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W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Archives

Explore Our Past Lectures

 2023-2024

Tuesday, September 12, 2023: Dr. Flip Tanedo

"Why We Haven't Discovered Dark Matter" 

Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Richard Haass, President, Council of Foreign Relations

"The Future of American Democracy"

Monday, January 22, 2024: Former Members of Congress (FMC)

"Congress to Campus: The Value of Healthy Partisanship"

Wednesday, February 7, 2024: Panel Discussion of American Inheritance: Liberty, Slavery, and Religion in the Birth of a Nation

Panelists:

  • Richard Hughes Scholar in Residence, Lipscomb University
  • Christina Littlefield Associate Professor of Communication and Religion
  • Chris Soper Distinguished Professor of Political Science

 2022 - 2023

Wednesday, November 2 2022: James Densley and Jillian Peterson
"The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic"

Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Dr. Teresa Bejan
"Mere Civility: Disagreements and the Limits of Toleration"

Watch Dr. Bejan's Lecture

Thursday, March 16, 2023: Myrlie Evers, Jerry Mitchell
"Legacy of a Movement: Celebrating Medgar and Myrlie Evers"

Watch Legacy of a Movement

 

 2021-2022

Tuesday, March 15, 2022: Roosevelt Montás
"Rescuing Socrates: Why Liberal Education Liberates"

View Roosevelt Montás' lecture.  |  View transcript

 

 2019-2020

Tuesday, October 8, 2019: Astronaut Richard R. Arnold II
"An Evening with Astronaut Arnold"

Click to view Richard R. Arnold II's lecture.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019: Rachael Denhollander
"An Evening with Rachael Denhollander"

Tuesday, February 4, 2020: Alexis Bonnell
"Innovation to Impact: Leading Change in a Challenging Time"

Click to view Alexis Bonnell's lecture.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020: Dr. Larycia Hawkins and Linda Midgett
CANCELED "Same God Screening and Panel Discussion"

The health and safety of Pepperdine's community is our highest priority. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, this event has been canceled.

 2018-2019

Tuesday, October 2, 2018: Dr. Jean Twenge
"iGen: Understanding the Smartphone Generation"

Wednesday, November 7, 2018: Dr. Lucy Jones
"The Big Ones: Preparing for Increasing Risk of Natural Disasters"

Tuesday, February 19, 2019: Dr. Eboo Patel
"Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise"

Wednesday, March 20, 2019: Jami Miscik ('80)
"The Enduring Need for Public Service"

 2017-2018

Tuesday, October 24, 2017: J.D. Vance
"Hillbilly Elegy: A Culture in Crisis"

Click to view J.D. Vance's lecture. 

Tuesday, November 7, 2017: Dr. Lynn Pasquerella
"Educating for Democracy in a Post-Truth Era"

Click to view Dr. Lynn Pasquerella's lecture.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum
"A Conversation with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum"

Wednesday, March 21, 2018: Dr. Jeffrey J. Selingo
"There is Life After College: Making the Most of the Undergraduate Years for Success in Life"

 2016-2017

Thursday, October 6, 2016: David Brooks
"The Road to Character"

Wednesday, October 26, 2016: Dr. Erika Franklin Fowler
"Attacks, Anonymity and Anomalies: Political Advertising in the 2016 Election"

Click to view Dr. Frankin Fowler's lecture.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe 
"Loving Our Global Neighbor"

Click to view Dr. Katherine Hayhoe's lecture.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017: Matika Wilbur
"Changing the Way We See Native America: Dismantling Native American Stereotypes"

Click to view Matika Wilbur's lecture.

 2015-2016

Thursday, October 15, 2015: Dr. S. Georgia Nugent
"Paradoxes of the Liberal Arts"

Click to view Dr. Nugent's lecture.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015: Dr. James Stump
"Science, Religion, and the Christian College: Where the Conflict Really Lies"

Click to view Dr. Stump's lecture.

