Schedule of Events

The Economics of Artificial Intelligence
Thu, 07 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - I.W. Arthur Memorial LectureEconomist Tyler Cowen will discuss the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI). Cowen believes that those who are worried about AI destroying humankind need to make a more convincing case for their concerns. Cowen thinks that those worried about AI are too willing to limit freedoms and empower government to reduce the uncertain risk.Cowen is a professor of Economics at George Mason University and at the Center for the Study of Public Choice. He is also the director of the Mercatus Center, which does research to advance the knowledge about how markets solve problems. Dr. Cowen writes for the blog Marginal Revolution. His latest book, Talent, was published in 2022.About I.W. ArthurIra W. “Duke” Arthur was born in Iowa in 1893.  He graduated from Ames High School in 1912 as president of his senior class.  He then attended Iowa State College where he studied animal husbandry.  After graduating in 1916, he briefly taught animal husbandry at the University of Georgia.  However, when war broke out he became a World War I flier with the United States Air Corps.  After the war, he returned to Ames where he completed a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics in 1927.  He continued his study of economics, first at the University of Chicago and then at the University of Minnesota where he received his doctorate in 1939.    I.W. Arthur joined the Iowa State Economics Department in 1936.  He became a full professor in 1959.  His duties were divided between extension and teaching.  His extension research and activities included contributions in the areas of farm leases, land tenure, social security, partnership agreements, pork and beef marketing, and rural human capital.  However, his greatest contributions were in undergraduate teaching.  His students admired him both for his kind, compassionate nature and for his straightforward, no-nonsense approach to economic problems.    The Department of Economics at Iowa State is proud to dedicate this seminar to the memory of I.W. Arthur and to the academic spirit that he strived to enhance. The University Book Store will be onsite selling his books at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Ted Bundy and the Unsolved Murder Epidemic
Mon, 11 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Dr. Matt DeLisi revisits the life and crimes of Ted Bundy in his newbook, Ted Bundy and the Unsolved Murder Epidemic, which seeks to reconcile the contradictions and controversies about his life that underscore the broader U.S. unsolved murder problem, one that is estimated between 250,000 to 350,000 open, unresolved, or cold cases. The incidence of crime is far greater than is captured by official statistics; most offenses are never detected, a concept known as the dark figure of crime which is explored here. Drawing on 25 years of practitioner, research, and consultant experiences with the most violent criminals, Dr. DeLisi offers solutions toward clearing the current backlog of unsolved murders in the United States many of which were never reported and disproportionately perpetrated by offenders like Bundy. This compelling book speaks to students, academics and readers interested in true crime, serial murder, homicide and criminal justice.Matt DeLisi is Professor and Coordinator of Criminal Justice Studies and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University. Professor DeLisi's primary research interests include criminal careers/career criminals, self-control theory, corrections, psychopathy, and the molecular/behavioral genetics of antisocial behavior.The University Book Store will be onsite selling his books at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Women, Power, and Rape Culture: The Politics and Policy of Underrepresentation
Tue, 12 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – South Ballroom, Memorial Union - Bonnie Stabile is Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs and Associate Professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, where she also founded and directs the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center. Professor Stabile’s teaching repertoire in public policy and public administration includes courses on policy analysis, program evaluation, ethics, and gender. She was the 2019 recipient of the Schar School's Teaching Award. During her 16-year tenure at the Schar School, she has also served as MPP and MPA program director.Her book, Women, Power and Rape Culture: The Politics and Policy of Underrepresentation, co-authored by Graduate Research Assistant and doctoral candidate Aubrey Grant, was published by Praeger in September 2022. Other publications include articles in peer-reviewed journals including Public Integrity; the Journal of Public Affairs Education; Sexuality, Gender and Policy; Rhetoric Review; and Politics and the Life Sciences. She writes for Ms. Magazine and serves on the Ms. Committee of Scholars.Professor Stabile served as Editor-in-Chief of World Medical & Health Policy, a peer reviewed academic journal published by Wiley, from 2019 - 2020, after having served as Deputy and then Co-Editor since 2011. Her federal government work experience includes acting as Installation Coordinator of a U.S. Army post in Amberg, Germany, and as a Program Analyst for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. From 1989-1993 she was Program Coordinator of the Senior Managers in Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Follow-up event: Join a discussion group on September 13 from 12:00-12:45pm at Sloss. Bring your lunch, process what you learned at the lecture, and share questions you have next about the topic.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Poetry and Conflict Resolution
Thu, 14 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - This lecture is part of the Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writer Series.Poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centres around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. Working fluently on the page and with groups of people, Pádraig is a skilled speaker, teacher and group worker. His work has won acclaim in circles of poetry, politics, religion, psychotherapy and conflict analysis. In this lecture, he will explore conflict resolution through the lens of contemporary poetry.Mr. Ó Tuama will do a book signing after the event. The University Book Store will be onsite selling his books.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Why They Come
Fri, 15 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - This talk will explore why immigrants are crossing our southern border. Contrary to popular belief, it is not in search of a better life or to take advantage of U.S. generosity. When one nation builds roads into other nations to steal their raw material and cheap labor, we should not be shocked when those individuals take those same roads following what has been stolen from them. This immigration crisis is a product of foreign colonialist policies which began in the 1840s. A brief history will be explored to better grasp why people show up at our borders. Rather than going to charitable virtues as a reply, the talk debunks such self-gratifying responses and focuses instead on restitution as a more appropriate answer. This is a challenging talk which will help students think more critically about the current immigration issue.Dr. Miguel De La Torre is an international scholar, documentarian, activist, and author. Dr. De La Torre's academic pursuit is social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, especially how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He serves as professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Olivia’s Legacy: Raising Awareness of Alcohol Culture on Campuses and How to Stay Safe
Tue, 19 Sep 2023, 5:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. In January 2021, Iowa State student Olivia Chutich died of hypothermia and acute alcohol intoxication in her sorority's parking lot. Hear from her mother, Dr. Penny Wheeler, recently retired chief executive officer of Allina Health, as she shares the story of her daughter's spirit, the impact of her loss, and considerations for alcohol education and increasing safety in situations where alcohol is involved.Follow-up event: Join a discussion group on September 20 from 12:00-12:45pm at Sloss. Bring your lunch, process what you learned at the lecture, and share questions you have next about the topic.

Do Rivers Have Rhythm? Describing the Energetic Regimes of Flowing Waters
Wed, 20 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - This lecture wa recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. Fobes Ronald Lecture in Environmental ConservationA decade ago, a group of freshwater scientists asked the deceptively simple question: Are there river biomes? We wanted to understand if there were characteristic rhythms of productivity and respiration in river ecosystems. We wanted to know: What environmental drivers distinguished one river biome from another? Can they be predicted from the terrestrial biome they drain? Do they vary predictably with river size? Are they changing as a result of climate and land use change? This talk will explore the answers we arrived at after taking the "pulse" of hundreds of rivers through the StreamPULSE project.Emily S. Bernhardt, PhD. is the James B. Duke Professor of Biogeochemistry and current Chair of the Department of Biology at Duke University. First appointed to Duke in 2004, Dr. Bernhardt’s research is motivated by a desire to understand how our use of the land alters energy and nutrient cycling in downstream rivers and wetlands and the extent to which management efforts can reverse, ameliorate, or improve aquatic ecosystem structure and function. Dr. Bernhardt has been recognized for her scholarly productivity and impact with the 2004 H.G. Hynes Award from the Society for Freshwater Science; the 2013 Yentsch-Schindler award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography; the 2015 Mercer Award from the Ecological Society of America; and a 2015 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She has been named a Fellow of the Leopold Leadership Program, the Ecological Society of America, the Society for Freshwater Science, and the American Geophysical Union. In 2023 she was elected to the National Academy of Science.

Breaking Barriers: Ivan Depeña Artist Talk
Thu, 21 Sep 2023, 4:30 PM – Second Floor, Scheman Building - In remembrance of the 100 year anniversary of Jack Trice’s death, the large-scale sculpture Breaking Barriers was installed outside the stadium bearing Trice’s name. Artist Ivan Depeña will discuss the process of creating public works of art, and the intricacies of making art that captures the varied impacts and legacy of Jack Trice held by countless ISU alumni. Please note: this lecture will not be recorded.

It's Not Done: Women's Constitutional Equality
Thu, 21 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 2023 Constitution Day SpeakerDr. 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.Follow-up event: Join a discussion group on September 22 from 12:00-12:45pm at 353 Catt Hall. Bring your lunch, process what you learned at the lecture, and share questions you have next about the topic.

Story County Mental Health Expo: Escape for Overcoming Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts
Mon, 25 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – Great Hall Memorial Union - This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. This free event kicks off with a local mental health provider fair, where representatives will be available to share information about on-campus and community mental health services, plus free food and great prizes!6pm - Vendor Fair Begins + Enjoy Free Food7pm - Keynote, Panel Q&A8:15pm - Prize Drawing8:30pm - Vendoor Fair ClosesParticipating vendors include: ACCESS Assault Care CenterAlternative Response for Community Health (ARCH)Alternatives Arrest Diversion ProgramAmes Police DepartmentAmes Public LibraryAmes Romero HouseCatholic CharitiesCentral Iowa Psychological ServicesCICSCommunity and Family ResourcesCommunity Support AdvocatesInside Out Wellness & AdvocacyIowa Total CareIowa Vocational Rehabilitation ServicesISU Extension and OutreachISU Office of Student AssistanceISU Police DepartmentISU Student Health and WellnessLutheran Services in IowaMartha's House of HopeMary Greeley Medical Center Behavioral Health ServicesMid Iowa Community ActionMolina Healthcare of IowaNAMI Central IowaOptimae LifeServicesPrimary Health CareRomans Ranch, Inc.SIBBA (State of Iowa Black Belt Association/Cyclone Martial Arts)The Bridge HomeThe RedShirt FoundationUCS HealthcareUnityPoint Health Eyerly BallUnited Way of Story CountyWalnut Creek PsychiatryYSS This year's keynote will be given by Kai Roberts, "Escape: Overcoming Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts." Kai tells the story of overcoming the panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder that he struggled with in college. Kai talks deeply about the origins of his anxiety, the symptoms he experienced, and the nature of his paralyzing intrusive thoughts. The presentation concludes with Kai explaining his road to recovery and an inspiring message for those who may be struggling with something similar. This is a refreshingly personal and at times uncomfortable presentation that speaks to many issues young people deal with today.Download the 2023 Story County Mental Health Expo Resource Guide here.Check out the Story County Mental Health Expo on Facebook by clicking here.

