Search For Lectures

Tribal Land Management: Balancing the Triple Bottom Line of Environmental Stewardship
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - 2024 Paul L. Errington Memorial LectureDr. Serra Hoagland (Laguna Pueblo) works for the USDA Forest Service Research & Development branch as the National Program Lead for Tribal Research. She focuses on building local, regional and national partnerships with tribes and intertribal organizations, mentoring students in natural resources, and conducting research that is relevant to Native communities. As the first Native American to graduate from Northern Arizona University with a PhD in forestry, Serra studied Mexican spotted owl habitat on tribal and non-tribal lands in south-central New Mexico. She has 8 book publications and 16 peer-reviewed journal articles and most recently was nominated as a Fellow for The Wildlife Society in 2023. In 2020, Dr. Hoagland was nominated for a Professional of the Year Award and was selected as the Most Promising Scientist by the American Indian Science & Engineering Society.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Emily Dickinson at the County Fair: The Land Grant College and the Birth of Agricultural Capitalism
5:00 PM – 2155 Marston - A specialist in U.S. literature from 1850-2000, Maria Farland taught at Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Wesleyan Universities before accepting a permanent position at Fordham University in New York City. Her forthcoming book, Degraded Heartland: Antipastoral, Agricultural Reform, and the Rural Modern in U.S. Literature, 1840-1950 (Johns Hopkins UP), is a history of ideas of rural backwardness in terms of antipastoral as a literary mode. Inspired in part by the Trump administration and our heightened awareness of rural-urban divisions, it is a scholarly and cultural history of ideas of rural inferiority, as seen in shocking events like the Eugenics Survey of Vermont. She is currently completing a study of the antipsychiatry movement and post-1945 U.S. literary representations of mental breakdown, around neoliberal models of healthcare privatization in the 1950s-1980s decades.Please note: This lecture will NOT be recorded.

Historical Narratives from a Ho Chunk Perspective
6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Henry Payer is a Ho-Chunk artist who works primarily with collage and mixed media. Born in Sioux City, IA in 1986, Payer received a BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM in 2008. He was invited to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and obtained an MFA in 2013. Henry has exhibited his work at locations such as the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln, NE; All My Relations Gallery in Minneapolis, MN; Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art in Kansas City, MO; and Overture Galleries in Madison, WI. Payer’s work has also been exhibited at the University of Venice Ca’Voscari, Palazzo Cosulich in Venice, Italy. Payer has spent time as an instructor at the Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He currently lives in Sioux City, IA.All are welcome to attend the reception for Payer's exhibit "Neutral Ground" in the MU Art Gallery following the lecture.This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.

Yoga 101: What Is It and Why Do We Do It?
6:00 PM – Garden Room, Reiman Gardens - Yoga! What is it? Where did it come from? How many Yogas are there? Which one's for me? Is it for me? Join Dr. Manisha Sharma as she answers these questions and showcases this practice and her journey with it. No matter whether you are a novice or an expert, this program is sure to answer what yoga is all about and why we do it after all these years.For the past 30 years, Manisha Sharma has been practicing yoga. Born in India, she moved to America in 2002, and made Iowa her home three years ago. She received instruction in this journey of self-exploration from the world's best teachers, including Dr. H. R. Nagendra, the yoga guru of India's Prime Minister and the founder of SVYASA Yoga University in India. It is at SVYASA that she earned an international certificate as a yoga teacher and instructor. She is an assistant professor of English at Iowa State University, and a creative writer. She has an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in English Literature.Please note: This lecture will not be recorded.

Getting Bi: Challenging Biphobia and Bi Erasure and Creating a Culture of Inclusion
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - What does it mean to identify as bi+ (bisexual, pansexual, fluid, etc.)? What are the challenges to recognizing and understanding bisexuality and other non-binary sexualities—the largest yet often-overlooked segment of the LGBTQ+ community? No matter how you identify, come to this engaging and interactive program if you could use some tools for challenging ignorance, biphobia, and bi erasure and finding bi+ joy.Robyn Ochs is a US-based speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men. An advocate for the rights of people of ALL orientations and genders to live safely, openly and with full access and opportunity, Robyn’s work focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of complex identities and mobilizing people to be powerful allies to one another within and across identities and social movements, with special interest in bi+ health, the experiences of bi+ people in the workplace, the global bi+ movement, and bi and LGBTQIA+ youth. Robyn was named by Teen Vogue as one of “9 Bisexual Women Who are Making History.” This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Crying on the Camino
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Crying on the Camino is an original one-woman show conceived at the Wynn Handman Studios in New York City. This is a true account of an 11 day, 200-mile trek along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrim path leading to the Cathedral of the Santiago de Compostela in Northwest Spain. Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world walk or bike various routes to reach this final destination. This show chronicles the highs and lows of her adventure on the path, taking us on a journey of hilarity, hardship, and healing. Celeste weaves deft storytelling with snippets of song to highlight the humor and poignancy of this life-affirming trip, bringing audiences along the trail with her. This show has received the 2022 Broadway World Award for Best New Play and Best Performer. This play has received standing ovations from audiences across the United States, in fourteen different states. Crying on the Camino recently moved to the international stage with performances in Madrid and Santiago, Spain this past May.  Veteran stage actress Celeste Mancinelli has performed professionally since the early 80’s. Her NYC credits include the hit show “Nunsense” at the Douglas Fairbanks Theater, Cynthia Heimel’s long-running play “A Girl’s Guide to Chaos” at the American Place Theater (originating the character of Lurene), and Larry Gelbart’s “1-2-3-4-5” at the Manhattan Theater Club.  She has appeared as Mama in “My Big Fat Gay Italian Wedding” and its sequel (Funeral) at the St Luke’s Theatre. This past April she completed a run of “RUBBER” at the Theatre for the New City in NYC. Celeste has also worked in numerous Off-Broadway, cabaret, stock, regional, and national tours throughout the United States.  This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page for those with ISU login credentials.

