What Matters to Me and Why
An on-going series that hosts distinguished speakers and guests to speak to students and members of the UW community about their work, how they discovered their passion for what they do, and why they believe it matters. Some of last year’s speakers included: historian, playwright and social activist Howard Zinn, author Jonathan Safran Foer, and the executive producer of the academy award winning documentary The Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David. Different from a lecture, the guests speak informally with students about their interests and answer questions. When time allows, many speakers have continued these conversations over dinner with students, faculty, and staff in the Chadbourne cafeteria.
Speakers from 2007 to 2008
This year's speaker list coming soon
Marilynn Marchione (10/17/07)
Nationally recognized journalist and medical reporter
Lloyd Davis (10/29/07)
Scientific author and Director of the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Fred Plotkin (11/15/07)
Opera expert who works on a freelance basis in many roles at opera companies and has authored many books on the subject.
Lois A. Vitt (3/5/08)
A finance sociologist and director of the Institute for Socio-Financial Studies (ISFS) who is working towards an active and just socio-political culture by incorporating a more creative capitalism than America currently practices
Ben Karlin & Dan Savage (3/9/08)
Ben Karlin: Head writer on The Daily Show from 1999-2007; collaborated with Jon Stewart and the rest of the Daily Show team on America (The Book). Previous editor of The Onion, which he joined while in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dan Savage: Writer of internationally syndicated sex advice column “Savage Love.” Editor of the Seattle newspaper, The Stranger. Author of four books, including The Kid, detailing how he and his boyfriend adopted a child.
Richard Dawkins (3/11/08)
Lecturer in Zoology at Oxford University and a Fellow of New College from 1970. Author of The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion, and other provocative bestselling books. Recipient of the 1989 Silver Medal of the Zoological Society of London, the 1990 Royal Society Michael Faraday Award for the furtherance of the public understanding of science, and the 1996 Humanist of the Year Award.
Reza Aslan & Gideon Yago (3/25/08)
Reza Aslan: Internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions. Author of No God but God and the upcoming book How to Win a Cosmic War. Regular commentator for NPR's Marketplace and Middle East Analyst for CBS News. Elected president of Harvard's Chapter of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, a United Nations Organization committed to solving religious conflicts throughout the world.
Gideon Yago: Writer and correspondent for MTV News and a contributor to CBS News. Recognized for his coverage of the MTV/MySpace Presidential Debates for the 2008 election season, MTV’s live coverage moments after war in Iraq broke out in March 2003, and the award-winning coverage in the wake of 9/11. Has interviewed some of the country’s foremost leaders, including President George W. Bush, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Senator John Kerry and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
Richard Davidson (4/3/08)
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at UW-Madison. Published author of more than 250 articles. Recipient of numerous awards for his research, including: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Research Scientist Award, MERIT Award from NIMH, and the Hilldale Award from UW-Madison. Founding co-editor of the new American Psychological Association journal, EMOTION. Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006; named Madison Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2007.
Monica Theis (4/15/08)
Graduate of UW-Madison. Senior lecturer in the Dept. of Food Science at UW-Madison. Administrative dietitian at UW Hospital & Clinics. Interested in food safety from a practical, applied perspective in foodservice operations. Author of books and articles about current food safety issues, including the American Dietetic Association’s position statement on food & water safety.
Alan Boyle (4/21/08)
Science editor for MSNBC on the Internet, has been named UW-Madison Science Writer in Residence for the spring of 2008. Recipient of numerous awards for his work, including the 2002 AAAS Science Journalism Award, the 2002 Science in Society Award from the National Association of Science Writers and the 2006 Space Journalism Prize from the Space Frontier Foundation. He is also a board member of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.
