Panel discussion, Moses Finley Memorial Lecture to focus on post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment of war veterans

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, By News Staff

Panel discussion, Moses Finley Memorial Lecture to focus on post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment of war veteransMarch 25, 2008Jaime Winne Alvarezjlwinne@syr.edu

The Program in Classics in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) will host a panel discussion and the Moses Finley Memorial Lecture on topics related to post-traumatic stress disorder and the effect of war experiences on ancient and modern soldiers on Wednesday, April 2. Both events are free and open to the public.

The panel discussion, “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Undoing of Character,” will be held from 12:45-2 p.m. in Room 304A and B of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center. Parking is available in SU pay lots. Panelists include:

  • Wanda P. Fremont, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University;
  • Robert J. Gregory, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University;
  • Stephen Maisto, professor of psychology in The College of Arts and Sciences and senior scientist at the Center for Health and Behavior at SU (moderator);
  • Eugene Tinelli, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and
  • special guest Jonathan Shay, clinical psychiatrist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Boston.

Following the panel, Shay (above) will present the Moses I. Finley Memorial Lecture on “Homer on Military Leadership.” He will explore the link between the treatment of U.S. war veterans and the study of Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” The lecture is part of the Finley Lecture Series, sponsored by the Program in Classics, and will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium. Parking is available in the Comstock and Waverly lots.

In 2007, Shay was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for combining the treatment of war veterans with a study of Homer’s works in order to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of war on those who experience it. He is respected by humanities scholars and military leaders alike for his insight into the emotional problems faced by both ancient and modern soldiers.

In his book “Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character” (Simon & Schuster, 1994), Shay compares the war experiences of Homer’s Achilles and Vietnam veterans; in “Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming” (Scribner, 2002), he deals with the experiences of veterans on their return from war. Shay holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as visiting scholar-at-large at the U.S. Naval War College and in 2004-05 was chair of ethics, leadership and personnel policy in the Office of the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel.

The Finley Lecture Series honors the memory of Sir Moses I. Finley ’27. One of the most influential historians of the 20th century, Finley enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a professor of ancient history and master of Darwin College at Cambridge University.

Both of the events have been made possible by the generous donation of A&S alumnus Robert Papworth ’68. For more information, contact Donald Mills at (315) 443-5903 or dhmills@syr.edu.