When a Dream Dies: Iowa’s Experience of the Farm Crisis of the 1980s
Tue, 26 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.Pamela Riney-Kehrberg is Distinguished Professor of History at Iowa State University, and a Fellow of the Agricultural History Society. She has taught at Iowa State since 2000. She is the author or editor of seven books, including Rooted in Dust: Surviving Drought and Depression in Southwestern Kansas and Childhood on the Farm: Work, Play and Coming of Age in the Midwest. Her new book is When a Dream Dies: Agriculture, Iowa, and the Farm Crisis of the 1980s. Dr. Riney-Kehrberg's lecture will explore the trauma the people of Iowa faced in the 1980s when two-thirds of its farmers were in distress, and half of those were in imminent danger of foreclosure.The University Book Store will be onsite selling books at the event.

Innovating Ag Innovation
Wed, 27 Sep 2023, 5:30 PM – Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall - This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.William K. Deal Endowed Leadership LectureInnovation in agriculture is omnipresent. Yet, the agricultural sector in the U.S. - and the rest of the world - is facing unprecedented challenges and risks to meet the global demand for food, fiber and energy. How can we innovate the innovation required to address these challenges in our supply chain infrastructure, meaningfully mitigate climate change, enhance productivity, improve water quality, water use and water availability, increase biodiversity and mitigate labor shortages while ensuring food security?Al Tank, ag and food entrepreneur, investor and consultant based in Bethesda, Maryland, earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State in 1981. He has held several positions within the agricultural field over the years, serving in Iowa and Washington, D.C. This includes serving as a previous CEO of the National Pork Producers Council.He also founded and was chief executive officer of two companies – AgCert International Plc and Revolution Energy Solutions LLC. AgCert has become a leader in producing and selling agriculturally derived greenhouse gas emission reductions used to meet Kyoto Protocol and European Union Emission Trading Scheme requirements. Revolution Energy Solutions LLC developed, owned and operated renewable energy projects on agricultural platforms in the United States.According to Tank, innovation in agriculture is omnipresent. Yet the agricultural sector in the United States and the rest of the world faces unprecedented challenges and risks to meet the global demand for food, fiber and energy. During his presentation, Tank will address how we can:innovate the innovation required to address these challenges in our supply chain infrastructure;meaningfully mitigate climate change;enhance productivity;improve water quality, water use and water availability;increase biodiversity; andmitigate labor shortages while ensuring food security. This lecture will be recorded and made available a few days after the event at https://www.lectures.iastate.edu/recordings/available-recordings. 

Rumba: Tales of Sound & Sentiment in the Afro-Latinx Diaspora
Thu, 28 Sep 2023, 6:00 PM РSun Room, Memorial Union - Berta Jottar is an independent scholar and media maker with a PhD from the Department of Performance Studies at New York University, TISCH School of the Arts. For the past 20 years, she has specialized in the research, recording, and editing of the music and dance practices of the Afro-Latinx Diaspora in the East Coast, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Her scholarly work has been published in several academic journals; and her videos have been featured at international festivals and museums. In Havana, Jottar has developed several projects related to music, performance, and film. She is documenting a group of traditional rumba dancers who live in Cuba and belong to the first generation of women who trained under the Revolutionary educational system. Combining cinema verit̩ and experimental ethnography, her work is invested in the understanding of alternative knowledges via embodied practices such as gesture and sound. Her latest productions include, The Batista Syndrome and Notes from Nowhere, both directed by Steve Fagin. Currently, she is finalizing a multimedia archive and manuscript about the history of Central Park Rumba in New York City.

Moments of Impact: Examining the Legacy of Jack Trice
Tue, 03 Oct 2023, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page by clicking here.Jack Trice Legacy LectureIn the first half of the twentieth century, Jack Trice, Ozzie Simmons, and Johnny Bright played college football for three Iowa institutions: Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University, respectively. At a time when the overwhelming majority of their opponents and teammates were white, the three men, all African American, sustained serious injuries on the gridiron due to foul play, either because of their talents, their race, or, most likely, an ugly combination of the two. Moments of Impact tells their stories and examines how the local communities of which they were once a part have forgotten and remembered those assaults over time. Of particular interest are the ways those memories have been expressed in a number of commemorations, including a stadium name, a trophy, and the dedication of a football field.Dr. Jaime Schultz is the author of Moments of Impact: Injury, Racialized Memory, and Reconciliation in College Football. The book primarily focuses on Mr. Trice's life and influence on ISU through the 1990s. She also writes about the legacies of Ozzie Simmons at University of Iowa and Johnny Bright at Drake University. Dr. Schultz, who did her Ph.D at University of Iowa, is now a professor of kinesiology at Penn State.The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.

Financial Fragility: The Future of Inflation, Interest Rates, and Banking
Wed, 04 Oct 2023, 7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - To join the livestream of this lecture, click here. This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.Join us for a roundtable discussion about the current economic situation with three esteemed experts.James Paulsen recently retired as Chief Investment Strategist of The Leuthold Group, LLC. Paulsen has been an investment industry professional since 1983, including working as Chief Investment Strategist at Wells Capital Management where he worked for 20 years. Prior to that, Jim was the senior managing director and Chief Investment Strategist for Investors Management Group in Des Moines, Iowa. He also served as president of SCI Capital Management in Cedar Rapids. For more than 30 years, Jim has published commentary assessing economic and market trends. He is nationally recognized for his views on the economy, frequently appears on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, and is invited to speaking engagements across the country. He has been named a top economic forecaster by Business Week, and Money Magazine called his newsletter one of “101 Things Every Investor Should Know.”  Jim earned a Bachelor degree and Doctoral degree in Economics from Iowa State University.Kartik Athreya is executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Athreya's work has been published in a variety of academic journals, including the Journal of Monetary Economics, American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, and International Economic Review. He is also an associate editor at the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. In recent years, Athreya has taught a doctoral course in macroeconomics at the University of Virginia and authored a book entitled Big Ideas in Macroeconomics (2013, MIT Press). He earned his doctorate from the University of Iowa and his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Iowa State. Athreya's research interests are in macroeconomics and consumer finance. His current research aims to measure and understand household financial distress and debt repayment decisions, to quantify the links between household investments in human capital and in the stock market, and to assess the importance of risks associated with college enrollment for educational attainment and inequality.Dame DeAnne Shirley Julius, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2002) and Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (2013) is a Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House, formally known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, where she served as chair from 2003-12. From 2014-19 she was chair of the Council of University College London. Before that, she was a founder member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, a project economist with the World Bank in Washington, and has handled extensive roles in the private sector, including service as chief economist at British Airways and Royal Dutch Shell. She earned a BSc degree in economics from Iowa State University, and an MA and PhD degree in economics from the University of California, Davis. She holds five honorary doctorates, from the University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, South Bank University, University of Bath, and Iowa State University.   

Trice 100: The Name, The Legacy
Thu, 05 Oct 2023, 7:30 PM – Parks Library, Reading Room 298 - Join George Trice from the Trice Legacy Foundation and Jill Wagner, ISU student government president 1975-76, to discuss how ISU students rallied support for naming Jack Trice Stadium and how the Trice family continues to grow his legacy via the Trice Legacy Foundation. Refreshments will follow.This presentation was recorded and is available to view on the Available Recordings website.  

Money Madness: The Federal Reserve is Flying Blind. Why?
Tue, 10 Oct 2023, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - An economist, trader, advisor to presidents, and country boy from Cass County, Iowa, Steve Hanke is a professor of applied economics and founder and co-director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at The Johns Hopkins University. Prof. Hanke is currently ranked as the world's third-most influential economist by FocusEconomics in Barcelona, Spain. He was one of the few who accurately predicted the recent bout of U.S. inflation and its subsequent decline.Over four decades, Hanke has advised dozens of world leaders from Ronald Reagan to Indonesia’s Suharto on currency reforms, infrastructure development, privatization and how to tame hyperinflation. He served as a Senior Economist on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers; as a Senior Advisor to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress; as a State Counselor to the Republic of Lithuania and to the Republic of Montenegro; and as an Advisor to the Presidents of Argentina, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. Prof. Hanke helped to establish new currency regimes in Argentina, Estonia, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ecuador, Lithuania and Montenegro. He has advised the governments of many other countries, including Albania, the United Arab Emirates and Yugoslavia.Prof. Hanke is also a well-known currency and commodity trader -- a trade introduced to him 70 years ago by his grandfather in Iowa. Among other things, Prof. Hanke was the president of Toronto Trust Argentina in Buenos Aires, the world’s best performing mutual fund in 1995. For his scholarly achievements, Prof. Hanke has been awarded seven honorary doctorate degrees and is an Honorary Professor at four foreign institutions. In 2020, Prof. Hanke was named a Knight of the Order of the Flag. Prof. Hanke's most recent book Did Lockdowns Work? The Verdict on Covid Restrictions was published in June by the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. Prof. Hanke and his wife, Liliane, reside in Baltimore and Paris. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page by clicking here.

Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers
Thu, 12 Oct 2023, 6:00 PM – Garden Room, Reiman Gardens - With their deadly plants, razor-sharp shears, shady corners, and ready-made burial sites, gardens make an ideal scene for a murder mystery. Flora and horticulture have had an outsize influence on the genre: motive, means, opportunity, victims, villains, and detectives. Join Marta McDowell, a writer, gardener, and avid mystery reader, in exploring the many ways in which writers—from Edgar Allen Poe and Wilkie Collins to Agatha Christie and some of today’s top crime fiction authors—have found inspiration in the sinister side of gardening.Friendly folks from Dog-Eared Books will also have copies of Marta’s new book, Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers for attendees to purchase. A portion of each sale will benefit Reiman Gardens.Marta McDowell teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and consults for private clients and public gardens. Her latest book is Unearthing The Secret Garden, about the inspiration for the classic children's book. Timber Press also published Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, New York Times-bestselling All the Presidents' Gardens, and Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, now in its eighth printing. Marta's new book about garden themes in murder mysteries, is due out from Timber Press in 2023. She was the 2019 recipient of the Garden Club of America's Sarah Chapman Francis Medal for outstanding literary achievement.For more information about Marta McDowell, visit https://www.martamcdowell.comPlease note: This lecture will not be recorded.

