West Lecture Series

SPARTANBURG, S.C.– Beverly White Spicer, a member of the Converse College class of 1969 who majored in psychology, will be the Aline Saunders West Memorial Lecturer at Converse.

The West Lecture series, which brings nationally known speakers to campus, is in memory of Aline Saunders West, associate professor chemistry and physics for more than thirty-five years at Converse. This year’s event will occur at 7:30 PM on October 16 in Hartness Auditorium.

Following her graduation from Converse, Ms. Spicer worked as a researcher in brain functioning and behavior at the University of Virginia. For 16 years she worked as a photojournalist for such organizations as The New York Times and Eastman Kodak. In 1995, she co-authored “Open Ceilings: Women of Power Outside the Paradigm.”

Ms. Spicer earned a Master of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas. Her thesis, which combined her interest in the functioning of the brain and behavior with architectural structure, was named the Outstanding Thesis for the School of Architecture in 2000.

Her research integrates themes from architecture, Middle Eastern Culture, and neuroscience, using the Ka’bah in Mecca as a focus for her studies. A book, “Rhythms of Culture and Faith: The Connection between the Environment, Architecture, Behavior, and the Brain,” which is based on her research, will be published by University Press of America in 2002.