“Privacy in the Age of Big Data,” former White House Chief Information Officer, Theresa Payton
Monday, March 2, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– Theresa Payton was the White House Chief Information Officer from May 2006 until September 2008. She was the first woman to hold that position and her team served President George W. Bush and over 3,000 members of the executive office. Payton is the founder and CEO of Fortalice, a team of cybercrime fighters protecting against internet predators. “Privacy in the Age of Big Data” highlights the many positive outcomes of digital surveillance and data collection while also outlining those forms of data collection to which we may not consent, and of which we are likely unaware.
“The Golden Hour: Africa’s Rise and the Challenge for American Diplomacy,” Todd Moss
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Todd Moss is chief operating officer and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and is a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. Due to African nations being increasingly prosperous, democratic, and interconnected with the lives of Americans, Africa is now more important to the United States than ever before. The new threats to U.S. national security – the spread of terrorism, international criminal networks, and cross-border disease – are pushing Africa higher up the U.S. foreign policy agenda. Moss, a former senior State Department official, will discuss the challenges a rising Africa poses for American foreign policy, asses the Obama Administration’s performance, and share why he wrote about all of this in his new fiction thriller, “The Golden Hour.”
“Mary Poppins,” a panel discussion
Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *In partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre
– With music and lyrics by the Academy Award-winning Sherman Brothers, additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a book by Julian Fellowes, Disney’s stage musical “Mary Poppins” is based on the similarly titled series of children’s books by P. L. Travers and the 1964 Disney film. Including a score filled with timeless classics such as “Feed the Birds,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Step in Time,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and the Academy Award-winning “Chim-Chim Cher-ee,” the Broadway production opened in November 2006 and received nominations for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, six Drama Desk Awards, Outstanding Musical, and nine Olivier Award nominations. Join the Rep’s Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp as he hosts the cast from the production of “Mary Poppins” for a panel discussion on this whimsical musical.
“The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis,” Congressman Martin Frost and Congressman Tom Davis
Monday, March 9, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– While the authors, Martin Frost and Tom Davis, share many common viewpoints, they come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Tom Davis served in Congress from 1994 to 2008 representing Virginia’s 11th district. During that time, he chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee for two cycles (2000 and 2002), and was chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight before retiring, as he likes to say, “undefeated and unindicted” in 2008. Martin Frost represented the Dallas–Ft. Worth area of North Texas in Congress for 26 years, serving four years as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and four years as chair of the House Democratic Caucus. According to Frost and Davis, Congress is incapable of reforming itself without a good kick in the seat from the American public. They dissect the causes of legislative gridlock and offer a common sense, bipartisan plan for making our Congress function again. The preface by Pulitzer Prize finalist David Eisenhower, grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, sets the stage for this powerful behind-the-scenes narrative that uncovers the road to the present political gridlock and then offers thought-provoking insights and possibilities for the way out.
Antonia Hernández, president and CEO, California Community Foundation
Friday, March 13, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– As a Scholar in Residence at the Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy Antonia Hernández will present her research on “Community Philanthropy and Public Service; Practice models in giving, civic engagement and leadership.” Hernandez is president and chief executive officer of the California Community Foundation. The California Community Foundation works to strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector in Los Angeles County so they can more effectively work toward improved quality of life for all Angelenos.
“Run Mitch, Run,” Don Cogman
Monday, March 16, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– In 2009, then Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, embarked on a passionate, arduous, nearly two-year journey to make the most difficult decision of his life: whether or not to pursue the presidency of the United States. Don Cogman, a corporate and governmental affairs executive, shares a story of what it takes to run for President of the United States, the choices a potential candidate faces, and the hard decisions a candidate must make during the process. “Run Mitch, Run” offers a compelling, chronological glimpse into Daniels’ quest to make the right decision for not only himself and his family, but also his country. He reveals intriguing, behind-the-scene details as Daniels, with the help of eight devoted individuals, wrestled with the pros and cons of a presidential run. Cogman is one of the leaders in the communications industry, with over thirty years of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and consulting experience in New York and Washington D.C.
“The Politics of Health: From the ACA to ACOs,” Michael Sparer
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Michael Sparer studies and writes about the politics of health care, with a particular emphasis on the health insurance and health delivery systems for low-income populations, and the ways in which inter-governmental relations influences policy, both in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Sparer’s current projects include a review and analysis of lessons learned from thirty years of Medicaid managed care programs and a comparison of inter-governmental health politics in the U.S. and the UK. He is also working on a book funded by the RWJ Investigator Program, which examines how American Federalism influenced the politics and substance of the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“National Gallery,” a documentary screening
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. (Ron Robinson Theater) *In partnership with the Little Rock Film Festival
– Frederick Wiseman’s “National Gallery” takes the audience behind the scenes of a London institution, on a journey to the heart of a museum inhabited by masterpieces of Western art from the Middle Ages to the 19th Century. The documentary is the portrait of a place, its way of working and relations with the world, its staff and public, and its paintings. In a perpetual and dizzying game of mirrors, film watches painting watches film. Fred Wiseman is one of today’s greatest living documentary filmmakers. For close to thirty years, he has created an exceptional body of work consisting of thirty full-length films devoted primarily to exploring American institutions.
“A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope and a Restaurant in Rwanda,” Josh Ruxin
Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– Josh Ruxin is assistant clinical professor of Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the founder of Health Builders, which improves management systems in 86 health centers across Rwanda and has constructed 5 health facilities serving 150,000 people. He is director of the Access Project, Rwanda Works, and the Millennium Villages Project in Rwanda. Dr. Ruxin has extensive experience operating at the intersection of public health, business, and international development. He has led projects in several developing countries and was an advisor to government and private sector leaders on business strategy and economic development. Dr. Ruxin was a Truman Scholar at Yale University, where he received his undergraduate degree, and a Marshall Scholar at the University of London. He is currently based in Kigali, Rwanda.
Amir Dossal, executive director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Amir Dossal is executive director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships and is the United Nations representative for public/private partnerships. He guides the development of strategic alliances with corporations, foundations, and philanthropists in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Amir is the UN’s chief liaison for Ted Turner’s $1 billion donation for UN causes, which involves over 450 programs and projects in children’s health, women and population, climate change, and biodiversity. This includes “investments” of over $560 million from other donors and partners such as the American Red Cross, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Coca-Cola Company, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rotary International, and Vodafone. He also oversees the UN Democracy Fund, which he established in 2005, to strengthen democratic institutions and enhance democratic governance in new or restored democracies.
Responses