Can We Be Civil? Call-Out Culture in America
Thu, 19 Oct 2023, 5:30 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Phi Beta Kappa Visiting ScholarPleas to be "civil" in our political and social dialogue in the news media are often followed by demands to call out discrimination and injustice wherever we see it. Can the two forms of interaction coexist? Or do they cancel each other out? This lecture will examine the tensions between the two types of discourse by referring back to a characteristically American form of political rhetoric: prophetic indictment, which finds its roots in Puritan Massachusetts but whose reach has extended to our own day. Cathleen Kaveny is a scholar who focuses on the relationship of law, religion, and morality. She serves as the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor at Boston College, a position that includes appointments in both the Theology Department and the Law School. Kaveny regularly teaches contract law to first-year law students. Her books include Law's Virtue: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society and A Culture of Engagement: Law, Religion, and Morality.The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.

CANCELLED The Live Free Tour
Thu, 19 Oct 2023, 6:30 PM – CY Stephens Auditorium - The Live Free event with Charlie Kirk has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict with Mr. Kirk. This event is free, open to the public, and does not require a ticket for entrance. It will not be recorded or livestreamed. Doors open at 5:30pm.The first 7 rows (300seats) will be reserved for ISU students until 6:10pm; show your ISU student ID at the SE or SW Tower doors to enter. The general public may enter through the North Doors.No bags will be permitted. Small bags for medical supplies and diaper bags will be permitted but will be searched before entry.No picket signs, banners, or other materials that could block views or be used as a weapon will be permitted. Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point, a national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. The event is part of Mr. Kirk's "Live Free" college and universities tour organized by Turning Point. 

Removing Landmines, Supporting Farmers: Cultivating Peace Through Agriculture
Mon, 23 Oct 2023, 8:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - 2023 Norman Borlaug LectureHeidi Kühn is the founder and CEO of Roots of Peace, a humanitarian nonprofit organization that replaces landmines with sustainable agricultural farmland. The organization also trains farmers in modern agricultural practices, from planting and harvesting to marketing through international exports.Kühn, the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate, will be joined in conversation by President Wendy Wintersteen for this lecture.Prior to the Borlaug Lecture, 18 undergraduate and graduate students will have posters on display related to their work/research in the area of world issues. Individuals are invited to view the students’ posters during a reception from 7-8 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Winners of the poster competition will be announced immediately following the conclusion of the Borlaug Lecture.This lecture was recorded, and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

The State Department: A Nexus of Diplomacy, Economics, and Food Security
Wed, 25 Oct 2023, 5:30 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Due to the speaker's schedule, this event has been cancelled. Ramin Toloui is the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In this role, Toloui leads the Department’s efforts focused on expanding opportunity for American workers and businesses, deepening cooperation with other countries on shared economic challenges, and leveraging economic tools to advance U.S. national security objectives. Ramin received an A.B. summa cum laude in Economics from Harvard University and an M.Phil in International Relations from Balliol College at Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Toloui is an Iowa native. This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.

City Bird, Country Bird: How Human Activity Affects Predator-Prey Interactions
Thu, 26 Oct 2023, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - 2023 Paul L. Errington Memorial LectureAmanda D. Rodewald is the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University. Prior to joining Cornell in 2013, she spent 13 years as a professor at Ohio State University. Dr. Rodewald received a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from University of Montana, a M.S. in Zoology from University of Arkansas, and a PhD in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University. Her interdisciplinary research integrates population, community, and landscape ecology with conservation biology and sustainability science, and uses community science, big data, and computational modeling to understand and address conservation challenges in temperate and tropical landscapes. Dr. Rodewald also serves on the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Paul L. Errington, quoted by Animal Ecology Today as one of the "four great pioneers of animal ecology", was a professor of wildlife biology at Iowa State University from July, 1932 until his retirement. Dr. Errington's love and understanding of nature is shown in four popular books: Of Men and Marshes, The Red Gods Call, Of Predation and Life, and A Question of Values. A Question of Values is a collection of essays published posthumously in 1987. Paul L. Errington passed along a priceless heritage of conservation wisdom and insight to those who have the opportunity to read what he wrote, who benefit from his skills, and who must continue to question and enlarge upon his findings. On the occasion of the annual Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture, we recognize and pay tribute to his special qualities as a person and as a scientist.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Population Health in Rural America: Contemporary Trends, Causes, and Complexities
Mon, 30 Oct 2023, 7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - George M. Beal Distinguished Lectureship in Rural SociologyThis event is also offered via livestream. To watch the livestream, click here.The U.S. rural mortality penalty is wide and growing. This talk will present an overview of trends in rural and urban mortality rates since 1990, identify where rates have increased the most, discuss the major causes of death that have contributed to the increasing rural mortality penalty, and discuss some potential explanations for these trends. With this longer-term context in mind, the presentation will move into a discussion of two contemporary population health crises – the drug overdose crisis and COVID-19 – and discuss their differential impacts across the U.S. rural-urban continuum.Shannon Monnat is the Lerner Chair in Public Health Promotion and Population Health, Director of the Center for Policy Research, and Professor of Sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Monnat is a demographer and population health scholar whose research examines trends and geographic differences in health and mortality, with a special interest in rural health and health disparities. She is a leading national expert on structural and spatial determinants of drug overdose. Her most recent research has focused on geographic differences in COVID-19 experiences and outcomes. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous book chapters and policy briefs. Her research has been featured in several media outlets, including CNN, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic. Monnat has been the PI or Co-Investigator on projects totaling over $10 million in external research funding, including from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Justice, United States Department of Agriculture, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Institute for New Economic Thinking. She currently leads an NIH-funded project to examine the effects of state’s COVID-19 mitigation policies on working-age adult psychological wellbeing, drug overdose, and suicide.This lecture was recorded and can be viewwed on the Available Recordings page.

A Land Abroad: Why America Should Care About Russia’s Ongoing Invasion of Ukraine
Wed, 01 Nov 2023, 5:30 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been devastating. As the war enters its nineteenth month, one-fourth of the country’s total population is displaced, hundreds of thousands have died, and several cities and villages have been destroyed. To date, the United States has sent nearly $60 billion in aid. But why should America, a country thousands of miles away, be concerned about the war? In this lecture series, Mr. Temnycky will discuss Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, the ramifications it has across Europe, and why the United States should continue to support this country.Mark Temnycky is a Ukrainian-American who is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, and an accredited freelance journalist who has been covering Eurasian affairs and European energy security matters for over seven years. He has been published by The New York Times, Forbes, the Daily Mail, The Hill, EUobserver, Kyiv Post, Euromaidan Press, Atlantic Council, and several other American and European news outlets and think tanks. He earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University; a Bachelor of Arts in History, with departmental honors from Le Moyne College; and a Certificate in International Relations from Georgetown University.This lecture was recorded and is available on the Available Recordings page.

Master of the Universe: How Einstein's Theories Transformed Our View of the Cosmos
Wed, 01 Nov 2023, 7:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Fall 2023 Sigma Xi Distinguished LectureAlbert Einstein’s greatest accomplishments, his special and general theories of relativity, opened the door to a new era of astronomy. His ideas revealed the source of a star’s power, led to the discovery of neutron stars and black holes, and allowed theorists to realize that the universe is expanding. Just about anywhere astronomers’ observations take them today, they enter Einstein’s realm, where time is relative, mass and energy are interchangeable, and space can stretch and warp. This lecture will show how modern cosmology was founded on the blueprint that Einstein fashioned.Combining her undergraduate training in journalism with a master’s degree in physics, Marcia Bartusiak has been covering the fields of astronomy and physics for more than four decades. A Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bartusiak is the author of seven books on astrophysics and the history of astronomy, including Black Hole, Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony (winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award), and The Day We Found the Universe (winner of the History of Science Society's Davis Prize). In 2008 she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, cited for “exceptionally clear communication of the rich history, the intricate nature, and the modern practice of astronomy to the public at large.”  The University Book Store will be onsite selling the speaker's books at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Can You Fix the U.S. National Debt?
Thu, 02 Nov 2023, 5:30 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Can you balance the U.S. budget and fix the national debt? Presented by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the Debt Fixer tool explores the budget tradeoffs needed to set a sustainable course for our country. Committee policy experts will walk through each section of the federal budget--from Education to Defense to Social Security--as you work to balance the budget, while also funding the programs and choices you believe in. Can you do it? 

Fixing the National Debt: A Non-Partisan Challenge for Gen Z
Thu, 02 Nov 2023, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Join two staff members from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget to explore how they are educating and working with Congress and the public in a nonpartisan manner to improve the federal budget process. Gen Z will have to make crucial budget decisions such as whether to keep funding the military at its current level and if they want to keep Social Security how to make solvent beyond 2034.Chris Towner is the Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, where he analyzes budget, tax, health, and retirement policy. Chris manages the day-to-day workflow of the policy team and oversees many of the policy projects the Committee undertakes. He frequently briefs Congressional staff and helps members of the media, educators, and the general public grasp the complex concepts of federal budget policy. John Schuler is the Assistant Director of Research for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, where he works on the policy team to conduct analysis on a wide variety of budgetary and economic issues.This lecture was recorded and can be found on the Available Recordings page.

Gold Star Hall Ceremony
Mon, 06 Nov 2023, 4:15 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Gold Star Hall is the "memorial" in the Memorial Union. In World War I, when a family had a son or daughter in the service, they displayed a card with a simple blue star in their window. When a life was lost, the card with the blue star was changed to one with a gold star - hence the name, Gold Star Hall. The blue/gold star tradition continues, with military families still displaying these symbols.When the Memorial Union opened in 1928, the names of the Iowa Staters who died in World War I were carved into the walls. In 1969, the names of WWII casualties were mounted on two bronze doors in the zodiac foyer. In 1984, the bronze doors were removed, and the names from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam were engraved into the limestone inside Gold Star Hall. In subsequent years, additional names were engraved for WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the USS Liberty, as well as Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Gold Star Hall embodies the memorium that the entire building represents. 2023 HonoreesWWIIThomas Henry DelamoreISU: 1931-1938, Ag EngineeringClare, IA and Ames, IAWWII and KoreaAlfred Hiram AganISU: 1942-1948, architectural engineeringChariton, IAVietnamJames Lee MillerISU: 1961-1962Maquoketa, IA There will be a reception to follow the ceremony. This is a free event open to the public. The ceremony will not be recorded.

