W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series
Pepperdine University's Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences is proud to present the W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series. When available, videos of past events are available online in the archives below.
The Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible through the support of Melanie and Richard Flamminio, the Seaver College Board of Visitors, and the Seaver Parents Association.
Event Schedule 2025 - 2026
Exit from International Organizations
Dr. Felicity Vabulas
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 12pm | Surfboard Room
Dr. Felicity Vabulas is the Blanche E. Seaver Associate Professor of International Studies at Pepperdine University. Vabulas' research focuses on the political economy of international cooperation. She recently coauthored Exit from International Organizations, which discusses states' departures from multinational groups and the effects they have for the exiting state. A thought leader in the field of international relations, Vabulas has contributed to numerous academic journals and books. She earned a PhD in public policy from the University of Chicago and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
The Science of Loving Our Neighbors: Equity in Real Life
Dr. Emily Smith
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 5pm | Elkins Auditorium
Dr. Emily Smith is an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine/Surgery at Duke University and an associate professor of global health at the Duke Global Health Institute. She researches global pediatric cancer and health economics, studying such concerns in Africa and Latin America. Smith recently published The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger about Loving Our Neighbors, and is known for her Substack, Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist. She earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Minding Justice: Mental Health and Criminal Law
Dr. Kate Bonnici
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 12pm | Surfboard Room
Dr. Kate Bolton Bonnici is an assistant professor of English at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Social Action and Justice Colloquium. Bonnici is an interdisciplinary scholar who recently published A True & Just Record, about the English witch trials; her debut poetry collection, Night Burial, won the 2020 Colorado Prize for Poetry. She previously worked as a litigator in Alabama and California. Bonnici earned a JD at New York University, followed by an MFA in poetry at the University of California, Riverside, and a PhD in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.