2021 ATLAS Distinguished Medal of Lectureship Award Recipient
Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. CT

About the Author: Peter J. Whitehouse, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology as well as current or former Professor of Cognitive Science, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Psychology, Nursing, Organizational Behavior, Bioethics and History. He is also currently a Strategic Advisor in innovation at Baycrest Geriatric Center and Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at the University of Toronto. With colleagues, he discovered fundamental aspects of the cholinergic pathology in Alzheimer’s and related dementias, which lead to the development of our current generation drugs to treat these conditions. In 1986 he moved to Case Western Reserve University to develop the University Alzheimer Center (now University Brain Health and Memory Center).

Dr. Whitehouse has been clinically active in various hospitals in Cleveland caring for individuals with concerns about their cognitive abilities as they age. He has designed InterWell, a school-based health practice that integrates primary care, cognitive health, and public health. He sees schools and gardens as the natural center of health in the community. He has a strong interest in ethics, including bioethics, environmental ethics, public health ethics, and neuroethics. His transdisciplinary scholarship interests include brain health and coaching, narrative health, intergenerational learning, environmental issues, health humanities, and the role of arts, including dance and music, in health.

Talk title: "A New Beginning: Transdisciplinary Movement in Intergenerative Education: Creating Glocal Stage for the Young and Old Designers and Innovators"

As we enter the Anthropocene and transform civilization to¬wards Cosmodernity, we need our precious and powerful hu¬man imagination to address the wicked challenges we face ahead. Environmental deterioration, due to climate change and pollution, and associated social injustice, political unrest, health crises, and economic devastations ask us to explore deeply what it means to be humans in community and in Na¬ture, as contributors to sustainable civilizations. Education is key but designed with new imagination and infused with inno¬vation. Learning is a source of spiritual vitality and enchant¬ment in an emerging post-secular world full of new materialism. Building relationships across generations, disciplines, ethnicities, and sources of faith will be essential. Intergenerativity is a new (eco) social construction for such efforts inspiring us to go “between to go beyond.” Reimagining our relationships with other living creatures and Nature itself will be critical. The arts will help us imagine new worlds of possibilities, as they have since the beginning of our species. The Humanities need to be less self-centered. Assuming Big History and Deep Time orienta¬tions will give us important senses of perspective. We need to wise up and design a course for the future. We will illustrate these ideas using InterHub which is part of the Presencing Institute’s Global Activation of Intention and Action program.