'Concussion' expert to be Miami University's first Lecture Series speaker

By Jake Stanley

Miami University Journalism Student

The Miami University Lecture Series annnounced Dr. Bennet Omalu and journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas will speak Oct. 3 at Miami’s Hall Auditorium.

Free tickets for the 7:30 p.m. event will be released to students on Wednesday, Sept. 28, with a full public release to follow Sept. 30. If the Miami allotment is exhausted, patrons will have the opportunity to obtain tickets from the auditorium's will call booth.

Dr. Omalu is the forensic pathologist who became the first physician to identify chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its links to repeated concussions in athletes, following the autopsy of Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame center Mike Webster in 2002.

His findings led to changes in the treatment of head trauma in sports, including the implementation of a concussion protocol by the National Football League in 2009.

Laskas, who currently serves as a correspondent for GQ magazine, authored the 2015 book, “Concussion” about Omalu’s efforts to publicize his findings and combat the NFL’s public response. The book was adapted last year into a film of the same name, starring Will Smith as Omalu.

Neither Omalu nor Laskas responded to requests for an interview by Patch.

Addressing Big Problems

The speakers will be involved in multiple events at Miami, including a small group session, press conference, dinner and the lecture.

Sam Morris, a professor of sport philosophy at Miami, says students should be able to get two key takeaways from the lecture.

“[First,] a far greater understanding of the severity and risk of exposing the human brain to repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs),” said Morris. “Also, I hope students get a sense of the courage that is required to be agents of change in the world. Big problems are rarely addressed with simple solutions and they often require a great deal of gumption.”

A Team Effort

The upcoming lecture marks the first of four events for the University Lecture Series in the 2016-17 school year, continuing a program than began back to 1984,

The confirmation of Omalu and Laksas to the schedule occurred considerably later than in previous years, an issue lecture coordinator Patricia Gallagher Newberry attributed to finalizing speakers and contracts.

“I think we were casting about for a sports topic,” said Newberry. “This one came to the table in discussions and the fact that there’s a movie based on a book. That’s how we settled on that topic and this guy.”

(Disclosure: Newberry is a Miami journalism professor and an editor on this Patch site.)

The speakers are selected by a committee consisting of three faculty members, two staff members and six students. The appearance by Omalu was coordinated by a speaking agent, ABD, while Laskas was invited by the university itself.

Looking For A Mix

Newberry said that the series is intended to attract a wide variety of speakers from diverse backgrounds.

“We’re looking for a mix of topics,” said Newberry. “We want a mix of genders. We hope for racial diversity, we hope for topic diversity and we hope for format diversity. It’s a lot of things that we’re aiming to do.”

The four scheduled slots had not been filled as of Sept. 25. The other confirmed lecture will given by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the filmmakers of Netflix’s “Making a Murderer.” They will appear on Monday, Feb. 6 at Hall Auditorium. Two other lecturers will be announced at a later date.

Taking A Stand

As for Omalu, Morris said he is excited for the pathologist’s visit because of the stands he has taken against powerful institutions.

“His contributions as a scientist are unmistakable and brilliant,” said Morris. “Equally impressive, to me, is the moral courage that he has shown throughout his career. His work has proven to be deeply political and disruptive, which is why his courage in the face of powerful political blowback is so impressive to me.”

Photo credit: Miami University Lecture Series poster