Previous Public Forums

8 September 2026 – “Diffused Eroticisms: Love, Friendship, and Bisexuality in the Writings of Iris Murdoch”

White man with short brown hair and black rimmed glasses dressed in a gray-brown suit and button down shirt with greenery in the background Headshot of white man smiling at camera in blue button down shirt and clear rimmed glasses in front of a yellow wall

Miles Leeson, Reader in English Literature, Director of the Iris Murdoch Research Centre, University of Chichester

Mark Hopwood, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland Baltimore County

7 October 2025 – “Energy Wars at Home and Abroad: A conversation with Andrew Light“

  • Andrew Light, Distinguished University Professor of Public Policy, Philosophy, and Atmospheric Sciences, George Mason University; Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, The University of Chicago
  • Moderated by Blake Francis, Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Director of the Human Context of Science and Technology Program, UMBC

 

4 December 2025 – “The Ethics of Cryptocurrency”

  • Yaya J. Fanusie, Global Head of Policy at the Aleo Network Foundation
  • Amy Froide, Professor of History & Director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities, UMBC
  • Tobey Scharding, Assistant Professor of Management and Global Business, Rutgers Business School
  • Moderated by Michael Nance, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Director of the Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law Program, UMBC

 

9 March 2026 – What Would You Do Alone in a Cage with Nothing but Cocaine? A Philosophy of Addiction

The Evelyn Barker Memorial Lecture

  • Hanna Pickard, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics and Krieger-Eisenhower Professor, Johns Hopkins University

 

13 April 2026 – Progressive Confucianism, Nei-Wai Citizenship, and the Family

Eminent Scholar Lecture

  • Stephen C. Angle, Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies and Professor of Philosophy, Wesleyan University

26 September 2024 – “Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy”

  • Kimi Yoshino, Editor-in-Chief, The Baltimore Banner
  • Melissa Block, Former Host & Correspondent, NPR
  • Joe Saunders, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Durham University, UK
  • Moderated by Michael Nance, Associate Professor of Philosophy, UMBC

 

7 November 2024 – “Post-Election 2024: Debrief and Dialogue“

 

 

 

 

 

  • Mileah K. Kromer, Associate Professor of Political Science & Director of the Institute of Politics, UMBC
  • Michael Nance, Associate Professor of Philosophy, UMBC
  • Carolyn Forestiere, Professor of Political Science, UMBC
  • Moderated by Whitney Schwab, Associate Professor of Philosophy, UMBC

 

27 February 2025 – “Neuroscience, Freewill, and Moral Responsibility“

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Adina Roskies, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, with an appointment in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, UC Santa Barbara
  • Aaron Schurger, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and the Brain Institute, Chapman University
  • Moderated by Steve Yalowitz, Associate Professor of Philosophy, UMBC

 

8 April 2025 – “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence“

 

 

 

 

 

  • Kathy Baxter, Principal Architect of Ethical AI Practice at Salesforce
  • David Danks, Professor of Data Science, Philosophy, & Policy, UC San Diego
  • Gabriella Waters, Director of Operations and Director of the Cognitive and Neurodiversity AI Lab (CoNA) at the Center for Equitable AI & Machine Learning Systems, Morgan State University
  • Moderated by Blake Francis, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Human Context of Context and Technology, UMBC

 

8 May 2025 – “Existential Catastrophe and the Love of Humanity”

The Evelyn Barker Memorial Lecture

 

 

 

 

 

  • Samuel Scheffler, University Professor of Philosophy and Law, New York University