Parsons Lecture: “The Mathematical Heart of Tom Stoppard”
April 2 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The UNC Asheville Department of Mathematics and Statistics is pleased to host the annual Parsons Lecture, featuring Stephen Abbott, professor of mathematics at Middlebury College and author of The Proof Stage: How Theater Reveals the Human Truth of Mathematics.
In this lecture, Abbott examines the work of acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard, whose plays frequently incorporate mathematical concepts to explore questions of truth, logic, and reality. From Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to Arcadia and Leopoldstadt, Stoppard’s work reflects a decades-long fascination with ideas such as probability, infinity, and geometry.
Through discussion and performance excerpts with local actors, the lecture traces Stoppard’s evolving engagement with mathematics, highlighting how abstract concepts can deepen our understanding of human stories. Abbott brings his expertise in both mathematics and its connections to the arts to reveal the creative possibilities at the intersection of these disciplines.
This event is free and open to the public and will take place at 7:00 PM in the Blue Ridge Room of Highsmith Student Union.
About Stephen Abbott
Joe Parsons grew up on a farm in western Tennessee and graduated from high school at 15 in 1931. In order that he might get a teaching certificate, a friend gave Joe enough money to attend his first year of college. He completed his undergraduate work and went on to the University of Tennessee for his graduate degree.
When Joe started at Asheville-Biltmore College (what is now UNC Asheville), he was the entire Math Department, and through much of the 1970’s he was the chair of the department. Other roles he filled at UNC Asheville include Dean of Students and Academic Dean. Joe also helped formulate the current plan of the UNC Asheville campus including the choice for the library to face Mt. Pisgah. The view from the library steps is admired on campus. He also was instrumental in the development of the first 4-year curriculum when UNC Asheville joined the UNC system.
Joe matched his dedication to this institution with his dedication to his students. Joe was known to students at UNC Asheville as a wonderful teacher with a good sense of humor. He personally founded an endowment for student scholarships in mathematics. Even in retirement he could not stay away from the classroom, reading for elementary students at Claxton school here in Asheville. Until his death on Sunday ,September 24, 2006, Joe continued to contribute to education in his community. He will be missed.
In 1998 one of Joe’s former students provided an endowment for the Parsons Lecture series to honor the dedication of this great educator and continue his legacy.
About the Parsons Lecture
In 1998 a Mathematics alumnus from UNC Asheville provided an endowment, in honor of Joe Parsons, to fund this annual lecture series. The goal of the Parsons Lecture is to provide the UNC Asheville community with the ability to attend locally a presentation by a nationally renowned mathematician speaking on a topic accessible to the general audience. Speakers for the lecture series are invited to present a lecture not just because of their renown as mathematicians, but also for their skills as educators and orators. The endowment is used to fund travel and other expenses incurred by the speaker and department. Find information on the Parsons scholarship here.
Accessibility
UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, please contact Heather L. Lindkvist, assistant vice chancellor for institutional integrity and access, hlindkvi@unca.edu or 828.232.5658.
Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs. All requests must be made ten business days prior to the event. We will attempt to implement late requests but cannot guarantee they will be met.
Visitor Parking
All visitors must adhere to the University’s parking policy. Please visit the UNC Asheville Visitor Parking Permit Registration site to acquire a visitor permit to park on campus.
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