As part of RWU’s commitment to community engagement the University offers free public lecture programs that raise public awareness and promote community debate on a range of issues of local and global, as well as academic and social significance.
Lectures are free and open to the public. Some events require a ticket. Please reserve your ticket by calling 401-254-3210. Click here for directions.
Campus Recreation Center Gymnasium
Civil Discourse - Sustainability & Social Change
* Ticket Required
Daughter of ocean explorer and filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau and granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, she is featured in PBS’ most successful new television series, Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures. Fluent in three languages, Cousteau has collaborated with her father's Ocean Futures Society promoting the educational program, "Ambassadors of the Environment," throughout her travels. She has worked on the preparation of expeditions, field production, and as an on camera presenter. Recently, Cousteau has worked on an upcoming documentary for Discovery Channel, aiding scientists conduct research on the many shark species of the Great Barrier Reef. She is also an international spokeswoman for La Prairie cosmetic company, representing their new line of Advanced Marine Biology creams and is also Ambassador to the Clean Up the World Campaign.
November 12th, 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM
Rana Husseini
10:00 AM Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
1:00 PM Appellate Court Room, Roger Williams School of Law
Meet the Author, In this new provocative firsthand account, MURDER IN THE NAME OF HONOR, Rana Husseini chronicles the many stories behind cases of so‐called honor killings that she has uncovered during years of international investigative reporting. Taking us from the narrow alleys of Old Amman to the war‐torn region of Baghdad, from the bustling streets of Derby in the UK to the quiet suburbs of St Louis, USA, Rana uses her journalistic ability to meticulously reconstruct each crime scene, seeking not to shock but to humanize each murder, to help readers understand the multiple contradictions, which allow these horrendous crimes to occur. For the PDF with full description.
Sponsored by RWU Women’s Center
November 17th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Peter Hocking
Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
Commitment to Community through Service
Peter Hocking, Director, Office of Public Engagement at Rhode Island School of Design. From 1988 to 2005, he was a staff member of Swearer Center at Brown University. As the RISD Center's director and an Associate Dean of the College, he worked to integrate practical study with the academic curriculum. Locally, he's worked with dozens of non-profit organizations as a partner, board member and strategic planning leader. He is a working artist and is also a faculty member at Goddard College. He holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College and a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design.
March 9th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Leith Sharp
Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
Commitment to Community through Sustainability
Leith Sharp, Former Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative, Cambridge, MA has worked with universities for the last 15 years to achieve organizational change in pursuit of campus environmental sustainability. Leith was recruited by Harvard in 2000 to found and direct Harvard's Green Campus Initiative and has worked for the last 8 years to build Harvard's program up from a staff of one in 2000 to over 25 professional staff in 2008, providing Harvard with one of the largest, most effective and self funded green campus organizations in the world.
April 20th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Vikram Bhatt
Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
Commitment to Community through Sustainability
Vikram Bhatt is a Professor of Architecture, McGill University, where he teaches courses in Housing. He also leads the Minimum Cost Housing Group (MCHG) of the McGill School of Architecture, an educational and research program with an international orientation that focuses attention on the human settlement problems of poor nations. He is a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.