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Great Conversations: Speaker Series

Now in its 21st year, Great Conversations has brought the scholarship of accomplished faculty in the College of Liberal Arts to the community through presentations and discussions around topics across the humanities, social sciences and visual and performing arts. The 2026-2027 series reflects the diversity and vibrancy in the College, and we invite you to join other engaged learners in exploring thought-provoking topics of significance to our community and beyond. As a limited-seating event, the setting of local homes and arts venues creates an engaging and intimate setting for lively discussion.

Annual subscriptions are $1,200 and include two fully transferable tickets to all four events, hors d’oeuvres, drinks and stimulating conversation. Funds raised from the Great Conversations series are used to provide unrestricted support to the College of Liberal Arts. Fifty percent of the subscription registration price is considered a tax-deductible donation.

Featured speakers

woman smiling on red couch

Wrongful Convictions Then and Now

Speaker: Pamela Everett, Teaching Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Date: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026
Hosted by: Robin and Steven Welch

More than a decade ago, Pamela Everett started learning about wrongful convictions - how people can be convicted of crimes they never committed, often serving decades in prison while trying to prove their innocence. She volunteered her legal skills to help right these wrongs and learned even more about these cases in the process. Around the same time, she began researching a family secret - a tragedy that nobody talked about. In the process, she uncovered one of California's most historic criminal cases and soon saw the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction. The man convicted and executed for the murders that forever changed her family was likely innocent. Join Pamela for the spellbinding story she captured in her book "Little Shoes", and how these cases have taught attorneys, judges, law enforcement officers, policy makers and other professionals about how to prevent these injustices and to preserve the integrity of our justice system.

ian hartshorn headshot

Trade and Aid When Institutions Fade: Can We Change Anything Through Trade or Tariffs?

Speaker: Ian Hartshorn, Associate Professor of Political Science
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
Hosted by: Chris Galli

For over 70 years, U.S. trade policy promoted international economic integration despite uneven outcomes. This talk examines what trade seeks to achieve in practice by comparing Mexico and Jordan, two U.S. allies whose trade agreements aimed beyond economic growth. It asks whether trade builds skills, peace, or shapes migration, and analyzes the growing reliance across administrations on trade and restrictions amid weakening global rules, drawing on Dr. Hartshorn’s research with workers in Mexico’s Bajio and Jordan’s Amman.
hugh shapiro headshot

Five Key Words for Understanding China in 2026

Speaker: Hugh Shapiro, Associate Professor of History
Date: Thursday, Feb. 4, 2027
Hosted by: Meagan and Justin Noin

“Involution” (nèiju¨£n ƒÈ¾í), defined as intensifying competition without meaningful progress, has emerged as a defining term in contemporary China, capturing widespread perceptions of relentless effort with diminishing returns. This talk examines five key concepts shaping China today, considered from the perspectives of everyday citizens and political leadership. Through these terms, it explores central tensions in Chinese society, including advances in renewable energy alongside heavy reliance on coal, military strength amid internal purges and world?class infrastructure combined with strict information control.
rebekah bogard headshot

Seeing Between the Lines: Art, Play and the Imagination

Speaker: Rebekah Bogard, Associate Professor of Art
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2027
Hosted by: Darrell Lockhart

In this talk, visual artist and educator Rebekah Bogard examines the nature of artistic practice by tracing how play, perception, and intuition shape creative decision?making. Through stories and imagery, she demystifies the artistic process for a general audience, reflecting on how ideas move from observation to material form, from small gestures on paper to immersive environmental works. The talk frames creativity not as a rare skill, but as a human mode of attention, patience, and openness cultivated through everyday experience.

Register for Great Conversations

Annual subscriptions are $1,200 and include two fully transferable tickets to all four events, hors d¡¯oeuvres, drinks and stimulating conversation. Funds raised from the Great Conversations series are used to provide unrestricted support to the College of Liberal Arts. Fifty percent of the subscription registration price is considered a tax-deductible donation.