Medical anthropologist Alexander Rödlach of Creighton University will speak about how HIV/AIDS is a catastrophic health crisis with complex cultural dimensions. Explanations of where it comes from, who gets it, and who dies are tied to political agendas, religious beliefs, and the psychology of devastating grief. Rödlach shows how beliefs about witchcraft surrounding HIV/AIDS are an important element in Zimbabweans’ efforts to understand why someone has fallen ill with AIDS-related conditions, to offer hope for healing, and to appeal for help. The lecture takes place at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Manning Hall on Brown University’s main green at 5:30 p.m., followed by a reception.