College & Theater Events

<p>Eboo Patel is the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. He was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Initiatives, where he is working to realize the president’s priority of interfaith cooperation.</p><p>He is the author of <i>Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim</i>, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation.

<p>Spencer Wells is a geneticist, anthropologist, author and entrepreneur. For over a decade he was an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and Director of the Genographic Project, which collected and analyzed DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of people around the world in order to decipher how our ancestors populated the planet, in the process launching the consumer genomics industry.</p><p>Wells graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin, received his Ph.D.

<p>Since she was a little girl, Shawn Johnson East dreamed of competing for the United States in the Olympics. By 2008, when she was named to the US Olympics Gymnastics Team, she was already a two-time National Champion, and a World AA Champion.</p>

<p>At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Johnson East helped establish the United States as one of the most talented teams in the world, winning the individual gold medal in the balance beam, and three silver medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team categories.</p>

<p>Jay Smooth enlightens with poignant observations about music, race, politics and other important cultural and social issues, while promoting the importance of mutual respect.</p><p>As the former host of <i>The Underground Railroad</i>, New York City’s longest-running hip-hop radio program and the popular video blog, <i>The Ill Doctrine</i>, Jay has established himself as a unique and leading voice at the nexus of sociopolitical issues who brings a singular perspective on society and culture.</p><p>Through thoughtful examination, Jay m

<p>#1 <em>New York Times </em>bestselling author Ben Nemtin is one of the world’s most sought-after motivational speakers, recognized by Global Gurus as a Top 5 Motivational Speaker in the World. </p><p>He co-created The Buried Life movement after a struggle with depression inspired him and three friends to make the world’s greatest bucket list, borrow a rickety RV, and set out across North America to achieve seemingly impossible dreams while helping complete strangers achieve theirs.

<p>Dr. Michio Kaku is an internationally recognized authority on theoretical physics and the environment and is co-founder of String Field Theory. Dr. Kaku’s engaging speaking style makes him one of the world’s foremost STEM advocates and science popularizers.</p>

<p>A renowned science expert, Dr. Kaku speaks passionately about topics ranging from teleportation, telepathy, and global climate change to alternative energy, psychokinesis, perpetual motion machines, and a binary star located 8,000 light years away.</p>

<p>T. J. Holmes is an ABC News anchor/correspondent. Joining ABC in December of 2014, he reports for all the network's broadcasts and platforms. Primarily, Holmes contributes daily to <i>Good Morning America</i>, the most-watched network morning news show. His experience, personality and unique storytelling were a good fit to GMA's blend of breaking news, in-depth reporting, and family-focused fun. </p>

<p>The real-life inspiration behind ABC's hit political thriller series "Scandal" starring Kerry Washington, Judy Smith is the US's premier crisis management expert. As the founder and president of Smith & Company -- a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC -- she uniquely combines her communication skills, media savvy, and legal and political acumen to serve clients around the world.</p>

<p>Lea DeLaria seems to have achieved overnight stardom with her two time, SAG Award winning, stand-out role as ‘Carrie ‘Big Boo’ Black’ in the Netflix hit series <i>Orange is the New Black</i>. However, DeLaria’s multi- faceted career as a comedian, actress and jazz musician, has in fact, spanned decades. </p><p>Lea holds the distinction of being the first openly gay comic on television in America which led to countless Television and Film roles portraying Police Lieutenants, PE Teachers and the Lesbian who inappropriately hits on straight women.

<p>E. Cupp is a CNN political commentator and practical conservative with a searing honesty who brings her distinct outlook to CNN programming and special political coverage. </p><p>Cupp most recently hosted CNN's SE Cupp Unfiltered, a weekly program covering the white-hot intersection of politics and media. Prior to that she led a panel-driven show on HLN that debated contemporary issues impacting the country. She joined CNN as a contributor in 2013 and HLN as a host in 2017.</p><p>Leading up to her move to CNN and HLN, Cupp was the host of <i>S.E.