Search For Lectures


Past Events

Thursday, 13 Sep 2018

Big or Small--Do You Call? - Campus Conversation
3:30 PM – 198 Parks Library - Engage in conversation about the recent events related to police reporting and response and community interaction. Members of the ISU Police Engagement and Inclusion Team will be available to share information about their response procedures. Campus Conversations are arranged through the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion with the goal of bringing together students, faculty and staff to discuss current events and the campus climate.

Tuesday, 11 Sep 2018

The Dark Side of Big Data - Cathy O'Neil
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Cathy O'Neil is a mathematician, data scientist and the author of Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy. She will discuss the unintended negative consequences of using big data, including how so-called "objective" black-box algorithms have the potential to reinforce human bias in everything from sentencing to hiring workers. O'Neil began her career in academia before moving to the private sector, where she worked as a hedge-fund analyst during the credit crisis and then as a data scientist in the New York start-up scene. She writes regularly for Bloomberg View about algorithms, and in 2017 she founded the consulting firm ORCAA to audit algorithms for racial, gender and economic inequality. Part of the National Affairs Series

Monday, 10 Sep 2018

Called to Lives of Meaning and Purpose: A New Approach to Vocation - Kathleen Cahalan
7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Kathleen A. Cahalan is Professor of Theology at Saint John's University School of Theology and Seminary and Director of the Collegeville Institute Seminars, for which she co-edited two recent volumes: Calling All Years Good: Vocation throughout Life's Seasons and Calling in Today’s World: Voices from Eight Faith Perspectives. Cahalan also coordinates the Lilly Endowment's Called to Lives of Meaning and Purpose Initiative, which began this year. Msgr. James A. Supple Lecture Series

Thursday, 6 Sep 2018

The Art of Science: Bringing Imagined Worlds to Life - Danielle Feinberg
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Danielle Feinberg, Pixar Animation Studio's Director of Photography for Lighting, uses math, science and code to bring wonder to the big screen. Go behind the scenes of some of your favorite animated movies to discover how Pixar interweaves art and science to create fantastical worlds where the things you imagine can become real. Feinberg has a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Harvard University. In addition to her Pixar work, she mentors teenage girls, encouraging them to pursue code, math and science.

Wednesday, 5 Sep 2018

Refugee Stories: The Art of Mohamad Hafez - Mohamad Hafez
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Mohamad Hafez came to the United States to study architecture at Iowa State University and was unable to return to his beloved Syria. With the advent of the Syrian civil war in 2011, his home was forever changed. He will speak about his art, his refugee experience, and the stories of refugees from around the world, which he visually recreates in his exhibition Unpacked. The exhibit features miniaturized re-creations of a moment in time or a memory, each placed within a suitcase and accompanied by a recording of the refugee's story told in his or her own words.  The exhibition "Unpacked: Refugee Baggage" is in the Christian Petersen Art Museum, Morrill Hall, September 4-October 19. No podcast recording for this event.

The Art of Mindfulness - Romapada Swami
6:00 PM – Cardinal Room, Memorial Union - Romapada Swami is a Vaishnava monk, a scholar on Eastern (Vedic) thought and philosophy, and a highly respected spiritual leader. He will discuss how mindfulness can help one achieve peace and happiness and its role as a spiritual practice for the Hare Krishnas. Romapada Swami attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was introduced to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a religious organization rooted in ancient sanskrit Vedic scriptures and formed to spread the wisdom of Bhakti Yoga. He oversees temples in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago, Naperville, St Louis, Kansas City and, currently, Freeport, NY.

Tuesday, 4 Sep 2018

Trade Relations and U.S. Agriculture - Tom Vilsack
6:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Tom Vilsack served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for eight years and is currently president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. As Secretary of Agriculture he worked to strengthen rural communities and ensure a safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply for Americans at home but also to expand markets abroad. He has been honored for his public service and work to advance American agriculture by the Congressional Hunger Center, National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau, and National Farmers Union. Tom Vilsack served as Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. Part of the Technology, Globalization and Culture Series

Thursday, 26 Apr 2018

4th Congressional District Democratic Candidate Forum
6:30 PM – South Ballroom, Memorial Union - The Iowa State College Democrats will host a forum with candidates running for the Democratic nomination for the 4th Congressional District, which includes the city of Ames and Iowa State University. The primary election is scheduled for June 5. The three Candidates will address issues of concern to Iowa State University students in brief opening remarks and then take questions, which can be submitted online. Participants include Leann Jacobsen of Spencer, John Paschen of Ames, and J. D. Scholten of Sioux City. Part of the Campaign 2018 Series, providing the university and community with opportunities to question candidates before the election. A candidate meet-and-greet will precede the forum at 6:00pm. Link: Online Question Submission Form

Wednesday, 25 Apr 2018

George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life - Preview of the IPTV Documentary & Conversation with the Filmmaker
7:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Filmmaker Laurel Bower will show a 30-minute segment of her hour-long documentary celebrating the life of George Washington Carver, including Iowa State’s role in his path to education. The full documentary will premiere on statewide Iowa Public Television Monday, April 30 at 8 p.m. After the excerpt is shown, producer and director Laurel Bower will be joined by associate producer and Iowa State alum Paxton Williams, who has portrayed Carver more than 400 times, to take questions from the audience.

Tuesday, 24 Apr 2018

Ethical Considerations - Brian Green
7:00 PM – 2050 Agronomy Hall - Brian Green, Director of Technology Ethics at Santa Clara University, will speak about the potential ethical implications of emerging and disruptive food technologies. He’ll share what needs to be considered in using these technologies in ways that encourage the development of a healthy, fair and sustainable food system for the future. 2017-18 Helen LeBaron Hilton Endowed Chair Lecture Series