The Grateful Dead wrought a psychedelic revolution upon the cultural landscape of the Sixties and in the ensuing decades built a massive network of fans known as Deadheads.   Even since lead singer Jerry Garcia’s passing, the Deadhead community continues to grow.  The band and the Deadhead’s impact on the American and music culture can …well, … blow your mind.

Join OSU-Cascades’ Associate Professor of Speech Communication Natalie Dollar to learn just how significant the Grateful Dead’s legacy has been at the next Science Pub on Tuesday, January 19 in Father Luke’s Room at McMenamins in Bend, when she presents “The Grateful Dead and American Culture,” an exploration of the Grateful Dead’s business model, communication forms, and their approach to Americana music.  A specialist in interpersonal communication and community dialogue, and longtime fan and researcher of the Grateful Dead, Dollar has studied and published materials on the Deadhead cultural communication code landscape, a continually unfolding social and communication process that reveals insight regarding community growth, relationships, and identity. 

Dollar teaches courses in intercultural and interpersonal communication, community dialogue, communication theory, youth communication outreach and group communication. She founded The Community Dialogue Project, a program that provides educational opportunities for Central Oregonians interested in learning about dialogue as an intentional, distinct form of communication. As part of that effort she leads, with OSU-Cascades students, an annual Community Dialogue Workshop. Prior to joining OSU-Cascades’ faculty, Dollar taught at OSU in

Corvallis and was named a College of Liberal Arts Master Teacher and awarded the College of Liberal Arts Dean Wilkins Faculty Development Award. She received her Bachelor of Arts in communication from Mississippi State University, a Master of Arts in communication theory from Arizona State University, and her doctorate in cultural communication from the University of Washington.

This Science Pub takes place from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking and food and beverage service, and the presentation begins at 6:00 p.m.  Science Pubs are sponsored by OSU-Cascades and the OSU Alumni Association.  Science Pubs are free and open to community members and OSU alumni. Participants are invited to RSVP online. For information call 541-737-2351 or 877-678-2837 (toll free) or e-mail osualum@oregonstate.edu.