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 2024 - 2025
"The Healing Power of the Classical Tradition"
Dr. Anika Prather
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | 5 PM | Elkins Auditorium
Dr. Prather's research centers on enhancing literacy among African American students through engagement with canonical literature. She is the author of Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African American Students Reading Great Books Literature and the co-author of The Black Intellectual Tradition with Dr. Angel Parham. Dr. Prather has taught in Howard University's classics department as a full-time lecturer. Additionally, she previously served as the Director of High-Quality Curriculum and Instruction at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy until February 2024. She is the founder of The Living Water School, an accredited online Christian school grounded in Classical education and the Sudbury Model. Dr. Prather and her husband Damon reside in the DC area with their three children.
"Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health"
Dr. Thomas Insel
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 5 PM | Elkins Auditorium
Known for his research on oxytocin and vasopressin, Dr. Thomas Insel is the national leader in mental health research, policy and technology. Previously an advisor to the governor of California and director of the National Institute of Mental Health, he is currently the Chairman of the Board at Steinberg Institute. In his talks, Dr. Insel offers a comprehensive plan for our failing mental system and for families trying to discern the way forward.
"Refugia: Communal Vocation in a Climate-Changed World"
Dr. Debra Rienstra
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 5 PM | Elkins Auditorium
Dr. Rienstra is professor of English at Calvin University, where she has taught since 1996, specializing in creative nonfiction, early British literature, and environmental literature. Her most recent book is Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth (Fortress 2022), a book that combines theology, nature writing, and biological principles to consider how Christians must adapt our faith and practice for a climate-altered planet. In connection with her work on faith and climate change, Dr. Rienstra speaks frequently to church and faith groups, hosts the Refugia Podcast, and writes the Refugia Newsletter on Substack. Her essays also appear fortnightly at The Reformed Journal where she writes about spirituality, pop culture, the church, the arts, higher ed, and more. Dr. Rienstra is the author of three previous books—on motherhood, Christian spirituality, and worship—as well as numerous academic essays, literary essays, and poems.