Bulent Atalay, author of Math and the Mona Lisa, will be on campus Thursday, Oct. 7, for two presentations, both sponsored by the Oklahoma City Da Vinci Institute and hosted by the UCO College of Liberal Arts and the College of Mathematics & Science.

Dr. Atalay is a professor of physics at the University of Mary Washington, an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, and a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. He is also an accomplished artist, with one-man exhibitions in London and Washington, and his two books of lithographs — Lands of Washington and Oxford and the English Countryside — can be found in the permanent collections of Buckingham Palace, the Smithsonian, and the White House.

His recent Math and the Mona Lisa is credited with giving a new insight into the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci. Dr. Atalay has been described as a modern-day Renaissance man writing about the ultimate Renaissance man.

Dr. Atalay will speak on "Isaac Newton's Breakdown: A Scientific and Forensic Puzzle" at 3:15 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Crittenden Family Auditorium, Room 201, Howell Hall. This lecture blends elements of history, mathematics, the natural sciences, and modern forensic medicine, and seeks to explain what caused the degeneration of one of the finest minds in history.

"Math and the Mona Lisa: Bridging the Cultural Divide" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Pegasus Theater in the Liberal Arts building. Atalay's recent book will be on sale following the event, and the author will be available for signings. This lecture examines the science and mathematics that underlie Leonardo da Vinci’s work. Using Leonardo as a model, the lecture explores the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing the deep unity of the two cultures. Atalay offers a view into Leonardo da Vinci, enabling the audience to see the source of his ideas and to appreciate his art from a new perspective.

The 7:30 lecture is a Passport to Italy featured event - passport stamps will be available.

More information about Dr. Atalay is available at http://users.mwc.edu/~batalay/SITE/ (Bulent Atalay home page);
http://users.mwc.edu/~batalay/SITE/about.htm (web page with author biographical information);
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3861881 (NPR “Science Friday” interview with Dr. Atalay).  

UCO Passport to Italy pages designed and maintained by Susan Spencer, Department of English