Legacies of the All-Volunteer Force, Fifty Years On
Mon, 06 Nov 2023, 6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - The 2023 Gold Star Hall Ceremony Lecture 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the American draft, it’s also a historical moment when the military, especially the Army, can’t make its recruiting quotas and the civil-military gap is gaping. With the help of the audience, we will discuss the legacies of the All-Volunteer Force, with a particular eye toward who serves, who doesn’t, and what can be done about it.Amy J. Rutenberg is Associate Professor of History and the author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance.  She is currently working on a book tentatively titled, In the Service of Peace: The Effects of Peace Activism on America’s All-Volunteer Force.The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Methane Reduction: The Fastest Way to Reduce Global Warming
Mon, 06 Nov 2023, 7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Marcelo Mena-Carrasco is CEO of the Global Methane Hub, an international alliance for developing and implementing global methane reduction solutions. In 2021, he launched the Global Methane Pledge, with over 110 countries, including the U.S., signing on to reduce methane emissions by more than 30% by 2030. Previously, Mena-Carrasco served as climate change advisor and practice manager for the World Bank, as minister and vice minister for the environment in Chile, and as co-chair for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.He is a recipient of awards from the United Nations Environment Programme, Oceans Unite, National Geographic Society, and others for his work on promoting renewable energy, air pollution control, carbon taxation, and the creation of over 1 million square kilometers of marine protected areas, and 45,000 square kilometers of national parks in Patagonia. A biochemical engineer by training, Mena-Carrasco received his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Iowa.Dr. Marcelo Mena-Carrasco's lecture is a part of the Anaerobic Digestion on the Farm -- Optimizing Environmental and Economic Outcomes for Rural Communities and Beyond conference, hosted at Iowa State University, November 6-8. ISU faculty, staff, and students and community members throughout the region are invited to register for the entire conference. Registration is open through October 27, with early-bird registration closing October 6. The conference is hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa. It will feature presentations, exhibits, and discussion panel sessions covering a variety of anaerobic digestion topics. The conference will also include virtual tours of anaerobic digestion facilities and a poster session. A full conference agenda and registration information are available on EPA’s conference webpage. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

They Contain Depths: What Midwestern Lakes Tell Us About Early Earth and Mars
Tue, 07 Nov 2023, 6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - To join the livestream of this lecture, click here.Fall 2023 LAS Dean's LectureNASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers are exploring dried lake beds on Mars, remnants of a wetter climate about three billion years ago. Clues about the environments within these ancient lakes lie in the lake sediments left behind. The ancient martian atmosphere contained little to no oxygen, as it does now, and the lake waters were enriched in iron. These conditions are very similar to Earth and its oceans three billion years ago. To be able to interpret the chemical and mineralogical information left in Mars’ Lake sediments and Earth’s Ocean sediments, scientists need to investigate mineral formation in water bodies that have little oxygen and are enriched in iron.Betsy Swanner's research investigates Midwestern lakes that share common features to ancient martian lakes and Earth’s oceans. She uses a special type of lake that does not undergo seasonal mixing, and always has oxygen-free deep waters. Because there is no oxygen, microbes are the dominant life form. Microbial metabolisms can influence the composition of the minerals that form. Swanner will discuss how some minerals form, and how their presence in ancient Earth sediments or old martian lakebeds can tell us about past microbial life on Earth, or possibly Mars.Betsy Swanner became interested in microbes during her time as a Biochemistry major at Mount Holyoke College. Despite completing pre-med requirements, she decided her interested lied in microbiology and environmental sciences. After college she worked as a river guide before starting her PhD in Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. As a PhD student, she gained expertise in Geomicrobiology and Aqueous Geochemistry. Betsy came to ISU in 2015 after a postdoc at the University of Tübingen in Germany. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences. Her work is currently funded by a National Science Foundation CAREER award, as well as other grants from the NSF and NASA.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Elemental: How Five Elements Changed Earth's Past and Will Shape Our Future
Thu, 09 Nov 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - It is rare for life to change Earth, yet three organisms have profoundly transformed our planet over the long course of its history. Porder will discuss how microbes, plants, and people used the fundamental building blocks of life to alter the climate, and with it, the trajectory of life on Earth in the past, present, and future. He will highlight humans’ similarities to, and differences from, our world’s changing predecessors. Finally, Porder argues that understanding world-changing organisms helps illuminate a path to a more sustainable future.  Stephen Porder is associate provost for sustainability and professor of ecology, evolution, and organismal biology at Brown University, where he is also a fellow in the Institute for Environment and Society. Porder is the author of over 70 peer reviewed publications and the new book Elemental: How five elements changed Earth's past and will shape our future. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Natural History, and other leading publications. He is also the cofounder of Possibly, a radioshow/podcast that airs on The Public’s Radio and provides practical advice on sustainability to a general audience (available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher).The University Book Store will be onsite selling Elemental at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be found on the Available Recordings page. 

How to Debate Anyone: Strategies and Tips from an Online Firebrand
Mon, 13 Nov 2023, 5:30 PM – South Ballroom, Memorial Union - Steven Bonnell, known online as Destiny, is a progressive political streamer and YouTuber known for his aggressive style of debating, openness to challenging conversations, and attention to detail when communicating with hostile audiences. Join Steven for a discussion about how he approaches debates and his strategies to be succesful.This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.

The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own
Mon, 13 Nov 2023, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Aaron Perzanowski is the inaugural Thomas W. Lacchia Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He teaches and writes about the intersection of intellectual and personal property law.Much of his work explores the notion of ownership in the digital economy. His books include The End of Ownership, co-authored with Jason Schultz (MIT Press, 2016), and The Right to Repair (Cambridge University Press, 2022). His current book project addresses how shifting conceptions of ownership threaten to undermine the core functions of libraries.Professor Perzanowski also has written about the ways in which informal governance and social norms influence creative production in contexts ranging from the tattoo industry to the clowning community. Creativity Without Law, his 2017 book with Kate Darling (NYU Press), collected much of the growing body of scholarship exploring the interplay between IP and social norms. The University Book Store will be onsite selling Right to Repair at the event.This lecture will be recorded, and the recording link will be added here within 36-48 hours after the lecture has finished.

Predator: A Memoir, A Movie, An Obsession
Wed, 15 Nov 2023, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writers SeriesA sincere and playful book that lovingly dissects the film, Predator also offers questions and critiques of masculinity, fandom, and their interrelation with acts of mass violence.  In his first memoir, Ander Monson guides readers through a scene-by-scene exploration of the 1987 film Predator, which he has watched 146 times. Some fighters might not have time to bleed, but Monson has the patience to consider their adventure, one frame at a time. He turns his obsession into a lens through which he poignantly examines his own life, formed by mainstream, White, male American culture. Between scenes, Monson delves deeply into his adolescence in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Riyadh, his role as a father and the loss of his own mother, and his friendships with men bound by the troubled camaraderie depicted in action and sci-fi blockbusters.   Ander Monson is the author of nine books, including Neck Deep and Other Predicaments, Vanishing Point, Vacationland and Predator: A Memoir, A Movie, An Obsession. A finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Award and a National Book Critics Circle in criticism, Monson is also a recipient of a Howard Foundation Fellowship, the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize, the Annie Dillard Award for Nonfiction, the Great Lakes Colleges New Writers Award in Nonfiction, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He edits the magazine DIAGRAM (thediagram.com), the New Michigan Press, Essay Daily (essaydaily.org). He directs the MFA program at the University of Arizona.  For more about the author:  https://otherelectricities.com/index.html  The University Book Store will be onsite selling Monson's books at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

WLC Connects: Arab Women's Revolutionary Art
Thu, 16 Nov 2023, 3:30 PM – Carver 0305 - The Department of World Languages and Cultures annual invited speaker series, with introductions and commentary by two interdisciplinary WLC faculty members. Nevine El Nossery (UW-Madison) discusses her recent book Arab Women’s Revolutionary Art: Between Singularities and Multitudes with commentary from ISU faculty members Michèle Schaal and Xavier Dapena.Please note: This lecture will not be recorded.

Deep Cities: Using a City's Heritage and History to Create a Sustainable Future
Thu, 30 Nov 2023, 11:00 AM – 2630 Memorial Union - The lecture will use the recently completed JPI-CH research project 'Curating Sustainable URBAn Transformations through HERITage' as a lens for discussing how archeology can be a theoretical resource in planning with urban heritage for future cities. In our project, we have launched the concept of 'Deep Cities' as a methodological approach to understand how the layered historical city - the transformative and trans-temporal character of cities - turns into heritage values which merits conservation and for being implemented in urban planning.The presentation will first focus on the role of urban heritage for socially sustainable urban futures, introducing some of the key findings of the CURBATHERI – Deep Cities project. What makes a "livable city" that supports factors such as identity, belonging, quality of life and health for all residents in mixes of historic and renewed urban environments? What is the role of urban heritage in socially inclusive and sustainable placemaking? Afterwards, the presentation will focus on the distinctive nature of urban archaeological heritage when activated as a conceptual tool in urban placemaking. Theoretical terms such as 'decay', 'collage', 'palimpsest' and 'stratigraphy' and the role urban transformation has in Change Management are discussed as planning concepts which in their own way define approaches to implementing the traces of the past in different cityscapes.Note: This lecture will feature Dr. Guttormsen presenting via Zoom. He will be taking questions live at the end of his talk.Torgrim Sneve Guttormsen PhD is Research Professor and the Head of the Heritage and Society Department at Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. He is trained in archaeology and heritage studies with research emphasis on cultural heritage management and politics, heritage and planning, urban heritage, immigrant heritage, difficult heritage, public archaeology and the history of archaeology. With his focus on studying monuments, memorials and commemorations his research also interfaces memory studies and museum studies.Torgrim is an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy for the period 2021-2024. He was a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Land and Cultural Resources Research at Fudan University in China for the period 2017-2022 and has been a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies, the Australian National University. His edited books include ‘Heritage and Sustainable Urban Transformations. Deep Cities’ (Routledge, 2020) and ‘Heritage, Democracy and the Public. Nordic Approaches’ (Routledge, 2016). Latest publication is the co-authored paper from 2023 ‘Assemblage urbanism: the role of heritage in urban placemaking’, published in Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development. This lecture was recorded and can be accessed on the Available Recordings page.

