey Dining Room of the Memorial Student Center.
Dr. Rina Bliss is an associate professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. She writes and speaks throughout the country on the personal and social implications of advancements in new genetic sciences.
Bliss is the author of books like “Rethinking Intelligence: A Radical New Understanding of Our Human Potential,” which will be featured during her presentation. She’s also the author of “Social by Nature: The Promise and Peril of Sociogenomics,” “Race Decoded: The Genomic Fight to Social Justice,” and “What’s Real About Race: Untangling Genetics, Science and Society.”
“Dr. Bliss got on my radar thanks to my friendship with Kristin Steele, Marshall alumna and founder of Best Make Do creative solutions, which handles Rina’s social media and other facets of her growing career,” said Dr. Hilary Brewster, Director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. “It’s amazing what West Virginia connections can do.”
In “Rethinking Intelligence,” Bliss shares a unique look at epigenetics that aims to help the audience control their environment and open their minds.
“Bliss’s research has contributed immensely to the ever-growing field of genetics and challenges many long- held beliefs about what it means to be “smart,” especially along bio-social lines, like race and gender,” Brewster said. “This all sounds so incredibly complex, but the purpose of Dr. Bliss’s talk, and the Schmidlapp event in general, is to convey complex ideas in a way that leaves the audience not only understanding the concepts, but wanting to learn and read more.”
For more information, contact Brewster at brewsterh@marshall.edu. The event is free and open to the public. A reception and book signing will follow.