MACON – Have you ever wondered why two siblings raised in the same family and under the same conditions can turn out so very differently? Or how emotional issues can factor into physical illness? Renowned researcher and physician Michael E. Kerr, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Georgetown Family Center, will speak on these and other topics at the Sixth Annual Armour Family Therapy Lecture Series, to be held May 16 and 17 at the Mercer University School of Medicine auditorium. The series is free and open to the public.
Dr. Kerr, the co-author of Family Evaluation: An Approach Based on Bowen Theory, received an undergraduate degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.D. degree from Georgetown University. In addition to his duties with the Georgetown Family Center, he maintains a private practice in Washington, D.C., specializing in family psychotherapy to treat a full range of clinical problems.
Dr. Kerr succeeded Murray Bowen as the director of the Georgetown Family Center in 1990. The mission of the Center is to lead the development of Bowen family systems theory into a science of human behavior and to assist individuals, families, communities and organizations in solving major life problems through understanding and improving human relationships.
The Armour Family Therapy Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from retired faculty members Dr. Mary Ann Armour and Dr. Rollin Armour. Dr. Mary Ann Armour retired from Mercer in 1998 as associate professor and co-director of the master’s program in family therapy, which she founded at Mercer in 1983. Dr. Rollin Armour, former dean of the College of Liberal Arts, retired in 1998 as a professor in the Department of Christianity.
Sixth Annual Armour Family Therapy Lecture Series Program Schedule
(All lectures will be held in the Medical School Auditorium)
“Shifting from Individual to Systems Thinking”
Monday, May 16, 2005
5:30 p.m.
“Why Do Siblings Often Turn Out Very Differently?”
Monday, May 16, 2005
7:30 p.m.
“Role of Emotional Factors in Physical Illness”
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
7:30 p.m.
About Mercer University and the Marriage and Family Therapy Program:
In addition to the doctor of medicine degree, Mercer University School of Medicine offers master’s degrees in public health, family therapy and family services, and post-master’s certificates in medical family therapy and pediatric family therapy for those who have already earned a master’s or doctoral degree in an applied mental health discipline.
Founded in 1833, Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta as well as three regional academic centers. With 10 schools and colleges, the University offers programs in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law and theology. For 15 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Mercer University as one of the leading universities in the South.
