Past Distinguished Speaker Series
2021
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Michael Bobbitt — Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council and Former Artistic Director, New Repertory Theatre
Post-COVID Anti-Racist Theatre and The Future -
Harry Litman — Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Restoring the Rule of Law Post-Trump -
Stephane Acel-Green — Deputy Vice President, Regional Development, New Israel Fund
Further Democracy and Social Justice in Israel: What Arabs and Jews Can Do -
Sharon Rivo — Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Jewish Film; Adjunct Professor, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
Treasure Hunting! Preserving Cultures Through Yiddish Films, Nazi Propaganda, and Family Movies -
Frank Phillips — Former State House Bureau Chief, The Boston Globe
Fidel Castro and the Pursuit of Hemingway’s Papers: A Personal Odyssey -
John Carroll — Media Analyst, NPR’s “Here and Now”; Senior News Analyst, WBUR
Media, Politics and the Cliffs of Moher: Ask Me Anything -
Sean Murphy — Consumer Columnist, The Boston Globe
Standing Up for the Little Guy: Using the Power of the Press to Protect Consumers -
Steven Lipsitt — Former Musical Director, Boston Classical Orchestra
Music, Emotion, & Community -
Stuart Altman — Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, The Heller School, Brandeis University
The Healthcare Priorities of the Biden Administration -
Kenneth Greenberg — Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, Suffolk University
How Could Men who Enslaved Others Think of Themselves as Honorable Gentlemen? -
Carole Charnow — President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children’s Museum
Boston Children’s Museum – How a Museum Founded in 1913 Addresses the Challenges of Today -
Joseph Nye — Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Harvard University’s Kennedy School
Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump -
Karen Haas — Lane Senior Curator of Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts
An Enduring Vision: The MFA Lane Collection of Fine Art -
Rachel Kadish — National Jewish Book Award-Winning Author
The Weight of Ink: Writing and Researching a Work of Historical Fiction -
Drew Sullivan — Publisher and Editor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Program
Investigating Organized Crime and Corruption: Follow the Money -
James H. Barron — Journalist, attorney, and founding board member of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting
The Greek Connection: The Life of Elias Demetracopoulos and the Untold Story of Watergate -
Eric Giesser — Regional Director, American Israel Public Affairs Committee
The Israel-U.S. Relationship: Built for Good -
Tanisha Sullivan — President of the Boston Chapter NAACP
Delivering on the Promise of Equality After COVID-19 -
Jorge Quiroga — Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist, WCVB Channel 5
From Bogotá to Boston’s WCVB Channel 5: Getting the News Story Right at Warp Speed -
Paula Apsell — Senior Executive Producer Emerita, NOVA
Science, History and Truth: Becoming a Citizen Scientist -
Dr. Ed Hoffer — Cardiologist, MGH; Author of Prescription for Bankruptcy
Our Health System is Ill -
Richard Greene — Director, Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate; USC Professor
The History of Race and Housing in America -
Diane Ravitch — Former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education and Professor, NYU
Slaying Goliath: Privatization and the Threat to American Public Schools -
Devra First — Restaurant Critic and Food Writer, The Boston Globe
During a Time of Great Change: What’s on the Table for Restaurants Going Forward? -
Stephen Kinzer — Award-winning foreign correspondent; Senior Fellow, Brown University
Biden’s Foreign Policy: What’s New and What’s Not? -
Sandor Frankel — Author and Trust Foundation Lawyer, Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Israel Program
The Accidental Philanthropist: How I Came to Give Away a Fortune for the Public Good -
David Howse — Vice President of Emerson College and Executive Director of ArtsEmerson
Arts and Civic Transformation: The Power of Storytelling to Reshape a City’s Narrative -
Allen Sinai — Chief Global Economist, Strategist and President, Decision Economics
A “New” New Deal for the New Economy: A New Moment in History? -
Nicole Mezenbach — Consul General of Germany to New England
Germany’s Leadership Role in the European Union
2023
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Mickey Edwards — Former Oklahoma Congressman, Professor at Princeton University
The Parties versus the People -
Jake Auchincloss — Congressman, Massachusetts’ 4th District
Trends in Congress -
Bill McKibben — Environmental advocate, former Boston Globe columnist
Global Warming+ -
Deval Patrick — Former Governor of Massachusetts
Passing It On: Encouraging Tomorrow’s Leaders -
Ron Leibowitz — Former President, Brandeis University
Challenges Facing Higher Education -
Sheldon Whitehouse — U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
Reforming the U.S. Supreme Court -
Joe Kennedy III — Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs
From Lawmaker to Diplomat & His Groundwork Project -
Naomi Oreskes — Harvard historian of science
Foundational Science and Fact-Based Decision Making -
Seth Moulton — Congressman, Massachusetts’ 6th District
What’s New on Capitol Hill
2024
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Mickey Edwards — Former Oklahoma Congressman, Professor at Princeton University
Restoring Balance of Powers in Washington -
Yehudah Mirsky — Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
Understanding the Middle East -
Jim McGovern — Congressman from Massachusetts’ 2nd District; Chair of the House Rules Committee
Congressional Update -
Phil Radoff — Retired attorney, physicist, and opera expert
400 Years of Opera in 60 Minutes -
Loretta Greco — Head of the Huntington Theatre
Running a Regional Theater in the 21st Century -
Scot Lehigh — Boston Globe columnist
Anticipating Election 2024 -
Danielle Allen — Harvard Professor
Reclaiming the Democratic Process -
John J. Rudy — Computer expert, former Raytheon executive
Understanding Artificial Intelligence -
Paul Hattis — Medical doctor
Challenges of Our Health Care System -
Nancy Gertner — Retired federal judge, Massachusetts
Problems in the U.S. Supreme Court -
Allen Sinai — Economist
Elements of the U.S. Economy -
Margaret Low — President of WBUR Radio
Where Public Broadcasting Fits in the Media Scene -
Michael Goldman — College professor and political consultant
What Happened in the U.S. Election and Why
2025
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Jen Molinsky — Director, Harvard Aging Society Program
Aging in Place? Innovations & Alternatives -
Elizabeth Henry — Massachusetts Environmental League
Responding to Climate Change -
Erin McAleer — President & CEO, Project Bread
Food Insecurity -
Alexandra Vacroux — Executive Director, Harvard’s Davis Center; VP for Strategic Engagement, Kyiv School of Economics
Ukraine: What’s Next -
Handel & Haydn Society — Cellist Guy Fishman and violist Renee Hemsing
Concert and Conversation -
Katie Theoharides — President & CEO, The Trustees of Reservations
Nature’s Path to Health & Happiness -
Susan Goldberg — President & CEO, WGBH TV & Radio
Storytelling That Matters -
Bob Kuttner — Economics professor, Brandeis; editor, The American Prospect
Surviving Trump -
Michelle Boorstein — Washington Post religion writer
What Is Church-State Separation in 2025 -
Dr. Alice Lichtenstein — Senior Scientist, Diet & Chronic Disease; Healthy Aging Director, Tufts University
Sorting Through the Morass: Nutrition Information and Misinformation -
Jasmine Winship — Regional Director, New England, New Israel Fund
What’s Next for Israel -
Ed Markey — U.S. Senator, Massachusetts
Chasing Hope in Washington
2026
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New England Conservatory — Cellist Annie Hyung and pianist Yuki Yoshima
Concert and Conversation