Arts & Sciences

Renowned scholars from the academic and social science fields

Mike Duncan

American political history podcaster and author.  His award winning series, “The History of Rome,” remains a legendary landmark in the history of podcasting.

Charles Johnson

National Book Award winner for Middle Passage, Dr. Charles Johnson writes captivating novels that address issues of being African-American in today’s U.S. society.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Your personal astrophysicist and host of the Emmy Award winning, COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey and StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.  Dr. Tyson’s passion for science communication changes the way we think about the universe.

Sandra Steingraber

An international anti-fracking activist & biologist who fights for environmental rights as a basic human right.

Charles C. Mann

Offering valuable insights into the most significant events, from the European discovery of the Americas to the rise of the digital age, Charles Mann transforms our views of history. His book, The Wizard And The Prophet, asks the question “Can Earth support 10 billion people?”

Lilly Ledbetter

The inspiration behind the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  A bestselling author and activist, Ledbetter fights for pay equity and ignites change.

David Quammen

Internationally acclaimed science writer and National Book Award Finalist. Author of Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus. Three-time winner of the National Magazine Award (the Ellie) and author of more than 15 books.

Michael Mann

An award-winning climate scientist and expert on climate change. His work has played a crucial role in shaping public discourse and climate change policy. He is part of the IPCC team that won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Steven Strogatz

An award-winning researcher, teacher, and communicator, Strogatz finds math in places where you’d least expect it & uses it to illuminate life’s mysteries, big and small

Jessica Valenti

Called “one of the most successful and visible feminists of her generation” by the Washington Post and one of the “Top 100  Inspiring Women in the World,” Valenti is a New York Times best-selling author, columnist and leading voice in the pro-choice movement. 

Derrick Pitts

NASA’s first Astrobiology Ambassador & Chief Astronomer and Planetarium Director at the Franklin Institute.  His motto: Eat, breathe, do science. Sleep later.

Christine McKinley

STEM activist, mechanical engineer, musician, host of Discovery Channel’s Decoded, and author of Physics For Rock Stars. Her musical Gracie and the Atom won a Portland Drammy for Original Score.

Jeff Lieberman

Scientist, musician, roboticist, and sculptor Jeff Lieberman combines his passions for art and science in ways that reveal how one influences the other. Art meets science through interaction, connection, and challenged perception.