Reflecting on a Successful CAS Community Lecture Series & What鈥檚 Ahead
Throughout the year, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Community Lecture Series has brought a wealth of knowledge, diverse perspectives, and thought-provoking discussions to Alaska. With an array of distinguished speakers the series has lived up to its mission of challenging, teaching, and promoting dialogue while strengthening the bonds that make our community unique. The lecture series was made possible with assistance from our community partners, sponsors and donors. We greatly value the assistance of our community in helping make these events happen. At many of the events, we connected with a remote audience, such as the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, as we live-streamed.
The 2024-25 series began in October when we partnered with Alaska Public Media to bring National Public Radio鈥檚 (NPR) Melissa Block. For decades, Block was a familiar presence in listeners鈥� homes, cars, and earbuds. As a correspondent and host of All Things Considered, she traveled around the country and the world, bringing stories of triumph, tragedy, and much-needed humor. She shared with us memorable moments from a lifetime of reporting and made the case for supporting robust journalism in today鈥檚 media landscape.
Later that month, we partnered with 49Writers to host author and photographer Seth Kantner and 快盈v3 scientist and Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Institute, Paddy Sullivan. They provided an urgent and visually stunning presentation on the shifting Arctic and the future of Alaska鈥檚 caribou. Their 鈥淪torytelling and Scatterplots鈥� lens looked at those themes from an arts and sciences point of view.
In January, in partnership with the Anchorage Museum, we co-hosted Mr. Whitekeys, Alaskan musician and entertainer who is most known for his performances of 鈥淭he Whale Fat Follies鈥� at Mr. Whitekeys鈥� Fly By Night Club. Whitekeys regaled the sold out crowd as he brought history to life with tales from his latest book on the Yukon Gold Rush, blending adventure, hardship, and humor.
We concluded this year鈥檚 series by partnering with the Alaska World Affairs Council to host Liz Cheney in conversation with our own professor of journalism, Elizabeth Arnold, former NPR Political Correspondent and the producer of arcticprofiles.com. Cheney shared personal stories from her career, insights into today鈥檚 political climate, and thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing the country. Drawing from her recently released memoir, Oath and Honor, Cheney discussed her commitment to democracy, her stance on bipartisanship, and what comes next for the nation鈥檚 two-party system.
Thank you to the many sponsors and partners that have made this series possible, especially the Carr Foundation, Jo and Peter Michalski, John and Marcy Stalvey, and the Brave Women for Truth, Justice, and the Constitution headed by Heather Flynn. A special thank you also goes to our travel sponsors, the Hotel Captain Cook and Alaska Airlines.