SEPTEMBER
Why Living in a House Built by Habitat for Humanity is Different: A Conversation with Jonathan Reckford
Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, 7 p.m.
Olin Hall Theater
Jonathan T.M. Reckford is chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, a global Christian housing organization that has helped more than 46 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve their homes.
Since 2005, when he took the top leadership position, local Habitat organizations in all 50 states and in more than 70 countries have grown from serving 125,000 individuals each year to helping more than 7.1 million people last year build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.
Named the most influential nonprofit leader in America in 2017 by The Nonprofit Times, Jonathan is the author of “Our Better Angels: Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World.”
This event is free and open to the public. Register here. To attend virtually, register here.
An Evening with Ben Carson
Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, 7 p.m.
Olin Hall Theater
Join the Roanoke College Center for Economic Freedom for an evening with Dr. Ben Carson.
Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D., is founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute, a new think tank that works to promote conservative values through the protection of faith, liberty, community and life – what the institute considers the four cornerstones of our country. He most recently served as the 17th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For nearly 30 years, Carson served as director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a position he assumed when he was just 33 years old, becoming the youngest major division director in the hospital’s history. In 1987, he successfully performed the first separation of craniopagus twins conjoined at the back of the head. He also performed the first fully successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins in 1997 in South Africa.
Carson graduated from Yale University and earned his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School.
Complimentary tickets are required and available at the Colket Center Help Desk. To reserve tickets and pick them up at will call, email [email protected].
Building Trust, Showing Up, and Creating ‘Beloved Communities’ with Dr. Claude Steele
Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, 7 p.m.
Olin Hall Theater
Dr. Claude M. Steele is a social psychologist and an emeritus professor at Stanford University. He is well-known for his work on stereotype threat and its application to minority student academic performance. His book, “Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us,” summarizes years of research on these topics. Steele will speak on how we can build successfully diverse colleges and universities where people feel they can contribute from their backgrounds and identities without discrimination.
This lecture is co-sponsored by the Office of the President, Henry H. Fowler Public Affairs, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
To reserve a spot, register here. To attend virtually, register here.
The Importance of Judicial Independence: An Evening with James C. Duff
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, 7:30 p.m.
Wortmann Ballroom, Colket Center
Join us for a Constitution Day address with guest speaker James C. Duff as he shares his talk on “The Importance of Judicial Independence.”
Duff is executive director of the Supreme Court Historical Society. He was director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts from 2006 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2021, when he also served as secretary of the Judicial Conference of the United States. In between those two periods of service, he was president and chief executive officer of the Newseum and Freedom Forum (2011-2014). Duff is former chairman of the Supreme Court Fellows Commission and has been an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University for 16 years, teaching constitutional law and civil liberties. He was previously managing partner of the Washington law firm of Baker Donelson PC.
The Constitution Day address will be sponsored by The Law Firm of Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black and the Turk Pre-Law Program.
This event is free and open to the public.
To reserve a spot, register here. To attend virtually, register here.
OCTOBER
Achieving Olympic Gold: The Kristin Armstrong Story of Commitment, Perseverance, and Transcendence
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, 7 p.m.
Cregger Arena
Join us for an unforgettable evening with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong, a world champion cyclist, coach, mother and entrepreneur. We invite you to hear the inspiring words of a remarkable athlete and role model.
This lecture is co-sponsored by Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity, Delta Gamma Sorority, and the Center for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Innovation (CLEI).
This event is free and open to the public.
To reserve a spot, register here.
NOVEMBER
Do Values Matter?
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m.
Wortmann Ballroom, Colket Center
Join the Center for Policy, Ethics, and Law for an evening with Mark Quiner.
Mark Quiner is an experienced group facilitator with over 40 years of experience. He currently serves as director of NCSL’s Center for Ethics in Government, whose mission is to restore trust and confidence in representative government by promoting responsible behavior in legislatures and educating the public on the importance of the legislative process.
Previously, Quiner was the acting director of the Wyoming Legislative Service Office, where he served for 26 years. Following law school at the University of Wyoming, he worked for Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Stuart Brown, then served as the state’s assistant attorney general.
This lecture is co-sponsored by the Henry H. Fowler Program and the Turk Pre-Law Program.
This event is free and open to the public.
To reserve a spot, register here. To attend virtually, register here.