March 3, 2019

Dr. Nina Kraus, Professor of Neurobiology, Otolaryngology in the Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University

Head Banging – How Music and Concussions Impact Brain Health

February 24, 2019

David Williams, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Political Science, DePaul University

Spinoza: Jew, Heretic, and Visionary

February 17, 2019

Gail Lukasik, Ph.D., local author

White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing

February 10, 2019

Nicole Dreiske, Executive Director, International Children’s Media Center

The Upside of Digital Devices: How to Make Your Child More Screen Smart, Literate and Emotionally Intelligent

February 3, 2019

Steve Asma, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, Columbia College Chicago

Why We Need Religion

January 27, 2019

Ward Wilson, Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists

Hope in the Nuclear Age: The Realist Case for Eliminating Nuclear Weapons

January 20, 2019

Stephanie Caparelli, J.D., Lecturer in Politics with a Specialization in Race and Criminal Justice

Confessing to a Crime You Didn’t Commit: A Case Study Analysis in Interrogations and False Confession

January 13, 2019

Lina Sergie Attar, Co-Founder/CEO, Karam Foundation

Karam Foundation: Building a Better Future for Syria

January 6, 2019

Jabbar Bennett, Ph.D., Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer, Northwestern University, Associate Professor of Medicine, Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine

Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education

December 2, 2018

Michael Nerheim, Lake County States Attorney

A Moral Fight Against Opioids in Our Backyard

November 25, 2018

David Victorson, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Medical School Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Director of the Consciousness in Health Research Lab

Does Science Back up Positive Benefits of Both Meditative Mindfulness and Yoga?

November 18, 2018

Howard Learner, J.D. Harvard University, President and Executive Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center

Protecting the Midwest’s Environment and Natural Heritage

November 11, 2018

Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, U. of I., Chicago

Ethical and Moral Aspects of Childhood Materialism

November 4, 2018

Robert Hariman, Ph.D., Professor of Rhetoric and Public Culture, Department of Communication Studies, Northwestern University

A Time of Social Catastrophes? Living with Radical Change

October 28, 2018

Charles Strain, Ph.D., Professor, Religious Studies, Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies, DePaul University

Buddha Enters the Marketplace: The Birth, Flowering and Global Reach of Engaged Buddhism

October 21, 2018

Grace Wolf-Chase, Ph.D., Astronomer, Adler Planetarium

The Interactive Cosmos: Star Formation, an Evolving Web of Relationships

October 14, 2018

Nancy Rotering, J.D. Mayor of Highland Park

A Conversation about Legislation to Ban Civilian High Powered Weaponry

October 7, 2018

John Levine, Board Member, BackYard Nature Center

Connecting with the Wonders of Nature

September 30, 2018

Karen Glennemeier, Ph.D., League of Women Voters Wilmette

The Electoral College: Its Impact on Democracy

September 23, 2018

Ahmad Sadri, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Islamic World Studies, Lake Forest College

The Rise of Fundamentalism and the Decline of Reform Thought-Judaism, Christianity and Islam

September 16, 2018

Louise Kiernan, Editor, Propublica: Painstaking Fact Checking

Fake News, Transparency and the Future of Investigative Journalism

September 9, 2018

Aaron Freeman, Artist in Residence, Chicago Council on Science and Technology

How Science Can Help You Forgive Everybody

May 13, 2018

Rev. Dr. Kyle Nash

Mortality, Spirituality and Ethics

May 6, 2018

John McGinnis, J.D., Prof. in Constitutional Law, Northwestern University School of Law

The State of the U.S. Constitution

April 29, 2018

Elif Allenfort, Classical Pianist, Piano Teacher and LSUS Member

Johannes Brahms: Creative Process of a Genius (a discourse with piano excerpts)

April 22, 2018

Wendi Gardner, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology (Social Psychology), Northwestern University

Social Connection and Well-Being: Strategies That Foster Feelings of Social Connection

April 15, 2018

Maurice Pickard, M.D., Retired, and Common Ground Speaker

The Human Genome: Knowledge Does Not Come Without Ethical Conflict

April 8, 2018

Cristina Groeger, Ph.D., Lecturer in History, Lake Forest College

Border Politics: America’s Love/Hate Relationship with Immigrant Labor

April 1, 2018

Rabbi Evan Moffic, Lead Rabbi Congregation Solel in Highland Park

Passover and Easter – Jewish and Christian Insights

March 25, 2018

Benjamin Zeller, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. of Religion, Lake Forest College

The Religious Meaning of Foods

March 18, 2018

Andrew Koppelman, J.D., Ph.D., Professor of Law and Political Science, Northwestern University

A Free Speech Response to the Gay Rights/Religious Liberty Conflict

March 11, 2018

Pat Savage-Williams, M.S. Educational Psychology, Department Coordinator, Special Education, New Trier High School

An African American Educator’s Perspective on Racial Division

March 4, 2018

Emily Kadens, Ph.d., Research Professor of Law, Northwestern University Law School

Trust, Commercial Cheating and Morality from an Historical Perspective

February 25, 2018

Mandy Burbank, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Staying Calm in Chaos: Practical Tips for Staying Grounded and Mindful

February 18, 2018

Dr. Adam Waytz, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University Kellogg

The Whistle-Blower’s Dilemma: An Examination of Ethics

February 11, 2018

Lonnie Nasatir, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League of Chicago-Upper Midwest Region

Combatting Hate

February 4, 2018

David Shyovitz, Ph.D., Lecturer, Religious and Jewish Studies, Northwestern University

The “Conflict” of Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives

January 28, 2018

Kristin Lems, Doctorate in Education, Prof. of ESL/Bilingual Education, National Louis University

Jane Adams: Chicago’s Original Hands-On Activist

January 21, 2018

Mike Meiners, Master of Architecture, IIT, CEO Hackstudio, Evanston

Going Together: The Power of Groups in the Pursuit of Individual Goals

January 14, 2018

Don Sandel, Director of Talent Development, Astellas, Northbrook

Linking Happiness to a Successful and Productive Life

January 7, 2018

Stephen Asma, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Columbia College Chicago

The Evolution of Imagination