Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

From Legendary Pianist to ‘Serial’: Star-Studded 2015-16 University Lectures Season

Tuesday, April 28, 2015, By Kevin Morrow
Share
EventsUniversity Lectures

UnivLectCollageBlend-620_72The upcoming season of the University Lectures features a stellar lineup of speakers over seven events hosted by Syracuse University during fall 2015 and spring 2016. All lectures take place in Hendricks Chapel and are free and open to the public. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real Time (CART) are available at each event.

Appearing in the series’ 15th season are: internationally renowned pianist Leon Fleisher; authors Cheryl Strayed (“Wild,” “Tiny Beautiful Things”) and Mary Roach (“Gulp,” “Packing for Mars”); New York Times columnists Charles Blow and Ross Douthat; author and social/climate activist Naomi Klein; social scientist Dacher Keltner; and the creators and executive producers of the hit podcast “Serial,” Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder.

The University Lectures has a long and distinguished history of showcasing individuals of exceptional accomplishment who share their talents, experiences and perspectives for the enjoyment of Syracuse University students, faculty and staff, and the Central New York community.

The 2015-16 speakers are:

Leon Fleisher
“An Evening with Leon Fleisher”
Tuesday, Sept. 29

Leon Fleisher (c) Koichi Miura

Leon Fleisher (c) Koichi Miura

Fleisher is a legendary pianist who began playing at age 4, at which time his parents pulled him from school, opting for private tutoring to allow more practice time (“I’ve long thought of entitling my biography ‘I Was a Kindergarten Dropout,’” he jokes.). Fleisher’s most recent recording, 2014’s “All the Things You Are,” reached No. 1 on the classical charts and earned a 2015 Grammy nomination. The subject of the 2006 Oscar- and Emmy-nominated documentary “Two Hands,” Fleisher is also an inspiring conductor, who is leading orchestras in China and Japan in fall 2015. For the University Lectures, he will perform a selection or two from his vast repertoire and then engage in a moderated conversation with Ralph Zito, chair of SU’s Department of Drama. Sponsored in cooperation with the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Cheryl Strayed
“A Wild Life”
Wednesday, Oct. 7

Cheryl Strayed (Photo by Joni Kabana)

Cheryl Strayed (Photo by Joni Kabana)

SU alumna Strayed (M.F.A. in fiction writing in 2002) is best known for “Tiny Beautiful Things,” her 2012 collection of letters from her “Dear Sugar” advice column, and for the No. 1 New York Times best-selling memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” recounting her remarkable 1,100-mile solo hike, at age 22, from Southern California to Washington State following the death of her mother from cancer and the end of her own young marriage. The book became the basis for the feature film “Wild,” which earned 2015 Academy Award nominations for Reese Witherspoon (Best Actress, as Strayed) and Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress, as Strayed’s mother). In her campus appearance, Strayed will speak about her writings and the power of memoir. Sponsored in cooperation with The College of Arts and Sciences.

Charles Blow and Ross Douthat
“Social Inequality: the How, Why and What to Do?”
Tuesday, Oct. 13

Charles Blow

Charles Blow

Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat

Blow is the visual op-ed columnist for The New York Times—with a weekly column from a liberal perspective covering politics, public opinion and justice appearing every Saturday—as well as a regular contributor to CNN. Author and influential blogger Douthat is the youngest op-ed columnist in the history of the Times; representing a new generation of conservative commentator, he pens vigorous and penetrating analyses of domestic and international politics and government. For the University Lectures, the two newspaper colleagues and friends will take part in what promises to be a captivating discussion and sharing of perspectives on the topic of social inequality, moderated by SU alumnus and current SU Law student Jesse Feitel ’13. Sponsored in cooperation with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the LGBT Resource Center, University College, the Intergroup Dialogue Program, the School of Education and Syracuse Symposium.

Naomi Klein
“This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate”
Tuesday, Nov. 3

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein

Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the 2007 New York Times and No. 1 international bestseller “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.” In her most recent book, 2014’s “This Changes Everything,” Klein argues that climate change isn’t just another issue to be neatly filed between taxes and health care. The climate crisis challenges us to abandon the core “free market” ideology of our time, restructure the global economy and remake our political systems. In short, either we embrace radical change ourselves or radical changes will be visited upon our physical world. Sponsored in cooperation with the LGBT Resource Center and Syracuse Symposium.

Dacher Keltner
“Survival of the Kindest: Toward a Compassionate Society”
Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner

From examining how we negotiate moral concerns to exploring the determinants of power and status, Keltner looks at the social practices by which we navigate the world. Keltner is director of the Social Interaction Lab at the University of California at Berkeley and faculty director of the Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. The podcasts of his course “Emotion” have been hailed by WIRED magazine as one of the five best educational downloads. In his University Lecture, he will detail the evolution and neurophysiology of compassion and kindness, and focus on five practices that elevate compassion—and in so doing increase life expectancy and well-being. He will also discuss the brand new science of awe and beauty, tracing its evolutionary roots. Sponsored in cooperation with the Intergroup Dialogue Program and the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Mary Roach
“Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal”
Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Mary Roach

Mary Roach

In her latest rollicking foray into taboo, icky and underappreciated aspects of the human body, 2013’s “Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal,” Roach takes readers on a wild ride down the alimentary canal and zips off in whatever direction her ardor for research and irrepressible instinct for the wonderfully weird lead her. It’s the latest in a long line of New York Times bestsellers that includes “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void” (2010), “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex” (2008) and “Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife” (2005). Her approach is grounded in science, but with a fascination with what we may find disgusting and the horrifying things we do to ourselves. For her University Lectures appearance, Roach will share the stage with SU biology professor Sandra Hewett for an informal conversational dialogue. Sponsored in cooperation with the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Engineering & Computer Science.

Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder
“Binge-Worthy Journalism: Backstage with the Creators of ‘Serial’”
Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Sarah Koenig (Photo by Meredith Heuer)

Sarah Koenig (Photo by Meredith Heuer)

Jullie Snyder (Photo by Meredith Heuer)

Julie Snyder (Photo by Meredith Heuer)

“Serial” is widely credited with re-energizing the concept of podcasting. Following its debut in October 2014, “Serial” became the fastest podcast in iTunes history to reach five million downloads (and now more than 75 million). At a time when being first and being fast dominates the media, and quick sound bites are offered at every turn, veteran radio journalists and producers Koenig—named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015—and Snyder did exactly the opposite: presenting a 12-part series centering on one legal case, taking its time and proving that slow-motion journalism could captivate and sustain a vast listenership. In their lecture, the duo will offer personal behind-the-scenes stories, explain how they constructed certain episodes and allow the audience to follow the ups and downs of creating a new form of modern journalism. Sponsored in cooperation with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the LGBT Resource Center, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Criminal Law Society of the College of Law and the College of Engineering & Computer Science.

About the University Lectures

The University Lectures is a cross-disciplinary lecture series that brings to Syracuse University individuals of exceptional accomplishment. The series is supported by the generosity of Honorary Trustee Robert B. Menschel ’51.

Among the more than 100 distinguished speakers who have appeared previously in the series are: Nobel Peace Prize recipients Al Gore, Betty Williams and Jody Williams; authors Khaled Hosseini, David McCullough, P.J. O’Rourke and Salman Rushdie; Pulitzer Prize winners William Safire and Nicholas Kristof; scientists Robert Ballard, Richard Leakey and Neil deGrasse Tyson; former U.S. Senators George Mitchell and George McGovern; radio personalities Ira Glass, Garrison Keillor, Scott Simon and Juan Williams; opera superstar Denyce Graves; sculptor Maya Lin; violinist Joshua Bell; conductor James Conlon; playwright August Wilson; Nobel Laureate in Literature Seamus Heaney; corporate leaders Barry Diller and John Hendricks; activists Morris Dees, Marian Wright Edelman and Wilma Mankiller; U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher; photographers Annie Leibovitz and Annie Griffiths; and environmental advocates Majora Carter and Bill McKibben.

The Office of University Lectures welcomes suggestions for future speakers. To recommend a speaker, or to obtain additional information about the University Lectures series, contact Esther Gray in the Office of Academic Affairs at 315-443-2941 or eegray@syr.edu. More information can be found online at the series’ website (http://lectures.syr.edu/) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/universitylectures).

 

  • Author

Kevin Morrow

  • Recent
  • Chancellor Kent Syverud Honored as Distinguished Citizen of the Year at 57th Annual ScoutPower Event
    Thursday, May 8, 2025, By News Staff
  • New Maymester Program Allows Student-Athletes to Develop ‘Democracy Playbook’
    Thursday, May 8, 2025, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • From Policy to Practice: How AI is Shaping the Future of Education
    Thursday, May 8, 2025, By Christopher Munoz
  • Kohn, Wiklund, Wilmoth Named Distinguished Professors
    Thursday, May 8, 2025, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Major League Soccer’s Meteoric Rise: From Underdog to Global Contender
    Wednesday, May 7, 2025, By Keith Kobland

More In Campus & Community

Chancellor Kent Syverud Honored as Distinguished Citizen of the Year at 57th Annual ScoutPower Event

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud was recognized by Scouting America, Longhouse Council, as the Distinguished Citizen of the Year at the organization’s 57th annual ScoutPower dinner. The annual fundraiser is one of the biggest scouting events in the nation and…

Kohn, Wiklund, Wilmoth Named Distinguished Professors

Three Syracuse University faculty members have been named Distinguished Professors, one of the University’s highest honors. The designation is granted by the Board of Trustees to faculty who have achieved exceptionally distinguished stature in their academic specialties. The newly named…

Syracuse Athletics Records Highest APR Score in 4 Years

Syracuse University Athletics continues to demonstrate its commitment to academic excellence, as shown in the latest release of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Academic Progress (APR) data. The University earned a single-year score of 989 (out of 1,000) for the…

SOURCE Enables School of Education Undergraduates to Research, Explore Profession

Through a research project funded by the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE), School of Education (SOE) seniors Denaysha Macklin ’25 and Emma Wareing ’25 are continuing research to investigate barriers women of color face in advancing…

Commencement 2025: What You Need to Know

It’s time to celebrate, Syracuse University Class of 2025! Bring your family and friends and join in all the excitement and pomp and circumstance during Commencement Weekend 2025. The University’s Commencement exercises will be held in the JMA Wireless Dome…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.