James W. Head III, the Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences, will present a 2013 Commencement Forum titled "Postcards from Other Planets." Head will take visitors on a visual journey--with the help of the Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab--to the mountains of the Moon with Apollo 15, the floor of the Gale Crater on Mars, and many other nearby geological celestial bodies. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event begins at 9 a.m. in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, the Digital Scholarship Lab, located at 10 Prospect Street. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Gerald Guralnik, Chancellor’s Professor of Physics, will present a 2013 Commencement Forum titled “Heretical Ideas That Led to the Search for the Higgs Boson.” Guralnik will talk about the revolutionary ideas, that started about 50 years, that led to the current understanding of modern physics, and particularly, the prediction of the Higgs Boson. The event begins at 11 a.m. in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, 154 Angell St., Martinos Auditorium. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Several women in comedy will gather for a 2013 Commencement Forum titled "A Sense of Humor: Brown Women in Comedy," sponsored by the Pembroke Center Associates in association with the Women’s Leadership Council. The discussion will focus on closing the gender gap in comedy. Panelists will discuss how they got into the business, how their personal experiences shaped their comedic voices, and what's off limits in their humor. Lauren Corrao '83, consultant at Comcast Entertainment Studios and former president of original programming and development at Comedy Central, will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Marin Hinkle '88, stage, television, and film actor; Tara Schuster '08, writer, performer, and producer at Comedy Central; and Suzanne Whang '86, television host, actor, writer, and stand-up comedian.The event begins at 11 a.m. in the List Art Center, 64 College St., Room 120. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Panelists from different academic backgrounds will participate in a 2013 Commencement Forum titled "Race, Slavery, and Contemporary American Life." Speakers will examine how early and contemporary American life was shaped by slavery and race, and discuss the work conducted by the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University. Speakers include Anthony Bogues, director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice and professor of Africana studies; Glenn Loury, professor of social sciences; and Seth Rockman, associate professor of history. The event begins at 11 a.m. in the Nightingale Brown House, 357 Benefit St., Music Room. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Various members of the 1978 Himalayan Expedition—33 of them from the Brown community—will present a talk titled “The Himalayas 35 Years Later: Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost.” Expedition members will reflect on how the expedition changed their lives, and what exploration means in today's world. A highlight of this forum will be a Google Earth visual tour of the Devistan trek, organized by Rebecca Moore '77, engineering manager at Google Earth Outreach and Earth Engine. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Metcalf Research Laboratory, 190 Thayer St., Friedman Auditorium. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Richard Fishman, professor of visual art and director of the Creative Arts Council, will present a 2013 Commencement Forum titled “Cultivating a Culture for Creativity and Imagination.” Fishman will talk about how cognitive flexibility and critical thinking is required to answer the most vexing challenges in today’s world. Fishman will also discuss how the Creative Mind Initiative explores these issues. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, 154 Angell St., Martinos Auditorium. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums

Brown alumni leaders in the technology field will gather for a 2013 Alumni Reunion Forum titled “Technology: What's the Next Change?” The discussion will focus on the ways emerging technologies affect trends in everyday life and beyond. Dan Broden ’88, president and founder of Broden Communications, will moderate the panel. Panelists include Graeme Grant ’93, president and COO at CQuotient; Victor Karkar '98, cofounder and CEO at Scrible; Patty Riskind '88, senior vice president at Press Ganey; and Eric Rudder ’88, chief technical strategy officer at Microsoft. The event begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Metcalf Research Laboratory, 190 Thayer St., Friedman Auditorium. http://brown.edu/about/commencement/about/commencement-reunion-forums