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Brave New Iowa: Stem Cells, Cloning and the Sanctity of Human Life - Wesley J. Smith
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Author and lawyer Wesley J. Smith is a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, an attorney for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, and a special consultant for the Center for Bioethics and Culture. His writing and opinion columns on assisted suicide, bioethics, legal ethics, and public affairs have appeared in such publications as Newsweek, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He has authored or coauthored eleven books, including Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder; Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America; Power Over Pain, A Consumer's Guide to Obtaining Good Pain Control; and A Consumer's Guide to Brave New World. Smith is the author of the Internet blog "Secondhand Smoke" and hosts a biweekly podcast, "Brave New Bioethics."

Pearls, Politics and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead - Madeleine Kunin
7:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Madeleine Kunin is a former three-term governor of Vermont and Ambassador to Switzerland. She also served as U.S. deputy secretary of education. Kunin is currently the Marsh Scholar Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont, where she lectures on history and women's studies. She is the author of Living a Political Life, The Big Green Book, and, most recently, Pearls, Politics and Power, an insider's view of the role of women in politics. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts and master's degrees in journalism from Columbia University and English literature from the University of Vermont. Mary Louise Smith 2008 Spring Chair in Women and Politics.

The Cuban Revolution and Agriculture - Mary-Alice Waters
6:30 PM – Gallery, Memorial Union - Mary-Alice Waters is the president of the Pathfinder Press and the editor of New International magazine. She has written a number of books on political topics and is a journalist and activist. Among the books she has edited or authored - including 18 titles on the Cuban Revolution in World Politics - are: Our History is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Cuban-Chinese Generals in the Cuban Revolution; Feminism and the Marxist Movement; and Making History. Waters will be the featured presenter in a panel discussion including students and faculty. A reception will precede the lecture and panel discussion, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

The Great Debate: Private Equity and Its Impact on the Global Economy - Josh Lerner
10:45 AM – 2117 Gerdin Business Building - Josh Lerner is the Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking at the Harvard Business School. He worked for several years on issues concerning technological innovation and public policy, at the Brookings Institution, for a public-private task force in Chicago, and on Capitol Hill. He then earned a Ph.D. from Harvard's Economics Department. He is the author of The Venture Capital Cycle, The Money of Invention, and Innovation and Its Discontents. His research focuses on the structure and role of venture capital and private equity organizations as well as the impact of intellectual property protection on the competitive strategies of firms in high-tech industries. The College of Business F. Wendell Miller Lecture.

Is Global Warming Affecting Hurricanes? Kerry Emanuel
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Kerry Emanuel is a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests focus on tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics. Emanuel is the author or coauthor of over one hundred peer-reviewed scientific papers and two books, including Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes, recently released by Oxford University Press. It received the 2007 Louis Battan Author's Award from the American Meteorological Society. Sigma Xi Spring Lecture.

The 11th Hour - A Documentary
6:00 PM – South Ballroom, Memorial Union - This documentary is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and explores the perilous state of our planet, and the means by which we can change our course. Contributing to this crucial film are noted politicians, scientists and other ambassadors for the importance of a universal ecological consciousness. (92 minutes)

Earth Day Forum: Iowa State's Role in the Energy and Climate Crisis
4:30 PM – South Ball Room, Memorial Union - This panel of Iowa State University faculty and administrators will discuss how ISU is helping address the current energy crisis, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to safe levels. The topics covered will include reducing the university's contribution to climate change, advancing relevant research, and educating and promoting behavior change among the university community. Panel participants include: Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden; Associate Dean, College of Design, Kate Schwennsen; Geological and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Gene Takle; and Dean of Students Pete Englin. Audience participation is encouraged. The documentary The 11th Hour will follow.

The Plight of the Honey Bees: Colony Collapse Disorder - Diana Cox-Foster
7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Diana Cox-Foster is a professor of entomology at Pennsylvania State University. She is leading a team of researchers trying to explain "colony collapse disorder," the name given to the phenomenon that occurs when bees unexplainably become disoriented and fail to return to their hives. Her research focuses on insect biochemistry and physiology and insect-pathogen interactions. Cox-Foster's research on the potential role of the Israeli acute paralysis virus in colony collapse disorder, recently published in Science, has huge implications for the honey bee industry in the United States and hence for U.S. agriculture. Her presentation will include an overview and discussion of colony collapse disorder along with related research on other pollinator species and implications.

Brazilian Night with Chicago Samba
9:00 PM – Maintenance Shop, Memorial Union - FREE ADMISSION - Celebrate the Brazilian culture with Chicago Samba, a musical ensemble that offers the authentic sounds of Brazil mixed with the flavor of carnaval. They play a unique mix of musical styles, including Samba, Bossa Nova, beat, Brazilian jazz, Olodum, Forro, Chorinho, Pagode, and Batucada. Dance lessons provided!

Confessions of a Bamboozled Botanist - Lynn Clark
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Botanist Lynn Clark is a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology and director of the Ada Hayden Herbarium at Iowa State. She is also one of the world's leading authorities on bamboo, having named seventy species since she began her research twenty years ago. Clark's research takes her to Central and South America, where she gathers basic systematic data on bamboo in order to answer broader questions about its morphology, evolutionary relationships and geographic distribution. She earned her B.S. in botany and horticulture from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. in botany from Iowa State. She is coauthor of American Bamboos. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Spring 2008 Dean's Lecture.