Connections

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is our guest, he's a Palestinian OB/GYN who lost three daughters and a niece when Israel hit his house with rockets in the 2009 siege of Gaza. Dr. Abuelaish was working in Israeli hospitals, one of the first Palestinians to do so, and had become a symbol for bridging cultural differences. Then he lost his daughters. He has become an advocate for peace and is the author of I Shall Not Hate: A Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity. He lives in Toronto now, and is in Rochester for a Monday night event.

Our monthly science roundtable tackles the growing research into biofuels and biomass; potential for alternative energies; impact on climate change; and more. In studio from the University of Rochester:

• Dr. Shaw Chen
• Dr. David Wu
• Dr. Alex Shestopalov
• Jack Baron
  

Higher education is becoming a major economic driver in many areas, including here in Rochester, where the University of Rochester is now the largest employer (remember when Kodak was?). So what does this mean for economic growth across the country? What roles do higher education institutions play in communities. We discuss this with our guest, Laura Anglin, president of the Independent Commission on Colleges and Universities. 

Divorce rates have declined in Rochester, and if you dig deeper into the stats, you’ll see that men and women are waiting longer to get married. We’ll dig into the stats with Edward McClenathan of Tully Rinckey, PLLC.

Then we talk with Pam Sherman about the next event in the Jewish Book Festival featuring author Gail Sheehy. A former writer for the Democrat & Chronicle, Sheehy has published her memoir, Daring, which goes into her writing career, chronicling the sometimes dangerous situations she face while covering important stories. 

We start the hour talking with WXXI Morning Edition Host Beth Adams, who is also the host of Unleashed: The Pet Show, that airs tomorrow at Noon. We’ll preview the pilot episode and discuss how you can give feedback about the show.

Then we turn our focus to education. The Fairport School District is hosting a forum on education to bring awareness to the changes that have been made in the education curriculum and the effects it has on teachers and students. We’ll dive more into this with two teachers, John Banes from Fairport and Emmy Thevanesan from Spencerport.

Then we tackle the question, “Why Teach?”. That’s the title of a program that Warner School of Education will host on Saturday. Joanne Larson from the Warner School will give us a glimpse of what the program will cover on Saturday.

The job of our guest, Fred Guterl, is to think about all the ways the human race is risking its own future. His book, The Fate of the Species, is a blunt, sometimes horrifying look at our future. From climate change to AI to superbugs to nuclear war, Guterl examines how likely it is that our race will be wiped out. So cheer up! Fred's a University of Rochester graduate who is now the executive editor of Scientific American. He's in town to deliver an address on this subject.

The Oscars of the culinary world are the James Beard Awards, and for the first time, a Rochester chef is nominated in the category of Best Chef Northeast. This is a remarkable achievement; most of the time, Beard winners come from big cities with more recognized dining scenes. We'll talk about the restaurant scene in Rochester, and how our guest, Lento's Art Rogers, helped change the entire approach to presenting food in western New York. 

EstroFest returns for the first time since 2012. The all-female comedy troupe is adding an edge this year: a "truth talk" sketch that might not be as funny, but will aim to address relevant social issues. Does truth work in comedy? What does the Estro team have planned? They're all on the program to tell us:

• Dresden Engle
• Andrea Holland
• Norma Holland
• Allison Roberts
• Freyda Schneider
  

The Community Design Center of Rochester continues its "Reshaping Rochester Series" with a look at "Re-Greening the Living City." But how? They're bringing in Lee Quill to explain. Quill is an architect from Washington, DC who specializes in urban design, master planning, and green space. He was heavily involved in DC's big urban transit-oriented development plan, and is our guest this hour along with Joni Monroe and Roger Brown from tthe center.

Last week, a cardiologist on the show remarked that even though studies show going vegan can help cut childhood obesity, he didn't think that was a realistic option. Is he right? The local vegan society was not pleased with what they heard from the doctor on Connections. This is their rebuttal: it includes a look at nutritional guidelines, as well as new higher end dining options in Rochester. But what about socioeconomics? What about kids in poverty? We'll hit that, too. 

Our guests:

• Pam Hathaway, owner of Vive Bistro and Bakery
• Andrea Parros, owner of The Red Fern 
• Ted Barnett, head of the Rochester Area Vegan Society
• Aaron Frazier, vegan since childhood