The Zeta of NC Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, together with the University Honors Program and Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, hosted the campus visit on 30-31 October 2023 of PBK Visiting Scholar Donald S. Lopez, Jr., the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies and the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan.
Professor Lopez delivered two public lectures as part of the University Honors Program Forum series. His Monday, October 30th lecture on “Buddhism & Science” was attended by 164 students and approximately 15 faculty and staff members. The Tuesday, October 31st lecture on “History and the Buddha” was attended by 180 students and approximately 20 faculty and staff members. In addition, Dr. Lopez visited REL 210 “Religious Traditions of the World” (Instructor: Dr. Jason Staples), discussing the diverse interactions of Buddhism and Christianity with 45 undergraduate students in the course. He participated in a lunch discussion with 14 University Honors Program students, joined two Religious Studies faculty members for dinner, and started his visit by having lunch with a group that included Dr. Brian Peters (chapter secretary), Dr. Janice Odom (Director of the Caldwell Fellows Program), and Mr. Ken Johnson, (Associate Director of the University Honors Program).