At this time, the Graduate School has withdrawn invitations to six speakers scheduled to participate in the Office of Public Lectures Signature Speakers program
This is not due to the planned content of their remarks or any feedback to the University regarding the event, but rather because a review has been initiated of the process by which these speakers were selected. We are now examining and updating the relevant policies and procedures for speaker selections to ensure those processes are robust, transparent, and aligned with the mission of the series and the University.
Media inquiries should be directed to UW News.
Book Launch – Just Hear Me Out: How to Change Minds Without Lies, Bullshit, or Moral Compromise by Colin Marshall
5 p.m.–6 p.m.
| UW Prof. Colin Marshall is joined by UW Assoc. Prof. José Jorge Mendoza for a lively conversation about Marshall’s new book, Just Hear Me Out. |
Chatbot Shmatbot: AI Isn’t Just a Product with Noah Smith
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
AI isn’t magic — it’s made of human choices. Join UW’s VP for AI, Noah Smith, at UW Bothell to explore who controls AI, what it optimizes for, and why open infrastructure is essential for a smarter, more equitable future.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: A Conversation with Paola Ramos
6:30 p.m.
Emmy-winning journalist Paola Ramos and UW’s Sophia Jordán Wallace explore Latino voter engagement, political power, and the demographic shifts quietly reshaping American elections.
Registration opens September 9, 2026.
Yawar Chicha: The Deep Currents of Peruvian Tropical Music
Noon–1:30 p.m.
The presentation combines active listening to chicha music with an exhibition of neon chicha posters, tracing the musical and visual evolution of this influential Peruvian genre.
Doug Walker Reception & Lecture
5:30 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
| Join UW College of the Environment for the 2026 Doug Walker Reception & Lecture featuring Phil Levin, professor and director of the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and director of The Nature Record. |
An Evening with Michael Bennett
7:30 p.m.
Seattle knows Michael Bennett as a Super Bowl champion with the Seahawks. Join him at Kane Hall to discover his work with Studio Kër, a design practice that explores culture and community through furniture, objects and installations. Bennett will share his creative practice, then join a conversation about the ideas and experiences that shape it.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: What Feeds Us: Science, Climate, and the Future of Food with Pamela Ronald
6:30 p.m.
Climate change is threatening the crops that feed us all. UC Davis geneticist Pamela Ronald reveals how her discovery of flood-tolerant rice is helping millions of farmers adapt — and what plant science means for the future of food.
Registration opens September 9, 2026.
Iran, the U.S., and the World in Crisis: A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Hassan
5 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Author Talk: “Acts of Faith” with Art Wolfe
6:30 p.m.
Gather with the UW community at Mobius Hall for a special author talk with acclaimed photographer, Art Wolfe, ’75, who will share the stories behind the visuals in his latest book, “Acts of Faith: The Beauty of Belief.” Collected over 40 years of international travel, “Acts of Faith” presents a stunning portrait of global rituals, festivals, and other faith-based traditions.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: Doing Science on a Burning Planet – What Does It Feel Like? with Cristina Mejia Visperas
6:30 p.m.
Climate data is everywhere — so why isn’t enough changing? USC’s Cristina Visperas explores the raw, urgent emotions of scientists grappling with a crisis that accelerates faster than our response to it.
Registration opens December 9, 2026.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: On Impunity: An Evening with Philippe Sands
6:30 p.m.
What does justice look like on a global scale? Renowned lawyer and author Philippe Sands brings the human stories behind international law to life — and makes the case for why it matters now more than ever.
NEW DATE
Registration opens December 9, 2026.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: How to Tell a Great Story on Film with Sterlin Harjo
6:30 p.m.
From Sundance to Reservation Dogs, Sterlin Harjo has spent two decades telling Indigenous stories with humor, heart, and zero apology. He joins UW’s Chris Teuton for a conversation on craft and culture.
Registration opens December 9, 2026.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: Comics As Journalism with Joe Sacco
6:30 p.m.
From Palestine to Gaza, Bosnia to India — Joe Sacco has drawn the stories the world needs to see. The pioneering cartoonist and journalist brings his full body of work to life at Town Hall Seattle.
Registration opens December 9, 2026.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: Wounded Desert: Disability, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice with Sunaura Taylor
6:30 p.m.
When a community’s land is poisoned, who bears the burden? Scholar Sunaura Taylor explores how disability, illness, and environmental harm intersect — and how one Tucson community turned decades of injustice into art, memory, and collective healing.
Registration opens March 11, 2027.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: Forging a Radical Dalit Humanism: Toward a Liberated Future with Shailaja Paik
6:30 p.m.
Caste is not just history — it shapes identity, agency, and belonging right now. MacArthur Fellow Shailaja Paik examines Dalit resistance and the transformative power of radical humanism.
Registration opens March 11, 2027.
The Office of Public Lectures presents: Are Aliens Real? An Evening with the Archives of the Impossible with Jeffrey Kripal
6:30 p.m.
What does it mean to listen — really listen — to accounts of alien encounters? Rice University’s Archives of the Impossible is a serious, peer-reviewed archive asking exactly that. Come curious. Stay open.
Registration opens March 11, 2027.