Presidential Candidate Event: A Conversation with Ryan Binkley
Wed, 06 Dec 2023, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - This event is not available for extra credit, and this event will not be recorded.Ryan Binkley is the President and CEO of Generational Group located in Richardson, Texas. With over 300 employees, Generational focuses on business consultancy, M&A, and wealth advisory for business owners throughout North America. Ryan and his wife, Ellie, are also founders of Create Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational church in Richardson, Texas. As lead pastor, his deep passion is to see church members of all walks of life discover and live out their purpose.Before starting Generational, Ryan worked in various positions at Procter & Gamble and Boston Scientific Corporation. He holds a BBA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.Ryan and Ellie married in 1999. They have five children in various stages of school and college. They chose to adopt their youngest from South Korea, where Ellie was born before immigrating to the U.S. with her parents. It’s one more way their faith has led them to reach across boundaries, finding unity where others might see differences.Today, Ryan is leading a new conversation. He is calling America’s leaders to return to the core values of trusting in God and each other again, caring for the hurting, leading with integrity, and bringing hope and healing to our nation.

Reimagining a New American Democracy
Thu, 25 Jan 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative LectureThe Advancing One Community Awards will be awarded prior to the keynote addressSherrilyn Ifill is a civil rights lawyer and scholar. From 2013-2022, she served as the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. She is currently a Distinguished Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School, and she serves as Ford Foundation Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), leading a project focused on exploring the values of the 14th Amendment in artistic expression. Ifill was most recently appointed to be the Inaugural Vernon Jordan Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard Law School, where she will launch the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy. As the President & Director-Counsel at LDF, Ifill’s voice and analysis played a prominent role in shaping our national conversation about race and civil rights. She led the organization in groundbreaking litigation in the areas of voting rights, economic justice, and education, and took a prominent role in confronting police violence against unarmed Black people. Ifill raised the profile of LDF, growing the organization in staff, resources, and influence. Her strategic vision and counsel are highly sought after from leaders in government, business, law and academia. She continues to write scholarly articles and is currently completing a book about race and the current crisis in American democracy entitled, Is This America? which will be published by Penguin Press in 2024.   Ifill graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in English and earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Ifill is a recipient of the Radcliffe Medal, the Brandeis Medal, the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association, and The Gold Medal from the New York State Bar Association. Ifill serves on the board of the Mellon Foundation, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the board of the Learning Policy Institute, and the Board of Trustees of New York University School of Law.  The University Book Store will be onsite selling her book at the event.In this moderated conversation, she will discuss civil rights, race, and the challenges facing American Democracy with Dr. Karen Kedrowski. 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.All are welcome to stay after the lecture for a reception with light food and beverage and a book signing with Ms. Ifill.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

George Washington Carver Day of Recognition
Thu, 01 Feb 2024, 5:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Join Iowa State University in celebrating the second annual George Washington Carver Day of Recognition, February 1, 2024.Keynote Address, "A visit with Professor George Washington Carver" by Paxton Williams, Attorney, Belin McCormick, PCIn addition to Williams' performance, the Carver Day celebration will feature:Recognition of Iowa State students involved in the annual Food Insecurity Challenge, a campus competition that educates students about local and global hunger issues and challenges them to develop solutions.Remarks by Jay Byers, president of Simpson College; and Rolundus Rice, chief operating officer and vice president for student affairs at Tuskegee University.Reflections on Carver's legacy by Kenneth Quinn, former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia and emeritus president of the World Food Prize Foundation; and Simon Estes, the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist-In-Residence in the department of music and theatre.Welcome and closing remarks from Dan Robison, Endowed Dean's Chair of the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life SciencesFollowing the program, ISU Creamery ice cream will be served.Registration requestedMore details regarding the program and speakers can be found online: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/george-washington-carver-dayThis lecture will be live streamed and recorded. Join the livestream here. The recording will be added to the Available Recordings page when available.On George Washington Carver Day in Iowa, Carver’s life and legacy live on as a potent symbol of courage, perseverance, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Carver’s story is one of extraordinary resiliency. Born into slavery in Missouri around 1864, he sought higher education in Iowa, at Simpson College and Iowa State University. He was Iowa State’s first Black student, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After graduation, he became Iowa State’s first Black faculty member.Carver left Iowa for the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where he spent the rest of his life applying his innovative genius to agriculture. He became world renowned for creating hundreds of products made from peanuts, sweet potatoes and other native Southern crops. A kind and patient teacher, Carver showed farmers how alternative crops and practices could benefit their bottom line and sustain their land. He took practical knowledge gained from science and delivered it to those working in the fields and rural areas.

Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s
Mon, 12 Feb 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell found a 1920s vintage photo of two men embracing and gazing at one another--clearly in love. They were intrigued that the men posed for the photo during a time when they would have been even less understood than today. They bought the photo from a Dallas, Texas antique shop. Hugh and Neal began searching for similar photos in their travels around the United States, Canada, and Europe. They found photos of male couples openly showing their relationships that were as old as the art of photography. Their collection eventually included more than 2,700 images from 70 to 170 years old. Those photos are featured in their book, Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s. In conversation with Associate Professor Kelly Winfrey, Hugh and Neal will share their journey and how their book reminds us that love is timeless.Dr. Kelly L. Winfrey became Interim Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program in August 2022. She is also an associate professor and Director of Graduate Education in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Her research focuses on gender and political campaign communication. She published Understanding How Women Vote: Gender Identity and Political Choices in 2018.The ISU Book Store will not be selling copies of "Loving" at the lecutre. The book can be purchased online by clicking here.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Visionary Activism: How to Get From Here to There
Tue, 13 Feb 2024, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Dr. Turner died on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. The ISU Lectures Series sends its condolences to Dr. Turner's family and friends. The League of Women Voters issued a statement about her passing. https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/league-mourns-loss-lwvus-president-dr-deborah-ann-turnerThis event has been canceled. 2024 Mary Louise Smith ChairDeborah Turner, MD, JD, serves as the 20th president of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and chair of the Board of Trustees of the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). She was elected board president at the 55th National Convention of the League of Women Voters in June 2022 and will serve in this position until June 2024. Dr. Turner joined the Des Moines Metropolitan League in 2010 and became president in 2011 when the League was at risk of disbanding. She served in that role until 2015, helping revitalize membership and refocus the board leadership. At the same time, she also served on the LWV Iowa board as the state vice president from 2011 to 2015, becoming co-president in 2015. In her dual roles with state and local Leagues, Deborah has provided leadership to strengthen relationships between local leagues and the state Board.  This lecture will be recorded and available to view within 24-36 hours after its conclusion on the Available Recordings page.

ADMYRE
Mon, 19 Feb 2024, 5:30 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Did you know? February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Become an advocate for healthy relationships. Join us for the ADMYRE program, where you will recognize unhealthy patterns through an interactive simulation, identify helpful resources, and start conversations about healthy relationships. Contact pial@iastate.edu to sign up for this interactive program, and follow this link to learn more about ADMYRE! Note: There is no cost to participate, but preregistration for this activity is required. 

Remembering Eden Montang: Raising Awareness about Dating Violence and Empowering You to Advocate for Healthy Relationships
Mon, 19 Feb 2024, 7:30 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - On June 2, 2022, Iowa State student Eden Montang was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames. Hear from Eden’s friend, Hannah Beth, as she shares her perspective on Eden’s story to bring awareness to the often unseen, but prevalent occurrence of dating violence. Connect with resources from across campus and in the Ames community through the resource panel, and be empowered to advocate for healthy relationships.February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Become an advocate for healthy relationships. Join us for the ADMYRE program, where you will recognize unhealthy patterns through an interactive simulation, identify helpful resources, and start conversations about healthy relationships. Contact pial@iastate.edu to sign up for the program simulation from 5:30-7pm the night of the lecture, and follow this link to learn more about ADMYRE! This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page. 

Money Talks: Reaching for Financial Freedom
Tue, 20 Feb 2024, 5:30 PM – 127 Curtiss - Mike Finley is a proud 26-year U.S. Army veteran and has taught financial literacy classes for over 35 years. He has helped thousands of people build a better relationship with their money through a better understanding of every dollar that enters their life. That education takes place in a classroom, in person, in a video and/or through a book. The key is starting and building on what you have learned.Mike is also an author of four books on the world of money and how one creates a better life with this newfound knowledge. There have been numerous television, radio and podcast invitations over the years that Mike has used to help people see the power from within, as he helps each individual see the power of their abilities and what can be accomplished with some education and plain ole grit.

Endangered Language: Revitalization of an Afro-Creole in São Tomé and Príncipe
Wed, 21 Feb 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Ana Lívia Agostinho's research delves deeply into the intricate and multifaceted world of Creole languages spoken in Africa. These languages are a vital part of the linguistic landscape and cultural heritage of the continent, and her work promises to shed new light on their evolution, structure, and sociolinguistic implications. Her insights will not only enhance our comprehension of these languages but also contribute to the broader field of linguistic studies, allowing for a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of the linguistic diversity present in Africa.Professor Agostinho is a professor of Linguistics in the Department of Vernacular Language and Literature at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). She earned her Ph.D. in Philology and Portuguese Language from the University of São Paulo in 2014. Her extensive research encompasses phonology, creole languages, linguistic contact, linguistic description, fieldwork methodology, Brazilian Portuguese phonology, and language planning and policy in São Tomé and Príncipe. She was a visiting researcher in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, where she held a prestigious CNPq Post-Doctoral Fellowship from 2019 to 2020. With an impressive publication record that includes more than 35 scholarly articles and four Gulf of Guinea Creoles textbooks, Dr. Agostinho is a prolific contributor to her field. She serves as the Supervisor of the Applied Phonetics Laboratory (FONAPLI) in the Department of Vernacular Language and Literature at UFSC. Her dedication to the field is further exemplified by her role as Secretary-General of the Brazilian Association of Linguistic Contact Studies (ABECS) and Coordinator of the Contact Linguistics Study Group at UFSC, a position she has held since 2017. Dr. Agostinho is also an active member of The Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics (SPCL) and contributes to the Varsul-UFSC Project, further underscoring her commitment to advancing linguistic scholarship and understanding.This lecture has been recorded and is avaible for viewing on the Available Recordings page.

