The UO Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics kicks off its winter/spring 2013 Public Affairs Speaker Series, "Governing a Polarized Republic: Is This Any Way to Run a Democracy?" with a roundtable discussion, Governing after the 2012 Election, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 in the Gerlinger Lounge. The roundtable will feature Richard Ellis, Willamette University; Alison Gash, UO; Melissa Buis Michaux, Willamette University; and Dan Tichenor, UO.

A Gabonese delegation headed by education minister Séraphin Moundounga spent a full day at the University of Oregon on Monday and heard descriptions of potential research projects that could result from a new Gabon/Oregon Transnational Research Center on Environment and Development.The 14-member group – on a U.S. State Department-arranged tour of Western universities, community colleges and vocational schools – took a UO campus tour, looked in on a biology lab, met with Gabonese students at the UO and participated in a reception Monday night at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

World-renowned pianist Julian Martin will visit the UO School of Music and Dance to teach a master class from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Feb. 4 in Beall Concert Hall. The public is invited to observe Martin working with piano students on a movement from Beethoven’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 28; Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847; Schumann’s Abegg Variations, Op. 1; and one work from Albéniz’s Iberia, Book 2. The class is part of the Nellie Tholen Fund Piano Master Class series. There is no charge to observe the class.

Five careful readers of AroundtheO are receiving stainless steel travel mugs after their numbers were drawn in an unannounced "Friday surprise" scavenger hunt drawing Friday afternoon. The mug winners were chosen from 458 correct responses to this week's daily scavenger hunt questions. All of this week's correct responses will remain in play for the drawing on Friday, Feb. 1 – for a new, retina display iPad.

Chancellor George Pernsteiner announced today that he will resign from the Oregon University System, effective March 1. Pernsteiner will remain in his current role until that time, and will continue to contribute on a special assignment through March 31. Pernsteiner’s continued service to the Oregon University System through March is intended to facilitate a successful leadership transition.