On Mar. 30, WCU will host John Wright, a nationally recognized criminologist from the University of Cincinnati, for a lecture on the role of biology and life experiences on criminal behavior.
The event will take place at 7:00 pm in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University and is part of the Visiting Scholars Series. Wright is the associate professor of criminal justice and a senior fellow in the Artlitt Child and Family Development Research Center at Cincinnati and will share recent findings linking human biology to criminal behavior and violence. The lecture, titled “Who Is Winning the Nature/Nurture War? Insights from the Study of Violence,” will examine the nature/nurture debate with regards to modern biological advancements.
“The age-old argument about ‘nature’ versus ‘nature’ is one of considerable controversy and deep academic debate,” said Stephen Brown, head of WCU’s department of criminology and criminal justice. “Professor Wright will explain how advances in science and technology have made it possible for us to gain a deeper understanding of brain function and the role of individual genetic coding in guiding human actions. He argues that recent research indicates that ‘nature’ is far more important than we first thought.”
The March 30 presentation is open to the public and free of charge. The event will be of special interest to educators, public health officials, intervention specialists and others who work with at-risk children and adults. A Q&A session will immediately follow the presentation.
In addition to the public lecture, Wright also will conduct a seminar for faculty from criminology and criminal justice, social work, and health and human sciences, and will make numerous presentations to classes.
For more information, contact Brown at (828) 227-2174.
