Frist Center for Autism and Innovation December Salon Lunch and Learn Series: Frist Center for Autism and Innovation March Salon Lunch and Learn Series: Pathologically Genuine: Lived Experiences of a Late-Diagnosed Autistic
Monday, March 30, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT
Held in OMC 241 and online. Lunch will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Co-sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, is pleased to present a special Salon Series event featuring Dr. Jim Coleman, Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Dr. Coleman will share his experiences as a late-diagnosed autistic professor and former senior administrator. Diagnosed at 59, he has since taught over 1,000 students, including more than 100 neurodivergent students, and volunteers at schools serving autistic children and students with learning disabilities. The presentation has two parts: first, observations comparing support for neurodiverse students at a traditional university versus a specialized autism school; second, themes from his book project “Pathologically Genuine,” exploring concepts like being pathologically genuine, “umwelt,” stimming, loneliness, and the gap between research and lived autistic experiences.
Speaker Information: Jim Coleman is a late-diagnosed autistic professor at UNC-Greensboro. He earned his BS in Forestry from the University of Maine and PhD from Yale, completing postdoctoral work at Stanford and Harvard. His career spans four phases: research (publishing 80 papers with nearly 10,000 citations, elected AAAS Fellow in 2018); administration (serving as provost, dean, and VP Research at multiple institutions, managing ~$260M in grants); teaching (instructing ~1,000 students since 2021, nominated for the William Friday Lifetime Achievement Award); and currently, phased retirement focused on advocacy and writing. He volunteers with his therapy dog Brea at schools for neurodivergent students and recovery centers, serves on the Lionheart Academy board, and is writing “Pathologically Genuine,” a memoir about navigating academe as an autistic person.
This event is part of the Frist Center’s Salon Series, featuring presentations by Center Fellows and Affiliates. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear a refreshingly honest, humorous, and insightful perspective on neurodiversity in academe.