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Racial Equality and Catholic Teaching - Anne Clifford
7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in our nation’s capital nearly 55 years ago, on August 28, 1963. Anne Clifford, the Msgr. James A. Supple Chair in Catholic Studies at Iowa State University, will speak about Dr. King's life and work advocating for racial justice in light of recent developments in America and Catholic teachings on racism, especially those of United States Bishops. Msgr. James A. Supple Lecture Series

Campus Forum - Candidates for Ames Mayor & City Council
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - The Student Government will host a forum with candidates running for Ames mayor and city council seats in the November 7 election. Candidates will address issues of concern to Iowa State University students in brief opening remarks and then take questions from the audience. Participants include mayoral candidates Victoria Szopinski and John Haila and city council candidates Amber Corrieri, David Martin, Gloria Betcher, and Rob Bowers. Student Government Vice President Cody Smith will moderate.

How Lucy Died and Why It Matters - John Kappelman
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - John Kappelman, a paleoanthropologist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, will discuss the most famous fossil in the world - Lucy, an ancient human ancestor found in Ethiopia in 1974 - and what her bones tell us about our evolutionary history. Using CT technology, Kappelman and his team identified a series of fractures in Lucy’s skeleton, which they interpreted as traumatic injuries resulting from a fall, most likely from high in a tree. Their findings on Lucy's cause of death, subsequently published in the journal Nature, suggest that Lucy may actually have been a tree dweller and are challenging scientists' understanding of human evolution.

The Economy and You: Separating the Facts from the Fiction - Peter Dunn
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Peter Dunn is a personal finance expert known as Pete the Planner® with a USA TODAY financial advice column and The Million Dollar Plan Podcast. He is the founder of Advanced Planning Solutions, a financial education firm, and author of ten books including 60 Days to Change: A Daily How-To Guide With Actionable Tips for Improving Your Financial Life. He regularly appears on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Fox Business as well as numerous nationally syndicated radio programs, and is considered one of the top four most influential financial broadcasters in the nation. Greater Iowa Credit Union Business Lecture Series

Food Evolution - Documentary & Discussion
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Food Evolution wrestles with the emotions and the evidence driving one of the most heated arguments of our time: GMOs and food. Traveling from Hawaiian papaya groves, to banana farms in Uganda to the cornfields of Iowa, the film looks at the polarized debate on GMOs and the fear, distrust and confusion surrounding the topic. It enlists such experts and icons as Mark Lynas, Alison Van Eenennaam, Jeffrey Smith, Andrew Kimbrell, Vandana Shiva, Robert Fraley, Marion Nestle and Bill Nye, as well as farmers and scientists from around the world, in an effort to separate the hype from the science and unravel the debate around food. Alison Van Eenennaam, Professor and Extension Animal Genomics and Biotechnology Specialist at University of California, Davis, will provide brief opening remarks and lead a discussion immediately following the 90-minute film.

Black Holes in the Universe and in Hollywood - Roger Blandford
8:00 PM – Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building, Iowa State Center - Roger Blandford is an astrophysicist widely recognized for his contributions to the study of black holes. He will describe the strange and wonderful behavior of black holes and compare that to some of the alternate realities created in the movies. Blandford directs the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, where he is the Luke Blossom Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and a member of the Physics Department. Blandford is known for his pioneering theoretical work and has studied a wide variety of phenomena crucial to understanding the universe’s structure and evolution. His many achievements include the discovery of how energy is extracted from a rotating black hole, now referred to in his honor as the Blandford–Znajek process. Zaffarano Lecture in Physics

Leadership: Finding a Roadmap for Success - Lt.Col.(ret) Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch
7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Lt.Col.(ret) Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is founder and head of Educational Achievement Services, which has a mission to prepare tomorrow’s leaders. Born and raised in a tiny barrio in Laredo, Texas, she overcame the challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy. After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, she entered the U.S. Army as an officer and served for two decades, breaking barriers and setting records to become the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army. She retired as a 22-year veteran, returned to her roots and became a community leader. She has worked with children, parents and educators as well as corporate, professional, and non-profit audiences. Latinx Heritage Month and Women’s Leadership Series Keynote

Can You Be Born a Couch Potato? The Genetics of Physical Activity - J. Timothy Lightfoot
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - J. Timothy Lightfoot directs the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance at Texas A&M University, where his research focuses on the genetics of daily physical activity and exercise endurance. His lab also has a unique interest in the physiological responses of athletes in a variety of non-traditional venues such as auto racing and in musicians. Lightfoot’s research has been featured in numerous general media outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Time.com, National Public Radio, and NBC’s Today Show. He began his career as a research consultant at NASA’s Biomedical Laboratory and has been on the faculty at Florida Atlantic University and the University of North Carolina Charlotte. He is currently the Omar Smith Endowed Professor of Kinesiology at Texas A&M. Pease Family Scholar in Kinesiology

Political and Economic Transition at Home and Abroad - Ali Velshi
8:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - MSNBC anchor and correspondent Ali Velshi brings a unique perspective to his coverage of politics and the impact of the current administration's domestic and international policy shifts. He was previously CNN’s chief business correspondent and is known for his ability to explain in plain terms the causes of the global financial crisis, the debt ceiling and the budget debates. Velshi reported on the U.S. presidential campaign and provided overseas coverage of ISIL, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the Iran nuclear deal as the host of Al Jazeera America's “Ali Velshi On Target.” He also serves as an NBC news business correspondent, is the author of Gimme My Money Back, and co-authored How to Speak Money with former CNN colleague and Iowa State alum Christine Romans. Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science. No podcast of this event will be available online.

Betting on Africa to Feed the World - World Food Prize Laureate Akinwumi Adesina
8:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Akinwumi Adesina is President of the African Development Bank and the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. Heralded as “Africa’s Norman Borlaug,” Adesina has for the past two decades helped transform African agriculture. He organized the 2006 Africa Fertilizer Summit, was an early leader in the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and, more recently, served as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture. His policy reforms in support of the African farmer have expanded access to financing and credit, helped end corruption in the fertilizer and seed sectors, and promoted investment in agriculture from both the public and private sectors. The 2017 Norman Borlaug Lecture and part of the World Affairs Series A reception and student poster display will precede the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. in the South Ballroom, Memorial Union. Posters will address world food issues and are submitted by undergraduate and graduate students.