Navajo surgeon and author to speak Thursday night on campus

Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord, the first female Navajo surgeon to practice in the United States and author of the best-selling autobiography The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, will be on campus Thursday (Oct. 13) at 7 p.m. in Rose Hall 250 to present “Creating Healing Environments: Wisdom from Navajo Ceremonies.” Alvord will describe ceremonies including “The Night Chant” and the many elements of ceremony (chant, prayer, guided imagery, practices that mirror meditation and mindfulness) that contribute to healing the mind, which in turn heals the body. She is currently associate dean of student affairs and professor of surgery at Central Michigan University College of Medicine. Her talk ties in with the 2011-12 UW-Green Bay Common Theme emphasis on diversity.