Leveraging Crisis Into Opportunity
Mon, 26 Feb 2024, 7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Christine Ervin’s career draws on public, private and nonprofit leadership roles to foster prosperous green markets and a healthy climate.  As first President and CEO of the U.S. Green Buildings Council, she led its evolution from a start-up into the highly influential coalition of industry leaders transforming the way buildings are designed, built and operated. Home to LEED and Greenbuild, Christine received USGBC’s leadership award in 2004 and 2014. As Assistant Secretary of Energy for President Clinton, Christine directed $1 billion in annual investments for clean and renewable energy technologies. Her portfolio included the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and innovations across building, industrial, transportation and utility/renewable energy sectors. Previously, she directed the Oregon Department of Energy and conducted research on energy policy and pollution prevention at the Conservation Foundation/World Wildlife Fund.   Christine has served on numerous fiduciary and advisory boards including nonprofits, venture capital firms and start-up companies and is an Ambassador for the federal-university C3E initiative promoting women in leadership positions in clean energy, science and education.  Her consulting practice is based in Portland Oregon.   This lecture has been recorded and is available for viewing on the Available Recordings page.

Humanisms and Beyond: Past, Present, and Future of the Humanities
Tue, 27 Feb 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - The humanities are often criticized as irrelevant or in decline, but defenders of the humanities contend they remain essential to fully understanding our modern world. Dr. Fabrizio Conti’s lecture will contextualize the humanities in the history of education in the Western world. This will help students better understand how the humanities can benefit them, now and in the future, even (or especially) at a “university of science and technology.”Fabrizio Conti received a dual Ph.D. in History and Medieval Studies from the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary. He is a graduate in the Humanities (History) from the University of Rome “La Sapienza,” and has earned certificates from the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology in Rome and the School of the Vatican Secret Archive.Professor Conti arrived at John Cabot University in 2016. His teaching and research interests span the Antique/Late Antique, Medieval, and Renaissance periods, with an interdisciplinary approach to cultural and religious developments, with special focus on the history of magic and witchcraft. Professor Conti has worked in the catacombs of Rome as a docent and in the Vatican Secret Archive as an archivist. This lecture has been recorded and available for viewing on the Available Recordings page.

Fatphobia and Capitalism
Thu, 29 Feb 2024, 6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Ragen Chastain is a speaker, writer, researcher, Board Certified Patient Advocate, multi-certified health and fitness professional, and thought leader in weight science, weight stigma, health, and healthcare. Utilizing her background in research methods and statistics, Ragen has brought her signature mix of humor and hard facts to healthcare, corporate, conference, and college audiences from Kaiser Permanente and the Diabetes Education Specialists National Conference, to Amazon and Google, to Dartmouth, Cal Tech and IDEA World. Author of the Weight and Healthcare newsletter, the book Fat: The Owner's Manual, co-author of HAES Health Sheets, and editor of the anthology The Politics of Size, Ragen is frequently featured as an expert in print, radio, television, and documentary film. In her free time, Ragen is a national dance champion, triathlete, and marathoner who holds the Guinness World Record for Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon. Ragen lives in LA with her fiancée Julianne and a rotating cast of foster dogs. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine
Mon, 04 Mar 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population that makes for a continually changing culinary landscape. Sarah Lohman's talk explores how American food is united by Eight Flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and sriracha. Lohman explains how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table. Sarah Lohman is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she began working in a museum at age 16, cooking historical food over a woodburning stove. She moved to New York in 2006 to work for New York Magazine's food blog, "Grub Street," and now works with museums and galleries around the city to create public programs focused on food. Lohman is the author of Eight Flavors and Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods.The ISU Book Store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This lecture has been recorded and is available to view for those with an Iowa State login on the Available Recordings page.

A History of Activism Through Cookbooks
Tue, 05 Mar 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Food has often been a way for activist communities to fundraise, connect, and spread the workl about their cause. Sarah Lohman will explore the origins of the link between food and activism with the abolitionist food writers of the Civil War; unpack suffrage cookbooks from the turn of the 20th century; share the earliest LGBTQ cooking pamphlets from the 1960s; and talk about how food is still used to connect and advocate for causes today.Sarah Lohman is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she began working in a museum at age 16, cooking historical food over a woodburning stove. She moved to New York in 2006 to work for New York Magazine's food blog, "Grub Street," and now works with museums and galleries around the city to create public programs focused on food. Lohman is the author of Eight Flavors and Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods.The ISU Book Store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This Lecture has been recorded and is available to view for those with an Iowa State login on the Available Recordings page.

The Foundation of Modern Medicine Is at Risk!
Tue, 19 Mar 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Spring 2024 Sigma Xi Distinguished LectureThe discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine during World War 2 and have served as the foundation of almost every modern pillar of medicine that we take for granted, including organ transplantation, premature birth, chemotherapy, and infectious disease.  However, the pipeline of new antibiotic discovery has essentially stopped, and the rate of resistance development threatens the utility of these drugs in maintaining the health of animals, humans, and crops. This lecture will provide an overview of this issue and will discuss One Health approaches to mitigating this risk while optimizing the health and welfare of animals, humans, and crops.Dr. Paul Plummer is a Professor of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, the Anderson Chair in Veterinary Medicine, and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2023, Dr. Plummer was appointed chair of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria. Plummer also serves as the executive director of the National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE). The national institute seeks to improve the understanding of antimicrobial resistance to reduce its societal impact. Based at Iowa State University, NIAMRRE seeks to improve health for people, animal, and the environment.This lecture has been recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

The Foundation of Modern Medicine is at Risk!
Tue, 19 Mar 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine during World War 2 and have served as the foundation of almost every modern pillar of medicine that we take for granted, including organ transplantation, premature birth, chemotherapy, and infectious disease.  However, the pipeline of new antibiotic discovery has essentially stopped, and the rate of resistance development threatens the utility of these drugs in maintaining the health of animals, humans, and crops. This lecture will provide an overview of this issue and will discuss One Health approaches to mitigating this risk while optimizing the health and welfare of animals, humans, and crops.Dr. Paul Plummer is a Professor of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, the Anderson Chair in Veterinary Medicine, and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2023, Dr. Plummer was appointed chair of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria. Plummer also serves as the executive director of the National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE). The national institute seeks to improve the understanding of antimicrobial resistance to reduce its societal impact. Based at Iowa State University, NIAMRRE seeks to improve health for people, animal, and the environment.

How Stigma Derails the Help-Seeking Process
Tue, 26 Mar 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Spring 2024 LAS Dean's LectureMental health concerns affect 13% of the global population and will cost the world economy approximately $6 trillion by 2030 – more than the projected costs of cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease combined. Further, the rates of mental health problems have increased in recent years and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, less than 10% of those experiencing mental health concerns seek therapy each year, and those who do seek help often wait years before doing so or drop out of treatment early. Dr. Vogel will discuss one of the key barriers that keeps people from getting the help they need, the stigma associated with seeking help, and how we might reduce it.Dr. Vogel is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Iowa State University (ISU), where his research focuses on stigma and reducing barriers to seeking mental health treatment. He is co-editor of The Cambridge Handbook of Stigma and Mental Health, has published more than 140 journal articles and chapters, and has given more than 100 national conference presentations. His research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the American Psychological Foundation, and the Military Suicide Research Consortium. Dr. Vogel serves on the editorial board for Stigma and Health and as a consultant for the RAND Corporation’s Department of Defense Stigma Reduction Report. He is also the Director of the ISU Interdisciplinary Communication Studies program, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Divisions 17 (Counseling Psychology) and 51 (Men and Masculinity), and a licensed psychologist in the State of Iowa.This lecture has been recorded and is available for viewing on the Available Recordings page. 

Integrating Gender Equity in International Agriculture Research-for-Development
Tue, 26 Mar 2024, 7:00 PM – Curtiss Hall, Room 0127 - Click here to join the livestream of this lecture.International Women in Agriculture Day LectureDr. Christie will share her experience integrating gender in international agricultural research-for-development projects. Drawing on her work with small farmers in East and West Africa, as well as Southeast and South Asia, she will describe her approach using participatory methods to understand how gender relations are key to innovation in agriculture and development. Highlighting the importance of qualitative methods to appreciate the lived experience of farmers, her research, funded by USAID and led by Virginia Tech, contributes to ongoing discussions of gender-based constraints and opportunities to sustainable agricultural development. Her presentation will stress the importance of considering gendered spaces and dynamics in the home and house-lot garden alongside a focus on agricultural production in the field.As director of Women and Gender in International Development (WGD) at the Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) at Virginia Tech, Dr. Maria Elisa Christie has more than 25 years of experience in gender research, capacity-building, and international development. She has worked in over 20 countries, with a strong technical background in gender-responsive research for development linked to agriculture and higher education capacity building.Her research focuses on gendered livelihoods and spaces, gendered knowledge and everyday life, participatory research methodologies, kitchens and gardens. Her book, Kitchenspace: Women, Fiestas, and Everyday Life in Central Mexico, was published by the University of Texas Press. Christie holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Texas at Austin, and speaks fluent Spanish and French. She has extensive experience holding gender and participatory methods workshops. She advises Virginia Tech graduate students and guides students from other countries working on gender and development. She also contributes to raising awareness of gender and international development among the Virginia Tech community and beyond through a monthly discussion series.In addition to serving as WGD director at CIRED, Dr. Christie is an affiliate faculty of Geography, of Women’s and Gender Studies, and the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech. She is also a fellow of the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, and a faculty associate of the Food Studies Program. She has served as the InclusiveVT representative for Outreach and International Affairs since 2016 and, prior to that, as an Inclusion Coordinator for Virginia Tech.This event has been recorded and is available for viewing on the Lectures website at https://www.lectures.iastate.edu/recordings/available-recordings

Despite Advanced Technology, We Are Still Very Disaster-Prone!
Wed, 27 Mar 2024, 9:00 AM – 2055 Hoover Hall - This presentation uses a variety of examples of different types of disasters to point out how vulnerable American society is despite our advances in prediction, warning, and communications technologies. Much of our vulnerability arises from population growth, urban sprawl, urbanization, and expansion into disaster-prone areas. Unfortunately, some lessons that could have been learned from disasters in one part of the country have not been assimilated in all regions.Dr. Greg Forbes received his B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is presently retired, but worked as an Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University and later served as the Severe Weather Expert at The Weather Channel.This lecture has been recorded and is available for viewing on the Lectures Available Recordings page.

