President's Speaker Series
This series brings thought leaders to campus to discuss current issues facing the university and greater society.
Launched in October 2011 with a visit from ambassador, activist and public servant Andrew Young, the President’s Distinguished Speakers Series at Roger Williams University invites thought leaders from a wide range of disciplines to share perspectives, inspire conversations and enrich the intellectual lives of students, faculty and staff at Roger Williams as well as members of the local community.
As part of the series, each guest is invited to devote much of the daylong visit to direct engagement with students in classroom sessions, offering RWU students unique opportunities for one-on-one interactions with some of the world’s leading authors, scholars, artists and public servants.
Past Events
Urban revitalization and environmental equality strategist will talk about the importance of a clean economy. February 13, 2019 |  |
Renowned historical scholar and acclaimed instructor on issues of race and talking about race April 4, 2018 |  |
Tina Tchen & Adrienne Lawrence Renowned attorneys and legal analysts will share their experiences on being women of color in the workplace March 28, 2018 |  |
Founder of the "Me Too" movement to empower survivors of sexual assault and longtime social justice activist February 13, 2018 |  |
Renowned attorney, scholar and author with expertise in government, constitutional, race relations and anti-discrimination law February 5, 2018 |  |
Author of landmark book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? November 8, 2017 |  |
Internationally award-winning architect team and designers of the Obama Presidential Center October 25, 2017 |  |
Irish feminist and activist retraces journey of suffragette grandmother October 11, 2017 |  |
New York Times columnist presents “Moral Obligations and National Interest: Refugees in the 21st Century.” April 20, 2017 |  |
Renowned political scientist presents "Why Do Elections Produce Unresponsive Government?" October 26, 2016 |  |
Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novelist presents "What the %@&*! September 7, 2016 |  |
Tony Award-winning spoken word poet and playwright presents "Breaking in the Door to Have Your Voice Heard" March 22, 2016 |  |
Science Historian discusses "Why We Should Trust Science (Most of the Time)" April 13, 2016 |  |
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration December 3, 2015 |  |
Esteemed teacher, presenter and diversity trainer who devised the controversial "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise March 30, 2015 |  |
Panel Discussion Featuring Leonard Pitts Jr. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer leads a panel discussion on "The Modern Legacy of the 13th Amendment and Race Relations in the U.S." March 23, 2015 |  |
Preeminent scholar, attorney and activist with expertise in intellectual property and Internet policy, and a watchdog on government corruption February 23, 2015 |  |
Acclaimed filmmaker and journalist whose documentary film, Meeting David Wilson (2008), ignited a national conversation on race relations in America February 17, 2015 |  |
Cuban-American who was the first Latino and openly gay poet to serve as inaugural poet at a President's inauguration, and author of One Today (2013) and Boston Strong (2013) April 15, 2014 |  |
Renowned journalist and filmmaker of groundbreaking documentary film Meeting David Wilson (2008) April 1, 2014 |  |
Acclaimed broadcast journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies (2014) March 24, 2014 |  |
Global security expert and president of Ploughshares Fund November 5, 2013 |  |
Renowned marine biologist and Time magazine's first Hero for the Planet September 25, 2013 |  |
Architect, educator and co-designer of the award-winning Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes, France April 11, 2013 |  |
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author of Before I Forget (2009) and Freeman (2012) November 28, 2012 |  |
Science writer, storyteller and author of the acclaimed bestsellers Longitude (1995), Galileo’s Daughter (1999) and A More Perfect Heaven (2011) March 27, 2012 |  |
Accomplished public servant, civil rights activist and ordained minister who served as U.S. Congressman, Mayor of Atlanta and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations October 12, 2011 |  |