Calendar highlights

Author Guterson speaks at Chancellor’s Convocation
David Guterson, author of the bestsellers “Snow Falling on Cedars” and “East of the Mountains,” will present the Chancellor’s Convocation at the Kohl Center Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m.

Hosted by Chancellor David Ward, the event is an official welcome to the university for new students, though all students, faculty, staff and the general public are invited to attend without charge. No tickets are required.

In his address, Guterson will talk about community and values such as justice, and he also will share his insights on how a novel is turned into a movie.

Guterson’s appearance is sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office and the Dean of Students and is made possible by a generous gift from the UW Credit Union.

Conference brings together world experts on food culture
Internationally known chefs, food producers, writers and scientists will gather Friday, Sept. 8, to focus on the cultural importance of food and about questions concerning genetically modified organisms.

The conference, entitled “Taste, Technology and “Terroir’: A Transatlantic Dialogue on Food as Culture,” will be held 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Fluno Center, 601 University Ave.

The conference aims to explore the social and cultural contexts of “terroir,” the idea of food as culture, and to examine the ways in which food, science and politics come together in issues such as the advent of genetically modified food. Speakers include American chef Charlie Trotter; Robb Walsh, culinary essayist for National Public Radio and “Natural History” magazine; Harriet Welty Rochefort, author of “French Toast,” an irreverent examination of French and American cultural differences; and José Bové, a French sheep farmer and leader of the radical farmers’ union, the Peasants Confederation (Confédération Paysanne).

The conference is sponsored by the International Institute and three member programs. The conference is free; advance registration is encouraged.

Information: 262-5590.

Or visit: http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/eucenter/Conferences/index.htm