Thursday, February 11, 2016: Dr. Carolyn Becker
"The Body Project: Transforming Atypical Partnerships into Global Impact"

Click to view Dr. Becker's lecture.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016: Bryan Stevenson
"American Justice: Mercy, Humanity, and Making a Difference"

 2014-2015

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 - Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
"The Science of Happiness"

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - Dr. Peter Raven
"Saving the Living World, Saving Ourselves"

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - Connie Duckworth
"An evening with Connie Duckworth"

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 - Michael Pollan
"Omnivore's Dilemma: Searching for the Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World"

 2013-2014

Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 5:00 p.m. - Dr. Randal Jelks
"The Social Gospel in Black and White: Benjamin Elijah Mays and the Redemption of America from Its Racist Past"
Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 5:00 p.m. - Shaifali Puri
"Mobilizing Science, Improving Lives"
Tuesday, February 4, 2014, 5:00 p.m. - Ellen Gustafson
"A New Understanding of Hunger, Obesity, and the Food System"
Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 5:00 p.m. - Randall S. Kroszner
"Lessons from the Financial Crisis for Economic Policy"

*Flora L. Thornton Distinguished Nutrition Speaker - T. Colin Campbell
Thursday, February 20, 2014, 5:00 p.m.
"The Time for Nutrition Has Arrived"

Unfortunately, we have learned that - due to doctor's orders not to travel from her North Carolina home - featured speaker Maya Angelou is unable to be with us on May 9th. We wish Dr. Angelou renewed health and vitality on behalf of the Pepperdine community.

*Special Student Engagement featuring Dr. Maya Angelou
Friday, May 9, 2014, 3:00 p.m.
"An Afternoon with Dr. Maya Angelou"

 2012-2013

Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Peter Harrison
"Religious Origins of Modern Science"
Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Deborah Harkness
"The All Souls Trilogy"
Thursday, January 31, 2013, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Lamin Sanneh
"Freedom of Religion and Citizenship: Perspectives on World Christianity"
Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Karla Holloway
"How Private Bodies become Public Texts (and how the law makes this happen)"

 2011-2012

Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - Sheryl WuDunn
"Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide"
Thursday, October 6, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - "Pepperdine at 75 Panel"
Panel Discussion hosted by Dr. W. David Baird
Thursday, October 13, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Earl Shorris
"The Moral Life of Downtown: Bringing the Humanities to the Poor"
Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - Astronaut Tracy Caldwell
"An Evening with Astronaut Tracy Caldwell"
Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 7:00 p.m. - Sonia Nazario
"Enrique's Journey"
Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Ed Larson
"Greater Glory: Science and the Race To The Pole 100 Years Later"

 2010-2011

Thursday, September 23, 2010, 7:00 p.m. - Donzaleigh Abernathy
"An Evening with Donzaleigh Abernathy"

Thursday, November 4, 2010, 7:00 p.m. - Azar Nafisi
"The Republic of the Imagination"

Thursday, January 27, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Chris Field
"The Velocity of Climate Change"

Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7:00 p.m. - Condoleezza Rice
"Remarks by Condoleezza Rice"

Thursday, February 17, 2011, 7:00p.m. - Dr. Antonio Damasio
"An Evening with Dr. Antonio Damasio"

 2009-2010

Thursday, October 8, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Cornel West                                        
"An Evening with Dr. Cornel West"
Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - W.S. Merwin
"An Evening of Poetry with Pulitzer Prize-winner W.S. Merwin"
Thursday, November 19, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - Ronald Numbers
"Antievolutionism in America"
Thursday, February 11, 2010, 7:00 p.m. - John Paul Lederach
"The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace"
Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 7:00 p.m. - Lester Holt
"The Democratization of Journalism"

 2008-2009

Monday, September 15, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - Professor Jonathan Weiner
"The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time"
Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - Mr. James West
"Spirituality and Religion: "A Cheyenne Family Story"
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Martha Nussbaum
"Not for Profit: A Defense of Liberal Education"
Monday, March 23, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Phillip Jenkins
"The Lost History of Christianity"

