The talks will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 10, 17 and 24 in the UB Anderson Gallery, Martha Jackson Place, near the South Campus.

The topics of the talks will be "Tibetan Buddhism," a primer for the general public in preparation for the Dalai Lama's visit, Aug. 10; "History of Tibet: Myths and Reality," Aug. 17; and "Why the Dalai Lama? Why Now?" an examination of the Dalai Lama's popularity in the developed world, Aug. 24.

The talks will be sponsored by the Anderson Gallery and the Amitabha Foundation, a Rochester not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the culture of Tibet.

Howard is a member of the board of directors of the Amitabha Foundation, which was founded in 1986 by Tibetan lama Ayang Rinpoche, who Howard served as his representative to the United States. The foundation's chief advisor and practice leader/instructor, he gives a weekly introductory talk on Tibetan Buddhism at the foundation, and also has spoken on the topic at high schools, temples, churches and colleges in the Rochester area for the past 20 years.

He received a bachelor's degree in biology from Dartmouth College and a law degree from UB in 1996.

He is past president of the Rochester Interfaith Forum and a member of the board of directors of the Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue at Nazareth College in Rochester.

The lectures will be free and open to the public, but space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the gallery at 829-3754 and leave a name, phone number and email address, or email that information to tibetlectures@ub.andersongallery.org.

For more information, go to http://dalailamabuffalo.com.