'Green' energy in rural areas

The next seminar of the Future of Rural N.Y. Seminar Series, "The Impact of 'Green' Energy Development on Rural Community Sustainability," will be held Feb. 26, 2:30-4:30 p.m., B32 Warren Hall, featuring a panel discussion with Richard Stedman and Jeffrey Jacquette, Department of Natural Resources; Susan Riha, Cornell's Water Resources Institute; Danielle Hautaniemi, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Schuyler County; John Martin, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Information: http://www.cardi.cornell.edu.

Black gospel festival

Upstate area university choirs open the 33rd annual Festival of Black Gospel concert, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m., Bailey Hall, featuring Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award-winning R&B and gospel group, 21:03. Tickets in advance and at the door. Information: http://www.baileyhall.cornell.edu.

Pianist Alexandre Tharaud

French pianist Alexandre Tharaud will present a signature solo program featuring Couperin, Scarlatti and an all-Chopin second half, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m., Bailey Hall. Tharaud has toured extensively in Europe with performances that interweave music by old masters with tributes by contemporary composers. Reserved seating. For tickets: online, Cornell Concert Series, http://www.cornellconcertseries.com; in person, Ticket Center Ithaca, 171 The Commons -- Center Ithaca; by phone, 607-273-4497 or 800-284-8422.

Jewish Film Festival

Cornell Cinema's Jewish Film Festival begins Feb. 28 with "Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg" (2009), a film (also showing March 2) about television pioneer Gertrude Berg, the creator, principal writer and star of "The Goldbergs," a popular radio show that in 1949 became television's first character-driven domestic sitcom. The festival also includes "$9.99," a stop-motion puppet animation film, March 7, 9 and 11, and "Lemon Tree," based on a true story about life around the Green Line and starring Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, March 14 and 16. See http://cinema.cornell.edu/ for times and locations. $3 per adult, $2 per child 12 and under.

Opperman and Streeter on managing change

Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources, and Paul Streeter, associate vice president for planning and budget, are holding two brown bag lunch discussions in March on managing change in uncertain times. The first is March 4; the second, March 25; both will be held in the Ramin Parlor Room, Sage Hall, noon-1 p.m.

Islamic scholar lectures

The Messenger Lecture series brings some of the world's leading scholars and public figures to campus. This year the series features Gregor Schoeler, professor emeritus, University of Basel, delivering three lectures: "Miracles in Islam," March 1 at 4:30 p.m., 165 McGraw Hall, reception to follow; "The Arabic Divine Comedy: The 11th Century Epistle of Forgiveness of al-Ma'arri," March 2 at 4:30 p.m., G64 Goldwin Smith Hall, reception to follow in the A.D. White House; "Memory and Literacy: The Oral and the Written Word in Early Islam (eighth century)," March 3 at 4:30 p.m., 165 McGraw Hall, reception and book exhibit in the Cornell Store to follow.

Peace Corps experiences

B.J. Whetstine, a Peace Corps recruiter who served in China, 2003-05, will moderate a panel of local residents who will discuss their experiences in the Peace Corps, March 2 at 6 p.m., 103 Barnes Hall. This Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Panel discussion is part of national Peace Corps Week, March 1-7. Approximately 7,500 Peace Corps volunteers are now serving in 74 countries, involved in education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture.

RNA lecture

Hailing from the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes du CNRS, Strasbourg, France, Olivier Voinnet will lecture on "Silencing Small RNA in Plants: Mechanisms and Roles in Adaptation, Development and Defense," March 1 at 3:30 p.m., Boyce Thompson Institute Auditorium, with reception to follow. Information: Hanh Nguyen at hpn4@cornell.edu, Greg Martin, gbm7@cornell.edu.

Poet/writer Bialosky reading

Currently an editor at W.W. Norton & Co., Jill Bialosky, award-winning poet and fiction writer, will present the Robert Chasen Memorial Reading, March 3 at 4:30 p.m., Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall.

Bialosky is known for her poetry collections "Subterranean" (2001) and "The End of Desire" (1997), and her novels "House under Snow" (2002) and "The Life Room" (2007). Her writings appear in such magazines as The New Yorker, O Magazine, Paris Review, The Nation, The New Republic, Kenyon Review and American Poetry Review.

EPA environmental scientist

Gilbert Castellanos, environmental scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, speaks on "Science, the Environment and How Public Service Can Offer You the Chance to Make a Difference," March 4 at 4:30 p.m., 233 Plant Science Building.

Gilbert has worked in several EPA offices and with the Department of the Interior. His responsibilities now include engaging Canada and Mexico on meeting commitments to environmental provisions of the North America Free Trade Agreement. Information: http://www.cipa.cornell.edu.

Harvard professor Bernstein

A cultural historian, Robin Bernstein, from the departments of Women, Gender and Sexuality, and History and Literature at Harvard University, will present the lecture, "'A Tear is an Intellectual Thing': The Performance of Pain in Kenneth and Mamie Clark's Doll Experiments," March 4 at 4:30 p.m., 124 Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

At the Johnson

Feb. 26 is the last day to register for An Evening at the French Renaissance Court, March 5, 6-8 p.m., at the Johnson Museum, featuring David Yearsley on harpsichord, lute song by Mignarda, poetry readings, tours of the exhibition and tastings of French wines and Renaissance delicacies. Tickets: $15 general and $10 students. Call 607-255-6464 for information.

On March 6, a family-oriented performance featuring Tom Knight Puppets, with original songs and skits about animals, the environment, food and books, will be held at 10 a.m., with art-making to follow at 11 a.m. Free for Johnson Museum members, $5 per family for nonmembers. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

'Theory Now'

This humanities conference March 5-6 features the following speakers from Cornell: Eric Cheyfitz, Jonathan Culler, Stuart Davis, Grant Farred, Ellis Hanson, Salah Hassan, Molly Hite, Jane Juffer, Phil Lorenz, and Shirley Samuels. Also presenting: Michael Hardt and Ken Surin, Duke University; Patrick Greaney, University of Colorado-Boulder; Davis Ellison, Griffiths University; Rei Terada, University of California-Irvine; Barnor Hesse, Northwestern University; Eithne Luibhéid, University of Arizona; Michael Naas, DePaul University. Information: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/english/_lib/pdf/Theory_Now_Preview.pdf.