 2007-2008

Monday, September 17, 2007, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Stephen G. Post
"Why Good Things Happen to Good People"
Wednesday, November 14, 2007, TBD - Dr. Kenneth Miller
"Darwin and Christian Faith"
Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 7:00 p.m. - Professor Tobias Wolff
"The Lies of Memoir, the Truth of Fiction"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Marianne M. Jennings
"What Makes Really Smart and Good People Do Really Dumb and Unethical Things"
Monday, March 24, 2008, 7 p.m. - Dr. Charlotte Canning
"A Yankee Hamlet in the European Court:  U.S. Theatre and Cold War Foreign Policy"
Friday, April 11, 2008, 11:00 a.m. - Dr. Mark Noll
TBD - Reed Lecture sponsored by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society

 2006-2007

Monday, September 18, 2006, 2:00 p.m. - U.S. Senator John Kerry
(topic to be determined)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Leonard Shlain
"The Alphabet Versus The Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image"
Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 7:00 p.m. - Dr. Richard A. Muller
"Military Secrets of the Oceans, Atmosphere, and UFOs"
Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 7:00 p.m. - Ms. Myrlie Evers-Williams & Mr. Jerry Mitchell
"Stories of Justice and Redemption from Mississippi"

 2005-2006

September 29, 2005 - Mr. Jack Hanna
"Going Wild for Wildlife"
October 10, 2005 - Dr. Stephen Weathers
"The (Other) Good Confession: 'I Was Wrong'"
October 27, 2005 - Dr. Elaine Richardson
"Lil Kim, Hiphop Womanhood, and Speak in the Truth"
January 8 & 9, 2006 - Dr. J.G.D. Dunn
"Jesus Remembered (The Making of Christianity)"
January 24, 2006 - Dr. Neal Lane
"America's Future in Science and Technology - Some Storm Clouds on the Horizon"
March 21, 2006 - Dr. Os Guinness
"Can Freedom Last Forever? - The Framers' Forgotten Question And How We Are Doing Today"

 2005

January 9, 2005 - Dr. N.T. Wright
"The Challenge of Following Jesus in the Twenty-first Century"
January 10, 2005 - Dr. N.T. Wright
"The Challenge of Following Jesus in the Twenty-first Century"
January 11, 2005- Dr. N.T. Wright
"The Challenge of Following Jesus in the Twenty-first Century"
January 24, 2005- Dr. David G. Myers
"The Scientific Pursuit of Happiness"
February 14, 2005 - Mr. David Leeson
"Finding Your Mission"
March 21, 2005 - Dr. Carrie Haslett
"American Masters and their European Muses: 1870-1950"
April 11, 2005 - Dr. Nancey Murphy
"Neuroscience and the Soul"

 2004

January 11, 2004 - Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson
"Learning the Human Jesus: History and/or Literature?"
January 12, 2004 - Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson
"Learning the Living Jesus: Discipleship in the Church"
January 29, 2004 - Dr. William Cronon
"Telling Tales on Canvas: Landscapes of Frontier Change"
February 16, 2004 - Dr. Kenneth G. Elzinga
"Microsoft and the Chicago School of Economics: Is Antitrust Obsolete?"
March 8, 2004 - Kathleen Norris
"Shaping the Life that Matters"
March 30, 2004 - Dr. Roland Fryer
"What Price Diversity? The Economics and Ethics of Affirmative Action"
September 07, 2004 - D'Esta L. Love
"Introducing the Pepperdine Voyage Project"
September 14, 2004 - Jerry Rushford
"The History of Pepperdine"
September 27, 2004 - Dr. Rick Marrs and  Dr. Ken Durham
"The History of The Churches of Christ"
October 11, 2004 - Dr. Andrew K. Benton

 2003

February 10, 2003 - Laura Skandera Trombley
March 6, 2003 - Robert Bellah
March 18, 2003 - Allen Fox, John Naber, Ryne Sandberg and Paul Westphal
March 25, 2003 - Professor Glenn McGee

 2002

January 17, 2002 - Barbara Boxer
January 28, 2002 - George Azar
February 18, 2002 - Lero D. Baca, L.A. County Sheriff
March 18, 2002 - Luis Lugo
April 8, 2002 - Dr. Milefi Kete Asante