Snakes and Conan the Barbarian: Unique Topics at East Texas A&M Lion’s Lecture

On April 22, attendees at the atrium of the Nursing and Health Sciences Building were treated to two equally fascinating Lion's Lectures, one discussing snakes and the other covering Texas author Robert E. Howard.

Lion’s Lecture events, hosted by the East Texas A&M Graduate School in partnership with Investing in Us—a professional development program under the Division of Academic Affairs and Provost—feature professors from different departments delivering lectures over their areas of expertise. In this final Lion's Lecture of the spring semester, husband and wife duo Drs. Lani Lyman-Henley and Tracy B. Henley were the speakers.

Lani, an assistant professor for the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, spoke on her life-long love of snakes. She described how her mother once took her to meet a professor who studied snakes at Berkeley, where Lani herself would later be an undergraduate student of biology. To this day, Lani continues to study snakes—especially garter snakes—and to pass on her passion on to her students.

Tracy, a professor for the Department of Psychology and Special Education, talked about the psychology of Robert E. Howard, the famed pulp author who created Conan the Barbarian, among other characters. He explained how Howard's rural setting may have impacted the man's mental health, contributing to his eventual suicide.

Senior Executive Director of Academic Investment Carrie Klypchak indicated that two more Lion's Lecture events will take place in the fall. The lectures are free to the public. All students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to stay informed of upcoming events by following the East Texas A&M Community Calendar.