The MIT chapter of Tau Beta Pi (TBP), the national engineering honor society, is sponsoring the Spring 1998 Leonardo da Vinci Dinner Lecture Series. Each of the dinner lectures, which are open to TBP members and all faculty, brings together about 20 students and several faculty to hear a short lecture by one of the faculty members, and enjoy fine dinner and hearty conversation together.

This term's nine dinners include talks by Phillip Sharp, Salvador E. Luria Professor of Biology and Head of the Biology Department; Philip Khoury, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science and Professor of History; and Robert Birjeneau, dean of the School of Science and Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics. Topics range over the whole spectrum of engineering, science, and the humanities, with lectures on biotechnology, archeology, computer chess, manufacturing, poetry, physics, architecture, and the science and engineering of fine wines.

Tau Beta Pi sponsors the dinner series with the goal of "fostering a spirit of liberal culture" at MIT, exemplified by Leonardo's curiosity and wide range of interests, as well as to provide a way for faculty to interact with students outside of the classroom. At the inaugural lecture for the dinner series last fall, President Charles Vest said, "I think this is just a terrific idea and that it really succeeds and flourishes."

Dinners are free and all members of the MIT faculty are invited to participate. For more information or to make dinner reservations, visit the Leonardo dinners Web page at <http://web.mit.edu/tbp/www/dinners> or contact Guang-Ien Cheng G, the Leonardo Dinners chair, at <ien@mit.edu>.

Each dinner is from 6-8 p.m. in the West Dining Room of Ashdown House, the graduate dorm across from the MIT Chapel. The schedule of spring dinners is linked (each is on a Thursday unless otherwise noted).