Eloquence and Eminence
Annual Emeritus Faculty Lecture Series
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Institute on Aging hosts this award-winning series of lectures by retired University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty known for their teaching excellence and scholarship. The series, initiated in 1993 by Dr. Emily Auerbach, is targeted to members of the community of all ages. The talks are free and open to the public.
Attend the Upcoming Lecture!
Understanding Place: How Literature, Geography, Culture & Walking Around Made Me a Better Doctor
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Pyle Center | 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI
Talk by John J. Frey, M.D.
Emeritus Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW–Madison
I learned early that the context of my patients’ lives went beyond their immediate social structure and included work, schools, neighborhoods, and local history. Long-term relationships are the heart of family medicine; each is a story. Good physicians learn from those stories. But I have also benefitted from reading literature, attending community meetings, and learning from colleagues in the social sciences & humanities. Spending time driving around and walking in neighborhoods where my patients live and work helped solidify what “community” means. Spending time on the “blue highways” where I lived has, I feel, made me a better doctor.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by September 4th, 2026. Walk-ins are accepted as space allows.
To request special accommodations, please contact Jenni.Suplinski@wisc.edu by September 4th.
Parking information: Parking at Pyle Center
Recent Lectures
The following digital content is archived and only some of it is accessible. To request an accessible version or a reasonable accommodation due to disability, please email aging@ssc.wisc.edu.
29th Annual Emeritus Faculty Lecture Series: Eloquence & Eminence
Spring 2026: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The Economic and Social Status of the Elderly: Beware of the Mean
Talk by Timothy M. (Tim) Smeeding, Ph.D.
Lee Rainwater Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs and Economics, Hilldale Professor Emeritus, La Follette School of Public Affairs, UW–Madison
The goal of this lecture is to convey an important piece of advice. Never begin a sentence with ‘The elderly are…,’ or ‘The elderly do…’ No matter what you are discussing, some are, and some are not; some do, and some do not. The most important characteristic of the aged is their diversity. The average can be very deceptive, because it ignores the tremendous dispersion around it. Bottom line: beware of the mean. This lecture will discuss how this realization, which applies across all domains of aging inquiry, changes and challenges our science, as well as policy, and practice.
Talk Recording: Watch the lecture
28th Annual Emeritus Faculty Lecture Series: Eloquence & Eminence
Fall 2025: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
House Calls to Health Systems: Reflections from 45 years as a Family Physician
Talk by Valerie J. Gilchrist, M.D.
Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW–Madison
I have had the privilege of listening and learning from patients as a family physician for over 45 years – from delivering babies to attending funerals, as my patients have aged with me. I will share some of my learning and how the practice of medicine has changed, or not, over my career. I will discuss the formidable challenges currently facing health care in the US and those for family medicine and primary care specifically, finishing with potential strategies for the future.
Talk Recording: Watch the lecture
Spring 2025: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
35 Years of Struggling to Understand Family Change and the Effects of Family Policy
Talk by Daniel R. Meyer, Ph.D.
PhD in Social Welfare, UW–Madison; MSW/MBA, Washington University
In this talk, Dr. Meyer will show changes in the structure of families in the US and around the world and describe some of the dilemmas faced by governments in trying to craft family policies that will facilitate the economic well-being of children in contemporary families. He will reflect on things he had to learn on his journey, the limits of our current knowledge base, and what he’s hoping for the future.
Talk Recording: Watch the lecture