Protecting Plant Surfaces in a Changing Climate: Understanding Synthesis, Form and Function of the Plant Cuticle Using Corn Silks as a Model System
Wed, 27 Mar 2024, 11:00 AM – 2630 Memorial Union - The Rossmann-Manatt Faculty SeminarTo develop solutions for the agricultural sector to maintain or increase crop yields amidst extreme weather conditions often seen with climate change, it is important to understand mechanisms by which plants combat stresses in the environment. One such mechanism is the plant cuticle, which is a hydrophobic barrier that provides a first line of defense by which plants protect themselves from stresses, including extremes of temperature, drought, frost, and solar irradiation.  Our team takes systems’ biology, classical and quantitative genetic, synthetic biology, and biochemistry approaches to decipher the genetic networks that underlie the deposition of the protective cuticle on the aerial surfaces of plants. We focus our work on the silks of corn, which serve as conduits for pollination and subsequent fertilization of the ovule for kernel production, thereby being critical for crop yield. In fact, we estimate that silks annually facilitate 7 quadrillion successful fertilization events as part of global corn grain production! By understanding the genetic networks responsible for cuticle synthesis and the protective qualities of the cuticle, we lay an important foundation for efforts to develop plants with “designer” cuticles that can protect silks and other plant organs from environmental stress and enable sustained or enhanced production under extreme environmental pressures. This seminar will provide an overview of our efforts to dissect the genetic networks associated with cuticle synthesis using diverse approaches, including 1) systems’ biology strategies, 2) building these pathways from scratch in tissues or organisms that do not naturally make a cuticle,  and 3) as facilitated by the Rossman-Mannatt award, exploring the role of “orphan” genes, which are only present in the genome of a single species, on cuticle biosynthesis and deposition.Dr. Yandeau-Nelson received a PhD in Genetics from Iowa State University in 2005, and she studied the genetics of starch biosynthesis in maize as a postdoctoral scholar at Penn State University from 2005-2008. As faculty in the Department of Genetics, Development & Cell Biology at Iowa State University, her work focuses on the biosynthetic and regulatory genetic networks of metabolic traits, to increase both the fundamental knowledge of cellular metabolism and to use that knowledge for downstream practical applications (i.e. plant breeding for resistance to stresses and the development of biorenewable chemicals and fuels).  She recently received the M. Rhoades Early-Career Maize Genetics Award from the Maize Genetics Cooperation.This lecture has been recorded and is available for viewing on the Lectures Available Recordings page.

Socially Responsible Innovation
Wed, 27 Mar 2024, 7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - 2023-2024 Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science Two-term former Ohio Governor John Kasich is a politician, a New York Times best-selling author, and a contributor for MSNBC and NBC News who believes that unity is the answer to our most common problems. He is known as a leading voice in promoting bipartisan solutions to health care reform, immigration and international trade, and has been one of the few Republicans to advocate for Medicaid’s expansion.Kasich served as a member of Congress from central Ohio for 18 years. He was elected to the U.S. House at just 30 years old, after having become the youngest state senator in Ohio history. He went on to become the chairman of the House Budget Committee and balanced the Federal Budget four times — a feat not accomplished since. After leaving Congress in 2000, Kasich worked as a managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Lehman Brothers, where he helped companies secure the resources they needed to succeed and create jobs. He undertook a high-profile run for President in 2016, ultimately earning 154 delegates and shifting the tenor of debate from negative personal attacks to one of "light and hope." He was the final major challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Drawing on his decades of experience in the Statehouse and the halls of Congress, Governor Kasich examines the key issues that will define the next decade of American public policy. From fiscal policy and healthcare to foreign affairs, Gov. Kasich explains how the inability of America’s leaders to confront these mounting problems with legitimate solutions has disillusioned voters who see no progress from either party. Through it all, Governor Kasich reminds  audiences that, at the end of the day, change comes from the bottom up.Arrangements for the appearance of John Kasich made through UTA Speakers, New York, New York.This lecture will be delivered as a fireside chat format with Dr. Karen Kedrowski. 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 was recorded and is available to view on the Available Recordings page. 

Beyond Ecocriticism: Environmental Humanities in the Age of Climate Crisis
Thu, 04 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – Curtiss Hall, Room 0127 - The 2024 Donald R. Benson Memorial Lecture, “Beyond Ecocriticism: Environmental Humanities in the Age of Climate Crisis,” will be delivered by Hunter Vaughan, senior research associate and associate professor, from 6–7:30 p.m. Thursday, April, 4, in Curtiss Hall. Light refreshments will be served.Vaughan is an environmental media scholar and a cultural historian at the University of Cambridge. He has done innovative work on the environmental impacts of film production and is the author of Hollywood’s Dirtiest Secret: The Hidden Environmental Costs of the Movies (Columbia University Press, 2019) and the co-editor of Film and Television Production in the Age of Climate Crisis (Palgrave, 2022). He was a 2017 Rachel Carson Center Fellow and is a co-founding editor (with Meryl Shriver-Rice) of the Journal of Environmental Media ​(Intellect Press). He is the co-director of the AHRC-funded Global Green Media Network, co-principal investigator on the Sustainable Subsea Networks project funded by the Internet Society Foundation, and a member of the Convening Team for the UNFCCC’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action initiative.This lecture was recorded and is available to view on the Available Recordings page. 

Flipping the Table on Christian Nationalism
Thu, 04 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, activist, and storyteller from Wake Forest, North Carolina. Over the past decade, his thought-provoking blog, Stuff That Needs to Be Said, has reached a diverse worldwide audience with over one hundred million views. A twenty-five-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, Pavlovitz is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities.John's books include A Bigger Table, and If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk.  His new book Worth Fighting For, arrived on April 2nd. He currently directs Empathetic People Network, a vibrant online community that connects people from all over the world who want to create a more compassionate planet.The ISU Book Store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This lecture available to view on the Available Recordings page for two weeks following the date of the lecture.

Lifting for the Health of It: Beyond Chalk Dust and Weight Belts
Thu, 04 Apr 2024, 7:00 PM – Gerdin 1148 - Pease Family Scholar in KinesiologyDr. Stuart Phillips is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and a member of the School of Medicine at McMaster University in Canada. He is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health. Dr. Phillips' work centers on the interaction of exercise/physical activity, aging, and nutrition in skeletal muscle and body composition. Dr. Phillips is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). He has 488 research publications, and his Web of Science h-index is 96 (Google Scholar h-index 136). He has been in the top 1% of cross-field (nutrition and physiology) highly-cited scholars globally for six straight years 2018-2023.This lecture was recorded and is available to view on the Available Recordings page. 

Optimism Matters
Tue, 09 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – South Ballroom, Memorial Union - Barbara Hansen Lecture in Early Childhood DevelopmentSteve Gross, MSW, is a clinical social worker and pioneer in the field of using playful engagement and relationships to overcome the devastating impacts of early childhood trauma. Steve founded Project Joy, a nonprofit organization that used the power of joyful play to heal and strengthen homeless and impoverished children throughout Greater Boston, in 1989. In 2011, Life is Good invited Project Joy, now The Playmaker Project, to be the sole social mission of the brand.Through an outpouring of love, optimism, experience, and expertise, Steve and a trusted team of researchers and colleagues, have spent 30+ years developing the Life is Good Playmaker Project program.Please note: this will be a 60-minute lecture followed by audience Q&A.This lecture is available to watch on the Available Recordings page.

An Evening with Hertz Farm Management- Emerging Issues in Agriculture
Tue, 09 Apr 2024, 7:00 PM – 127 Curtiss - The Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture was created in memory of the founders of Hertz Farm Management Inc. to inspire generations of industry leaders, research scientists, and young professionals to reach their full potential. Join a panel of Hertz Farm Management leadership for a Q&A style discussion about emerging issues in agriculture, preserving agricultural legacies, developments in agriculture, and questions from you! The panel will include:Chad Hertz, COO Hertz Farm ManagementRandy Hertz, CEO Hertz Farm ManagementJeff Troendle, President Hertz Farm ManagementDoug Hensley, President Hertz Real Estate ServicesThis lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.

The Musical Legacies of Phenomenal Women of Color
Thu, 11 Apr 2024, 7:00 PM – Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall - Enjoy works by phenomenal women of color such as Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, and many more; learn about their journeys and the legacies they left behind. About the artist: "A compelling, sparkling virtuoso" (Boston Music Intelligencer), Michelle Cann is in great demand as soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and scholar. Last season included concerto performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic among other major symphony orchestras, and this year brings her to the Des Moines Symphony in March. Ms. Cann is Chair of Piano Studies at the Curtis Institute and winner of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence.Pianist Michelle Cann will also be giving a solo Town & Gown recital on Friday, April 12 at 7:30pm. Tickets and program information for this solo recital are available at www.amestownandgown.org Please note: This event will not be recorded.

