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.
Arts & Sciences
Renowned scholars from the academic and social science fields
Betsy Gaines Quammen
Author of American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West. Environmental historian and writer with a background in international conservation work, land issues, science denialism, and anti-government agitation in the American West.
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?”
Robert Bullard
“Father of Environmental Justice,” & “One of 13 Environmental Leaders of the Century”. Dr. Robert Bullard is a leading voice on environmental racism, sustainable housing & human rights.
Daisy Hernández
Award winning author, Hernandez crosses the barriers between race, gender, and media representation. Her bold insight emphasizes disparities in today’s culture.
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.
Richard Rodriguez
An award–winning, thought provoking writer, hailed by The Washington Post as “one of the most eloquent and probing public intellectuals in America”.
Derrick Pitts
NASA’s first Astrobiology Ambassador & Chief Astronomer and Planetarium Director at the Franklin Institute. His motto: Eat, breathe, do science. Sleep later.
Rinku Sen
Rinku brings an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity through research, media, and practice.
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.