Recent speakers and events
Mark Shriver
A Mission to Serve: Celebrating the Peace Corps
at Half-Century
Oct. 13, 2011
Watch the video »
Mark Kennedy Shriver comes to Wake Forest in the tradition of Pro Humanitate to speak about the American mission of serving others, particularly in relation to the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. His father, Sargent Shriver, brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy, was the driving force behind and first administrator of the Peace Corps. Shriver served two four-year terms as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, was Maryland's first Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families and currently is senior vice president of U.S. Programs for Save the Children.
Dr. Stephen Prothero
The Perils of Religious Ignorance:
Religious Literacy for the 21st Century
Sept. 20, 2011
Watch the video »
Despite the lack of basic knowledge about major world religions or even the Bible itself, politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed-or misinterpreted-by the vast majority of Americans. Dr. Prothero, Professor of Religion at Boston University, has authored six books, including the bestseller Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-and Doesn't and serves as a commentator for the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC, FOX, PBS and National Public Radio. Dr. Prothero comes to Wake Forest to share his insight as one of the leading voices for the importance of religious literacy in our increasingly globalized world.
Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff
The Real Inside Couple of DC
April 13, 2011
Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch led a conversation with Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff, who married in 1980 and are among America's most respected journalists. Hunt is Executive Washington Editor for Bloomberg News, a frequent panelist on network news programs and a member of the Wake Forest Board of Trustees (WFU '65).
Woodruff is Senior Correspondent and Co-Anchor for The PBS NewsHour and Anchor of Conversations with Judy Woodruff on Bloomberg Television. Hunt and Woodruff will explore the intertwining of political, cultural and journalistic life in Washington and will share personal insights on raising a family in our nation's capital.
Jay Bilas
College Sports Inside Out
October 7, 2010
Bilas is an attorney with Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte and serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports. He was a four-year starter on the Duke University men's basketball team from 1983-1986 and helped lead Duke to the Final Four and National Championship game in 1986. Bilas was selected in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks and was an assistant basketball coach at Duke from 1990-1992.
Bilas shared his insights about the state of college athletics and the NCAA. Wake Forest President Nathan Hatch and Athletic Director Ron Wellman joined Bilas in the conversation.
John Grisham
Innocence and Justice
September 14, 2010
Author, attorney and former Mississippi State Representative John Grisham came to Wake Forest University to demonstrate support for the School of Law's Innocence and Justice Clinic. Grisham had a conversation with students and faculty about the American justice system, focusing on wrongful convictions and exonerations. The Wake Forest School of Law Innocence and Justice Clinic provides students with the unique opportunity to learn about the various causes of wrongful convictions and conducts investigations of cases where newly discovered evidence can prove innocence.
Coverage of Grisham's visit:
Thomas Friedman
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America
February 10, 2010
Foreign Affairs Columnist for The New York Times and recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, Thomas Friedman has been heralded as "the country's best newspaper columnist" by Vanity Fair. Friedman is widely respected for his straight talk and reliable information about complex and often menacing world events. His latest book, Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution, is a #1 New York Times bestseller. Friedman spoke at Wake Forest University's Energizing the Future conference.
Energizing the Future conference »
Atomic Matters:
Graham Allison on The Fragility of the Nuclear Order
October 1, 2009
Lecture video »
Dr. Graham Allison comes to Wake Forest to share insight about urgent global nuclear challenges and the fragility of the nuclear order. A native of North Carolina, Dr. Allison is Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served as Special Advisor to the Secretary of Defense under President Reagan and has the sole distinction of having twice been awarded the Department of Defense's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal.
Press release »
Fulfilling the Promise
David Gergen on the New American President
February 10, 2009
Lecture video »
Economic crisis. Middle East turmoil. Environmental challenges. Healthcare reform. Soaring Federal deficit. President Obama faces these and other looming issues as he shapes an agenda for America's future. David Gergen, advisor to four U.S. Presidents, a senior political analyst for CNN and an editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report, comes to Wake Forest University to share his unique perspective on the Obama administration.
Press release »
Read about Gergen's speech in the Winston-Salem Journal »
Co-sponsored by the Pro Humanitate Center, a project of the Lilly Endowment.
Lost Worlds
Discoveries from the edge of civilization
November 13, 2008
Lecture video »
Dr. Bruce Beehler, a noted ecologist and conservationist who recently was featured on 60 Minutes, returns from his third exploration to the most remote mountain range in little-known western New Guinea just two days before coming to Wake Forest University. Dr. Beehler will share his fresh insights on a place that many people call the “untouched land” — occupying only a small fraction of the Earth's surface but home to nearly 10 percent of its species, many still undiscovered.
Press release »
Watch Dr. Beehler on 60 Minutes »
Co-sponsored by the Pro Humanitate Center, a project of the Lilly Endowment.
College of the Overwhelmed
April 7, 2008
Three prominent scholars, practitioners and directors of university counseling centers discuss the campus mental health crisis and provide practical solutions for creating healthy environments in higher education.
More information »
Why Work? Business, Professions and the Common Good
March 27-28, 2008
A two-day conference exploring the challenges of modern business and professional life and the relationship between personal values and commitments and the world of work. With keynote speaker David Brooks of The New York Times and former congressman Lee Hamilton among the panelists. Sponsored by the Pro Humanitate Center, a project of the Lilly Endowment.
Video from the event » (provided by UChannel)
Audio from the event »
Conference Schedule »
Press release: Conference asks 'Why Work?' »
Press release: Politics demands unpleasant trade-offs »
Secrets vs. Security
January 24, 2008
A two-part event sponsored by the Secrest Artists Series and Voices of Our Time included the docudrama Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers starring John Heard and a lecture by Daniel Ellsberg.
AUDIO:
Lecture by Daniel Ellsberg »
VIDEO:
WSJS 600/1200 AM Live and Local
AUDIO:
Live and Local Forum / Part 1 »
Live and Local Forum / Part 2 »
WZTK 101.1 FM The Allan Handelman Show
AUDIO:
The Alan Handleman Show / Hour 1 »
The Alan Handleman Show / Hour 2 »
The Alan Handleman Show / Hour 3 »
Bob Schieffer: 50 Years in the News
October 25, 2007
Bob Schieffer, broadcast journalism's most experienced Washington reporter and anchor and moderator of "Face the Nation," CBS News' Sunday public affairs broadcast, spoke about his experiences and observations while covering the news for the past 50 years.
Photo gallery »
Audio and video:
iTunes podcast »
RSS feed »
Download the audio (MP3) »
Download the video (MP4) »
Immigration: Recasting the Debate
October 3-5, 2007
A three-day conference on U.S. immigration featuring major public figures and leading immigration policy experts and scholars.
Event audio and video »
Photo gallery »
Speakers and panelists »
Conference sessions »
Conference presentations (PDF/Powerpoint) »
Student blog on immigration »
2006 Speakers (Selected Listing)
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Leonard Pitts
- Paul Rusesabagina
- The Very Rev. George Carey
- Sister Helen Prejean
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