All the Letters: Understanding LGBTQIA+ Identities and Experiences in 2024
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Robyn Ochs is a US-based speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men. An advocate for the rights of people of ALL orientations and genders to live safely, openly and with full access and opportunity, Robyn’s work focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of complex identities and mobilizing people to be powerful allies to one another within and across identities and social movements, with special interest in bi+ health, the experiences of bi+ people in the workplace, the global bi+ movement, and bi and LGBTQIA+ youth. Robyn was named by Teen Vogue as one of “9 Bisexual Women Who are Making History.” This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

The History of Presidential Debates, 1960-Present
6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - 2024 Constitution Day LectureOne of the rituals of American democracy is quadrennial debates between the Democratic and Republican nominees for president. Yet this particular tradition did not evolve until 1960 and was almost not repeated. This lecture will cover the history of presidential debates and what we’ve seen so far in the 2024 election season.Dr. Karen M. Kedrowski is Director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics and Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University. The Catt Center conducts research on women and politics, with a focus on Iowa; and promotes civic engagement. In addition to her duties at the Catt Center, Dr. Kedrowski teaches courses in American Politics and conducts research on women in American politics and civic engagement. She joined the Iowa State faculty in January 2019.Dr. Kedrowski is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and the University of Oklahoma, Norman. Prior to coming to Iowa State, she spent 24 years at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where she served in many roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She also received Winthrop’s highest faculty honor, Distinguished Professor, in 2011.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Civil Conversations About Democracy? We Need to Talk
7:00 PM – Cardinal Room, Memorial Union - Following a brief introduction about their new book, Raising America: Building a More Perfect Union, former ISU professor Charles R. Kniker and former high school English teacher and current minister Dianne Prichard will discuss ways individuals and groups can hold meaningful conversations about today’s political situations. Responding in a question/answer format, they, along with V. V. Raman, a distinguished physicist and philosopher, tackle the fragile territory of conversation among friends and family.About the speakers:An ISU Professor of Education for 24 years and author of seven books, Charles is also an ordained minister, served as a seminary president, and Associate Director for Academic Affairs and Research, Iowa Board of Regents. While at ISU, he was the founding editor of the refereed journal, Religion & Education.For Dianne Prichard, twenty years of farming (1949-1973), 33 years of teaching (1973-2006) and 20 years of preaching (2004-present) provided a framework for holding onto one resigned husband and raising three multi-talented, slightly embarrassed children. This all was accomplished within 100 square miles of the eastern seaboard of Iowa, with brief sojourns at Wartburg College in Waverly, the Goethe Institute in Passau, Bavaria, South Dakota State University, and Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque. Due to the dynamics of aging, she lives in her Cottage on Silver Creek, only two blocks from her husband's abode, affectionally referred to as Stonehenge. Prichard has a penchant for seeing solutions within problems, from making Shakespeare fun to organizing mask-making volunteers to filing for office at the last minute to saving democracy.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Impacts of Transitioning to a Green(er) Economy
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - 2024 Kerry and Linda Killinger Foundation LectureSimon Gilchrist is a professor of economics at New York University and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research interests relate to monetary economics and applied macroeconomics. Much of his research focusses on the consequences of financial market turmoil and its impact on real economic activity, with particular focus on the implications for investment behavior, business-cycle dynamics, and the conduct of monetary policy. In recent work, Simon Gilchrist has explored the causes and consequences of financial crises and asset prices bubbles, as well as the appropriate monetary policy response to such events.Simon Gilchrist received his BA from Iowa State University in 1984, and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1990. Prior to arriving at Boston University in 1995, Gilchrist served as a staff economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and has held visiting positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He has also served as an academic consultant to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the International Monetary Fund. He is currently a member of the editorial board of the American Economic Review, and an associate editor at the Review of Economics and Statistics.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.