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Presidential Lecture Series Archives

Catch up on past events below

Explore footage below of past Presidential Lecture Series events — conversations with the Purdue community featuring well-known names like Condoleezza Rice, Walter Isaacson, