Search For Lectures
Past Events
Thursday, 16 Sep 2021
A Question of Values: Weaving Science and Society for Forest Conservation
7:00 PM – WebEx - 2021 Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture
WebEx Link: https://tinyurl.com/r3ez748a
Dr. Nalini Nadkarni is a Professor of Biology and forest ecologist at the University of Utah. With support from the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society, she studies the plants and animals that live in rainforest canopies. She has written over 130 scientific papers and three books. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge about trees with all sectors in society. In addition to her contributions to understanding the science of trees, Nadkarni has collaborated with modern dancers, poets, and creative writers to communicate the beauty of forests to arts audiences to convey the importance of trees to public groups who might not otherwise be interested in forests. Mattel has created a “Treetop Barbie†to recognize her efforts to raise interest for field science in young girls. She has brought lectures, conservation projects, and nature imagery to people who are incarcerated in prisons across the country. Her work has been featured in journals ranging from Science and the Journal of Ecology to Glamour and Playboy Magazine. Her recent national awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Public Service Award, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the William Julius William Award for Achievement in Social Justice, and the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation.
Monday, 13 Sep 2021
Youth Voting and the 26th Amendment: Youth Can Make a Difference
6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - 2021 Constitution Day Speaker
2021 is the 50th anniversary of the 26th Amendment, which gave 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds the right to vote.
Join us for a lecture with Dr. Bobbi Gentry, associate professor of History and Political Science at Bridgewater College, about the increasing power of the youth vote and the reasons and motivations that drive this population in elections.
Dr. Gentry has BAs in political science and psychology from Winthrop University and a M.Phil and Ph.D in political science from City University of New York. Her research focuses on youth voting behavior.
Thursday, 9 Sep 2021
CANCELED: Virality, Vitality, and Vulnerability: Christianity and Culture as Ecosystems of Meaning
6:30 PM – Campanile Room, Memorial Union - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED.
Dr. Justin Bailey is associate professor of theology at Dordt University. An ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, Dr. Bailey's area of emphasis is on the intersection of Christian theology and culture, exploring the ways culture shapes the practice of Christian faith as well as the ways that the Christian faith influences and shapes culture.
Dr. Bailey is the host of the In All Things podcast and his work has appeared in academic jours as well as popular sources. He is the author of Reimagining Apologetics: The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age and the forthcoming volume Your Interpretation Is Your Life.
Thursday, 2 Sep 2021
The Uninhabitable Earth? Climate Change and Your Future
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - This panel discussion will focus on the effects of climate change, particularly political, psychological, and economic consequences, and what we can do to mitigate or change our current situation.
This event is being held to celebrate ISU alum Dwight Ink’s 99th birthday (which is September 9). Mr. Ink is a native Iowan, an accomplished civil servant with extraordinary and outstanding contributions to government and governing, and a trusted advisor to seven U.S. presidents. Mr. Ink, who grew up in a poverty-stricken rural family during the Great Depression, entered Iowa State College in 1940, but he left to serve in the U.S. Army for three years (1942–1945). He returned to Ames and in 1947 was the first Iowa State student to earn a degree in government.
Moderator: Dr. Karen Kedrowski; Panelists: Dr. Yu Wang, Dr. Amy Erica Smith, Dr. Robert Brown, and Dr. Craig Anderson
Saturday, 24 Apr 2021
A Thousand Thunderbolts: Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
7:30 PM – Online - Livestream Performance, April 24 @ 7:30 pm (Details for streaming to come.)
On April 24, 2021, the Iowa State University Symphony Orchestra will commemorate the victims of one of the worst chapters of racial violence in the United States: the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The title of the concert is taken from a speech given by Black civil rights advocate Joseph C. Price in 1890 in Minneapolis, in which he wished for a thousand tongues, each representing a thousand thunderbolts, each representing a thousand voices, with which to advocate for the Black people of America. The concert will exclusively feature music written by Black composers from the United States, including Florence Price, George Walker, Mary Watkins, Jessie Montgomery, and William Grant Still. Each work will be preceded by a short video of a Black civil rights leader, icon, or advocate to illuminate the history and lasting effects of race relations in the United States from personal perspectives.
Thursday, 22 Apr 2021
Kidney to Share
7:00 PM – See WebEx Link - WebEx Link: https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb1bd0513212663417d7600986a739700
In Kidney to Share, Martha Gershun tells the story of her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger. She takes readers through the complex process by which such donors are vetted to ensure that they are physically and psychologically fit to take the risk of a major operation. John D. Lantos, a physician and bioethicist, places Gershun’s story in the larger context of the history of kidney transplantation and the ethical controversies that surround living donors. Together, they help readers understand the discoveries that made transplantation relatively safe and effective as well as the legal, ethical, and economic policies that make it feasible.
The Costs of Activism: A Dilemma for the Individual Asian American
5:00 PM – Online - WebEx Link:Â https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee611e989f9556e19a5d55c2fe9236c2a
Dr. Lisa K. Son, Professor of Psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University, specializes in human learning and memory, and in metacognition. Her research focuses on how accurately people know the “self,†and on the optimization of long-term retention. Receiving a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, her work has been published in prestigious journals including Psychological Science, Cognitive Science, and Educational Psychology Review. She has received funding from the U.S. Department of Education and the American Psychological Society for her work with elementary school-aged children, and was, twice, named a Fulbright Scholar to South Korea. Her book, The Science of Metacognition (2019, in Korean), has begun to raise awareness on the illusions that occur during learning, and on ways in which to increase performance. Dr. Son has recently become active in the movement against anti-Asian racism, contributing at rallies, on radio, and in various opinion pieces. Â
Tuesday, 20 Apr 2021
Domestic Violence: The Journey from College Student to Federal Prisoner
7:00 PM – See WebEx Link - WebEx Link: https://bit.ly/3cIT9HG
Kemba Smith-Pradia will share her dramatic story about how she went from college student to drug dealer’s girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner. Kemba shares her story of how making poor choices blinded by love and devotion can have long-term consequences. Kemba’s case drew support from across the nation and the world. The support prompted then President Clinton to commute her 24.5 years sentence to time served – six and a half years – in December 2000. Often labeled the “poster child†for reversing a disturbing trend in the rise of lengthy sentences for first-time, non-violent drug offenders, Kemba’s story has been featured on BET, CNN, Nightline, “Judge Hatchett,†Court TV, “The Early Morning Show; and a host of other television programs. In addition, Kemba’s story has been featured in several publications such as Emerge, JET, Essence, Glamour, People magazines, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Thursday, 15 Apr 2021
How to Hold Schools Accountable
7:00 PM – See WebEx Link - Matt Lamb is an assistant editor for The College Fix, a higher education news site, which trains student journalists. In college, he interned for a government watchdog group called Open the Books. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University-Chicago, where he also studied Economics and Catholic Studies. He has a M.A. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He previously worked as the director of communications for Students for Life of America and as the first executive director of Students for Life Action. He lives in northwest Indiana with his wife.
This talk will delve into the tools students and other people can use to hold their school and government entities accountable. Lamb will talk about how to see how much your school spends on different services, your rights to certain information and overall how to become a more engaged citizen.
WebEx Link:Â https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=e1775feb4dabe82159667d376afe78679
Wednesday, 14 Apr 2021
Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship
7:00 PM – See WebEx Link - WebEx Link: https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=e84bee96f79a8d4cfa8263d158e056f73
Nadine Strossen is a Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School and the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served from 1991 through 2008. A frequent speaker on constitutional and civil liberties issues, her media appearances include 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The Daily Show, and other news programs. First Amendment Days