Transforming Africa: Navigating the AI Revolution in the African Landscape
Thu, 11 Apr 2024, 7:30 PM – Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall - Anicia Peters is the CEO of the National Commission of Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia, and the Presidential Task Force Chairperson on 4IR (2021-2022). She founded the Africa Human Computer Interaction Conference (AfriCHI), serves on the Steering Committee of ACM CHI, and was the Technical Programme Co-Chair for the ACM CHI2023 conference.From 2019 to 2023, she also served as an Editor for the African Scientific Journal in collaboration with Elsevier and the Next Einstein Forum. Anicia received the prestigious 2020 Google Inclusion Award and a research grant from Google AI in 2021. She was a Google scholar in 2012 while at Iowa State University.Anicia completed her PhD in Human Computer Interaction from Iowa State University in 2014 and a MSc degree in 2011, under a Fulbright International Science and Technology PhD Award, a Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Award, and a Google Scholar award. Furthermore, she holds a National Diploma and a B.Tech degree in Information Technology (Bus. Comp.), both with honors (cum laude), from the Namibia University of Science and Technology. She completed a Post-Doc at Oregon State University and worked in Silicon Valley complementing her industry experience in Namibia. With over 30 years of academic, industry, and managerial experience both in Namibia and internationally, she has developed a diverse range of expertise.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Natural and Artificial Intelligence: How Rational Are Humans?
Fri, 12 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - The 2024 Goldtrap LectureAre humans fundamentally irrational? Is that why so many people commit statistical and logical blunders and fall for fake news, medical quackery, paranormal woo-woo, and conspiracy theories? Is Artificial Intelligence rendering the human mind irrelevant? In this lecture, acclaimed scientist and author Steve Pinker presents an alternative. We humans, after all, have discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives, and discovered the benchmarks for rationality itself. And despite the hype, we are not ready to let AI run simple errands, watch after our babies, or even drive our cars through city streets. Pinker argues that humans think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but we fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning our best thinkers have discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others. Current AI, in the form of deep learning networks and large language models, is yet another tool in the kit of ways we have enhanced out natural intelligence, better in many ways than natural intelligence but worse than others. Another source of irrationality is that the rational pursuit of self-interest, sectarian solidarity, and uplifting mythology by individuals can add up to crippling irrationality in a society. Collective rationality depends on norms that are designed to promote objectivity and truth. Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress.Steven Pinker is a cognitive scientist who has been named by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. His keynotes have helped millions demystify the science behind human language, thought, and action. Pinker is a Harvard professor, a TED speaker, and a bestselling author, twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Highly respected in the scientific community, his work and opinions are extensively covered in the mainstream media, and have won a wide general audience. In his latest book, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, Pinker argues that we fail to take advantage of the most powerful tools of reasoning discovered by some of our best thinkers: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book—until now. A native of Montreal, Steven Pinker is Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. Previously, he taught at Stanford and at MIT. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has won a number of teaching prizes, and his research on visual cognition and the psychology of language has received numerous awards, including the Troland Award from the National Academy of Sciences.The ISU Book store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This lecture has been recorded and is available for viewing to those with an ISU login on the Available Recordings page.

Our Money and Our Attention: Spending, Investing, and Thriving in the Attention Economy
Tue, 16 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Financial Literacy Month LectureIn today's world, our attention is a precious commodity, and we find ourselves immersed in what is often termed an "attention economy." With an overwhelming influx of information from various sources such as television, social media, websites, other humans…and even the data that comes from everything from our cars to our smartphones to our refrigerators, our brains are inundated with more data than we can effectively process. The same principles of scarcity that apply to economics also apply to our attention.Navigating this sea of information poses a significant challenge. How do we distinguish between what is relevant and what is not, or between fact and opinion? In this talk, Dr. Chaffin will draw parallels between financial planning and cognitive psychology, outlining how we can live and thrive in this attention economy. Most importantly, we will focus on how we can develop a spending and investing plan for our two most valuable resources: Our money and our attention.Dr. Charles Chaffin’s work encompasses a broad range of fields, from educational and cognitive psychology to financial planning. He has served as the author or lead editor of 7 different books within financial planning and cognitive psychology, helping practitioners become more client-centered and helping individuals and companies address distraction in the workplace.Dr. Chaffin is co-founder of the Psychology of Financial Planning instructional programs, designed to help practitioners better understand the biases, behaviors, and perceptions of their clients. He consults with financial planning firms across various business models to help fine-tune their communication and develop strategies that will help people make better financial decisions. He co-launched the Financial Psychology Inventory, a detailed assessment that can outline and predict client risk tolerance and financial decision-making during market volatility and life events. His Psychology of Financial Planning program has been incorporated into the curriculum of close to 100 colleges and universities in 12 countries.He served as co-Academic Director of the Client Psychology program at The Wharton School as well as Program Lead of the Financial Planning Teaching Seminar at Columbia University. He led research and education activities at CFP Board for close to 12 years. He is also the co-founder of Affirming Advisor™, a first-of-its kind program designed to help advisors and firms better serve LGBTQIA+ clients and allies.He is Professor of Practice in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University.The ISU Book Store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This lecture will be recorded and available to view within 24-36 hours after its conclusion on the Available Recordings page.

A Stolen History: The REAL Story of the Suffrage Movement
Wed, 17 Apr 2024, 5:30 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner is the Founder/Director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation and teaches in Syracuse University’s Honors Program. Awarded one of the first doctorates in the country for work in women’s studies (UC Santa Cruz) and a founder of one the first college-level women’s studies programs in the United States (CSU Sacramento), Dr. Wagner has taught women’s studies courses for 53 years. This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Reclaim Feminism
Wed, 17 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall - This event is free, open to the public, and does not require a ticket or preregistration for entrance.This event will not be recorded or livestreamed.No picket signs, banners, or other materials that could block views or be used as a weapon will be permitted.Riley Gaines graduated from the University of Kentucky where she was a 12x All-American Swimmer. She has made waves for speaking out after tying UPenn’s Lia Thomas, a trans swimmer on the women’s team, at the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming Championship. After this experience, Riley began to speak out to challenge the rules of the NCAA, USA Swimming, International Olympic Committee (IOC), and other governing bodies.Riley now works for the Leadership Institute, traveling and speaking in defense of women’s single-sex spaces and has testified before the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

The Onion: Comedy, Controversy, and the First Amendment
Wed, 17 Apr 2024, 7:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - A First Amendment Days program.As head writer of satirical site The Onion, Mike Gillis is no stranger to writing and talking about writing with humor and parody. Hear Gillis discuss how the First Amendment protects speech, even when snarky in tone. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Gillis got his start at The Onion writing headlines as a contributor, eventually joining the staff as a writer and working his way up to head writer. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker and across the internet.This lecture is available to view on the Available Recordings page.

Confronting Cancer in College
Tue, 23 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Outspoken throughout his battle with testicular cancer, Iowa State Athletics Director Jamie Pollard will share his message of encouragement and the importance of the support he received from the community through his treatment. Then, hear from the American Cancer Society On Campus student group as they share stories and resources related to personal or familial cancer experiences.This lecture was recorded and will be available for two weeks on the Lectures website at https://www.lectures.iastate.edu/recordings/available-recordings

Pathways to Peace: Drawing from the Experiences of Palestinian Refugees
Wed, 24 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - This talk reflects on the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of Palestinian refugees, who have been marginalized in international attempts to resolve the conflict. So far, these international attempts, which have largely focused on a two-state solution have been unsuccessful. Drawing on the experiences of Palestinian refugees who have been at the center of the research Dr. Gabiam has conducted over the last 20 years, she reflects on the challenges and possibilities that emerge from moving beyond a nationalist and state-centric approach to achieving peace in the Middle East.Nell Gabiam is Associate Professor of anthropology and political science and Co-Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Minor program at Iowa State University. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. She is the author of The Politics of Suffering: Syria’s Palestinian Refugee Camps (2016, Indiana University Press). She is currently working on her second book, which is the result of fieldwork conducted primarily in Lebanon, Turkey, France, Germany, and Sweden. Her second book project examines how mass displacement from Syria as a result of the ongoing war in that country has affected Palestinian identity and political claims.This lecture has been recorded and is available to view on the Available Recordings page until May 10.

Brothers, Unlimited
Thu, 25 Apr 2024, 6:00 PM – 3560 Memorial Union - Ben Jealous is an American civil rights leader, activist, and politician who is the seventh executive director of the Sierra Club, one of the largest and most influential environmental organizations in the United States. With a background in social justice advocacy, Ben brings a unique perspective to his role, focusing on issues of environmental justice, climate change, and conservation. Before leading the Sierra Club, he served as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP, where he spearheaded campaigns to advance civil rights, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. Ben is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities and has dedicated his career to fighting for equality, sustainability, and a healthier planet for future generations.Ben is also a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a The New York Times bestselling author of Reach: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding, and his latest book is Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing. During his term at the NAACP, Ben created pathbreaking partnerships with conservative leaders and Republican governors to help shrink America's prison system as well as expand voting rights and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. In 2013, The Washington Post hailed him as "one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders." He was previously the executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, an organization of more than 200 historically black-owned newspapers.A former Rhodes Scholar, Ben is a graduate of Columbia and Oxford universities and a former visiting professor at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. He lives on the Chesapeake Bay with his children, Morgan and Jack, and their dog, Charlie.The ISU Book Store will be at the event selling copies of the speaker's book.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed by those with an ISU Net ID on the Available Recordings website.

Road Deaths & Serious Injuries: A Crisis of Complacency
Wed, 01 May 2024, 6:00 PM – 2630 Memorial Union - Road safety is one of the most intractable public health challenges we have faced in the last 100 years. We have come a long way in our understanding of the causes and consequences of road trauma. However, today, many of the challenges we face are no longer technical or scientific. Rather, they are social and political. We know what we need to do, we just don't know how to do it. We will explore how we got to where we are today, and what systems approaches really mean. We will explore the institutional challenges, potential solutions, and what lessons we can learn to improve safety in other sectors.An experienced safety researcher, Dr. Carlyn Muir is an Associate Professor at Monash University Accident Research Centre in Australia. Muir's research portfolio covers a diverse range of injury and violence prevention topics across the safety sciences. She has maintained long-standing research partnerships with emergency service agencies and is currently working on research projects for local police and fire services. Muir also coordinates with the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Violence and Injury Prevention, which focuses on research, advocacy, and capacity building.  This lecture will be recorded and available to view 24-36 hours after the lecture's conclusion on the Available Recordings page.