Programs · The Student Lecture Series

Past Speakers

2025
Chris Walker, Director of Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Sustainability Organization
2025
Sara Fischer, Interviewer, Senior Reporter, Axios
2025
Claire McCaskill, U.S. Senator (2007-2018)
2025
Ben Sasse, U.S. Senator (2015-2023)
2025
Linsey Davis, Moderator, Host and Radio Correspondent, ‘Wold News Tonight Sunday’ and ‘ABC News Live Prime’
2025
Tom Gruber, Co-Founder, CTO and VP Design of Siri
2025
Molly Wood, Founder and CEO of Molly Wood Media
2024
America Ferrera, Award-Winning Actor, Director and Producer
2024
Mandalit del Barco, Interviewer, Correspondent, Arts Desk, NPR West
2024
Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theater; New York Times
Bestselling Author
2024
Jonah Goldberg, Syndicated Political Columnist; Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of
The Dispatch; Former National Review Senior Editor; Author
2024
Ezra Klein, New York Times Columnist; “Ezra Klein Show” Podcast Host;
Bestselling Author
2023
Laura Linney, Award-Winning Theatre, Film and Television Actress; Cancer Advocate
2023
Dr. Arthur Laffer, Economist, Medal of Freedom Recipient, Reagan Advisor
2023
Robert Reich, Former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Economist and Bestselling Author
2023
Bret Baier, Fox News Chief Political Anchor and Author
2023
Maria Ressa, Nobel Prize Winner, 2021
Deepak Chopra, MD, Pioneer in Integrative Medicine and Personal Transformation, Bestselling Author 2022
Deepak Chopra, MD, Pioneer in Integrative Medicine and Personal Transformation,
Bestselling Author
Paul Begala, Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Political Strategist and Bestselling Author 2022
Paul Begala, Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Political Strategist and Bestselling Author
Karl Rove, Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Political Strategist and Bestselling Author 2022
Karl Rove, Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Political Strategist and Bestselling Author
2022
H.R. McMaster, National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired and
Bestselling Author
2022
Abby Wambach, World Cup Champion, Bestselling Author and Advocate
2021
Margaret Trudeau, Bestselling Author and Mental Health Advocate
2021
Michael Phelps, Most Decorated Swimmer in History and Mental Health Advocate
Dan Buettner's headshot 2021
Dan Buettner, Explorer and Writer for National Geographic
Chris Christie's headshot 2021
Chris Christie, 55th Governor of the State of New Jersey
David Axelrod's headshot 2021
David Axelrod, Director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Senior
Political Commentator
2020
Eddie S. Gaude Jr., Distinguished University Professor; Chair, Department of African
American Studies, Princeton University
2020
Ibram X. Kendi, Award-Winning Historian and Leading Antiracist Voice
Newt Gingrich 2020
Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Valerie Jarrett 2020
Valerie Jarrett, Former Senior Advisor to President Obama
Noah Feldman, Harvard Law Professor and Bloomberg Columnist

2019
Noah Feldman, Harvard Law Professor and Bloomberg Columnist
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2019
Glenn Close, Actress and Mental Health Advocate
sanjay

2018

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Emmy Award-winning Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN and
Neurosurgeon

2018
Elizabeth Vargas, Award-winning journalist and author

2018
Chris Matthews, New York Times bestselling author and MSNBC host

2017
Charles Osgood, Emmy Award-winning news anchor and author

2017
David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army, Retired and former director of the CIA

2017
Patrick J. Kennedy, Former U.S. Representative and Founder, The Kennedy Forum

2016
Peggy Noonan, Columnist and best-selling author

2016
Michael Sandel, Political philosopher and professor, Harvard University

2015
Mariel Hemingway, Actress, author, mental health advocate

2015
Michael Pollan, Best-selling author, journalist
remarkable-evening-kearns-Goodwin 2014
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author & historian

2012
Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Medical anthropologist and global health advocate

2012
Michele Norris, Radio journalist and former host of the National Public Radio (NPR) evening
news program All Things Considered

2011
Condoleezza Rice, Former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor

2011
Clarence B. Jones, Former political advisor, counsel and draft speechwriter for the Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2010
James Bradley, New York Times Bestselling Author

2009
Michael Beschloss, Author & Presidential Historian

2008
Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute & Biographer

2007
John Irving, Academy Award 7 National Book Award-winning novelist

2006
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning Author & Historian

2004
Wendy Wasserstein, Pulitzer Prize & Tony Award-winning playwright

2002-03
David McCullough, Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Author and Historian