In 2023 Brooklyn College began offering the extended college community its Presidential Lecture Series—conversations between President Michelle J. Anderson and high-profile leaders designed to inspire ideas, courageous leadership, and models of civic engagement and civil discourse. Launched on February 2, 2023 with CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Selwyn M. Vickers, the conversation held during Black History Month set the stage for the series with a discussion on health care as a social justice issue. Recent Events This fall, we welcomed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed and cultural historian and media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan to the series. Mohammed discussed with Anderson the United Nations’ role as the global town hall in our interconnected world and the vital commitment to multilateralism necessary to achieve the Agenda 2030. Vaidhyanathan’s timely conversation with President Anderson focused on the role of social media around the world—both positive and negative—as well as its role in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections. Previous Events President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund Patrick Gaspard visited campus to talk about international relations and building a more equitable world. Composer, conductor, distinguished professor emerita and Pulitzer Prize and Kennedy Center Honoree Tania León showcased León’s extraordinary life from her migration from Cuba to her career as a world-renowned composer and included a performance by members of the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music. Join Us The college will present Presidential Lecture Series events throughout the year and we encourage all alumni to attend.
