Louis Menand, an American critic, essayist, and professor who wrote the Pulitzer-winning book The Metaphysical Club, interviewed on KUOW's Weekday ahead of his University of Washington public lecture in 2003.

George Coyne, American Jesuit priest and astronomer who directed the Vatican Observatory, was interviewed on KUOW's weekday ahead of his UW Public Lecture.

William Cronon, an American environmental historian, interviewed on KUOW's Weekday in 2002, ahead of giving his University of Washington Public lecture.

Ronald Takaki, historian, interviews on KUOW's Weekday in 2000 ahead of his public lecture at the University of Washington.

Vandana Shiva, Indian activist and scholar, interview on KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher in 2001, ahead of the public lecture at the University of Washington.

Professor Manning Marable, Columbia University, interview with KUOW's Weekday hosted by Steve Scher in 2001.

In recent years, American democracy has bent but not broken. What are the threats facing American democracy, and what are its sources of resilience? In this talk, Dr. Jake Grumbach will investigate trends in three areas of American democracy: the rule of law, majority rule, and political equality. Each of these areas is a crucial component for a political system of the people, by the people, and for the people, and each area shows signs of strain. While much of the concern about democracy has been focused on the White House, the U.S. constitutional system gives much of the authority over democracy to the Supreme Court and state governments—and it is in these institutions that he will uncover new and underemphasized evidence on the health of American democracy.

A panel discission on what keeps communities safe, among ACLU of Washington policy experts and experts in restorative justice and violence prevention who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system.  

For decades, Washington state has invested in increasingly harsher punishments as the solution to public safety. This investment has devastated communities, particularly communities of color, and created a mass incarceration crisis in our state. Panelists will discuss restorative justice, violence prevention, sentencing reform, and how criminalization policies and tough-on-crime rhetoric during election seasons undermine public safety. This discussion will examine the impact our sprawling criminal legal system has had on families, schools, and communities. Speakers will explore what is possible when we truly invest in community safety. 

About the s

A moderated conversation between Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels and author of “I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times“, Mónica Guzmán and writer, broadcaster, and interviewer, Steve Scher. Let’s learn together how to remain curious and courageous during our upcoming presidential election season.

In this talk, on October 28, 2024, Dr. Priya Donti, Assistant Professor and the Silverman (1968) Family Career Development Professor at MIT EECS and LIDS, will explore AI’s multi-faceted relationship with climate change. This discussion will cover how researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can work together to better align the use of AI with climate change.