Newly appointed president of the American Enterprise Institute, former professor of business and government policy at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Dr. Brooks' research and writing have investigated the connections between culture, politics, and economic life in America. In the past ten years, he has published five dozen academic articles, scores of magazine and newspaper essays, and seven books on subjects ranging from the economics of the arts to philanthropy to military operations research. His most recent books are Gross National Happiness, Social Entrepreneurship, and Who Really Cares, which discusses the surprising truth he discovered about compassionate conservatism after years of researching the giving trends in America.

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Rice University. Faculty Associate of Leadership Rice and Assistant Director of the Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life. He is the author of two books, both with George Gallup, Jr., and has written many scholarly and popular essays. He has received numerous awards for his writing, teaching and speaking and writes a regular column for REV! magazine. His book, Faith in the Halls of Power , is based on personal interviews with over 300 prominent evangelical Americans including two former presidents, dozens of political and government leaders, more than 100 top business executives, plus Hollywood moguls, intellectuals, athletes, and other powerful individuals.

Senior Vice President of Justice Operations for International Justice Mission, Ms. Wu oversees IJM’s operations in Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia, developing intervention and investigation strategies and advocating with local and national authorities. Ms. Wu received a B.A. with Honors from University of Virginia, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude. Prior to working at IJM, she was an associate with Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC, representing private and governmental entities in litigation and international trade matters. She regularly briefs government officials in the U.S. and abroad on various human rights issues and has provided interviews for The New York Times Magazine, CNN, FOX News, BBC World, “Dateline” and various other media outlets.

To many people, Jazz is something that is not very "listener-friendly." Often it may seem that the musicians are in their own world sharing secrets with the other musicians on stage. Even if people enjoy listening to Jazz, they still may not really understand what is going on. Xavier Davis, joined by bassist Brandon Owens and drummer E.J. Strickland to form the Xavier Davis Trio, will attempt to demystify Jazz. Attendees will leave with a greater appreciation for this American art form. This greater appreciation and understanding will hopefully lead to greater enjoyment when listening to this rich music.

Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University School of Divinity and president of Globe Community Ministries in West Philadelphia, PA. His area of expertise is in social policy and religion and urban ministry. He is a fellow at The Center for Public Justice in Washington DC. His current work and passion is in the area of prisoner re-entry into society and the role of the church. This lecture will examine the restorative justice tradition of the Christian church and its relevance for persons returning from incarceration, their families, churches and communities.

Having worked as an assistant director on more than forty Hollywood productions, including Minority Report, Honeymoon in Vegas and the epic television series Lonesome Dove, Rooy now focuses his energy on creating media programs that engage and educate people about important human issues. His company, Rooy Media LLC, has worked in more than twenty countries in partnership with such organizations as UNICEF, the Microcredit Summit Campaign, the Grameen Foundation and Rodale Institute. He is arguably one of the foremost chroniclers of microfinance, an innovative anti-poverty strategy that has helped millions of families escape poverty. To Our Credit, his seminal PBS documentary series featuring Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, introduced many Americans to this ground-breaking idea. It was the first of a dozen programs he has produced on the subject and the first of several collaborations with Dr. Yunus. Rooy, a former president of Calvin Thespians, returns to his alma mater to share his journey of discovery, his belief in the power of people-centered development, and his commitment to using the powerful tool of film on behalf of the disenfranchised.

Writes frequently on public health for various publications, including The New York Review of Books and The New York Times Magazine . She has conducted extensive research on public health in developing countries for Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations. She is a scientist, research scholar, consultant and writer having completed her doctorate at Cambridge University and post doctorate work at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of California, Davis. Her book, The Invisible Cure, has been referred to as “traveling into remote and hard-to-comprehend territory with an unblinking and sure-footed guide.” It's the product of more than a decade of research resulting in a book that the New York Times called “enlightening and troubling”.

Professors of Physics and Astronomy at Calvin College. Deborah, with a Ph.D from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researches galaxies and cosmology; and Loren, with a Ph.D. from Harvard, studies electrical activity of nerve cells. Together, they have explored the science and theology of origins, speaking at numerous conferences, colleges and churches. In their book, Origins, they explore what both God's Word and God's world teach us about creation, the age of the earth, evolution, and intelligent design. Some views on origins reject modern science while others reject Christian theology, but there is a range of views that take both seriously. The Haarsmas summarize areas where Christians agree, while sympathetically presenting the strengths and weaknesses of positions where Christians disagree.

Serves on the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as Coordinator of the Middle East and Asia Minor and as Coordinator/Executive Director of the Jinishian Memorial Program. Makari is a native to Egypt and has been a minister in the PCUSA since 1966. He has been involved in a variety of ministries locally, nationally and internationally. He has broad experiences in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and cooperation, both domestically and internationally.

Senior pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California. He is the best-selling author of many books including The Life You've Always Wanted, God is Closer Than You Think, Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them, When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box and his newly released Faith and Doubt. Ortberg served as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church from 1994 to 2003 and holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary.