College & Theater Events

<p>Céline Cousteau is an internationally recognized explorer, award winning filmmaker, environmental advocate, life fulfillment coach, and transformational speaker working at the intersection of sustainability, leadership, and integral wellness. </p><p>As a third generation explorer carrying forward her family’s legacy, Céline blends field experience from the Amazon to Antarctica, a background in psychology and intercultural relations, award winning storytelling, and a profound understanding and commitment to human and ecological wellbeing.

Donna Brazile is a veteran political strategist, New York Times bestselling author, Senior Advisor at Purple Strategies, former Chair of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and sought-after Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning media contributor to such outlets as ABC News, USA Today, The Hill and The Grio. 

<p>A Native American activist, Harvard-educated economist and author, Winona LaDuke has devoted her life to advocating for indigenous people’s rights and environmental justice.</p><p>In 1985, LaDuke co-founded and co-chaired the Indigenous Women’s Network (IWN), a coalition dedicated to empowering women to take active roles in tribal politics and culture. In 1989, she founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP), a tribal land re-acquisition and environmental advocacy effort and one of the largest reservation-based nonprofits in the country.

<p>Alan C. Page was born August 7, 1945, in Canton, Ohio. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, and received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967 and his J.D.

<p>Editor-in-chief of<em> The Economist </em>and named one of the "Most Powerful Women in the World” by <em>Forbes</em>, Zanny Minton Beddoes is a renowned global economics expert, sought-after for her authoritative perspectives on the world economy.</p><p>The first female editor in <em>The Economist’s</em> 170+-year history, Minton Beddoes previously served as the publication’s business affairs editor, economics editor and emerging-markets correspondent.

<p>Jodie Sweetin opens up about her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and her road to recovery, offering hopeful and empowering perspective about self-worth and summoning the strength to confront personal demons.</p><p>Best known for playing Stephanie Tanner on the ’90s sitcom “Full House,” Jodie has lived a life far darker than her sweet-as-pie TV personality. After the show’s final season, at just 13 years old, Jodie spiraled into a long and devastating cycle of drug and alcohol abuse and has emerged triumphant over its unyielding grip.

<p>Over almost two decades, award-winning journalist and web and TV host, Laura Ling has dedicated herself to exposing the world to critical global issues, including slave labor in the Amazon, the drug war in Mexico, Internet censorship in China, and women’s rights in Turkey.</p><p>As the Director of Development for Discovery Digital Networks, Ling oversees the creation and production of original web series.

<p>Kristina Wong is a performance artist, actor, comedian, writer and elected representative in Koreatown Los Angeles. Following its highly acclaimed premiere at New York Theater Workshop, <em>Kristina Wong: Sweatshop Overlord</em>, was a <em>New York Times</em> “Critics Pick.” </p><p>Wong was then named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama, (2022). <em>Sweatshop Overlord</em> also garnered a veritable awards sweep this year including The Drama Desk Award, The Lucille Lortel Award and The Outer Critics Circle Award.

<p>Crystal Kadakia is a two-time TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and trusted advisor to mission-driven and STEM organizations navigating the complexities of culture change.

<p>As the real-life high school robotics coach played by actor and comedian George Lopez in the movie Spare Parts, Fredi Lajvardi is one of the nation’s leading STEM educators and a thought leader on the power of diverse teams to fuel creativity, innovation, and resilience in any organization. </p><p>Fredi Lajvardi captivated the country when he led his team of disadvantaged Latino teens in a university-level underwater robotics competition where they defeated leading schools, including top-ranked MIT.