Every person has experiences that shape their lives and help them see the world. This was how Dean Thomas V. Wolfe introduced the Spring 1999 Faculty Milestones events. In a range from the profound to the lighthearted, the emphasis is always on experience. The goal is to find the student in everyone. Faculty are known for what they teach, but not always known for what motivates them in their teaching.
Milestones seeks to make that motivation, or 'subtext,' the text.
His talk touched on many important points, ranging from the American civil rights movement to the state of conflict resolution today. He talked of loving his work. He also spoke of being a twin, and how he and his brother pursued parallel paths in the evolving conflict resolution field during the turbulent 1960's. These critical events, along with the importance of Jewish history in his early life, including study of the Holocaust, led to important decisions for him regarding peace issues. During the discussion period, the recent discontinuance of the major Prof. Katz directed at the university for the last 25 years was raised as an issue of both great importance and irony.