Dr. Alan Holiman, professor of political science at William Jewell College, will present the Carl F. Willard Distinguished Lecture on Monday, October 8, at 7 p.m. in the Gill Family Meeting Room in Yates-Gill College Union on the campus in Liberty, Mo. The public is invited at no charge.

His lecture is titled “The Rights of Spring or Internyet?: Social Networking, Protest, and Putin 3.0.” Dr. Holiman will discuss how the widespread use of the Internet and social networking technologies have enhanced the ability of Russian society to have a new type of conversation with itself that has begun to change fundamentally the atmosphere in which power is used.

As a William Jewell Spencer Sabbatical recipient, Dr. Holiman recently conducted research for a year in Moscow. His special interests include comparative politics (Russia and other post-communist states, European integration and the Islamic Republic of Iran) as well as American politics. His degrees include a B.A. in political science from the University of Arkansas, an M.A. in political science from The Ohio State University, an M.A. in Russian & East European Studies and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kansas. He joined the William Jewell College faculty in 1997.

The Willard Lecture is named for the late Carl Willard, a trustee at William Jewell from 1967-1991. To honor Willard’s memory and perpetuate his ideals, friends established the Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teacher Award at William Jewell as a continuing investment in tomorrow’s leaders. The Faculty Development Committee recommends honorees to the Provost and President of the College, who make the final selection for the annual award.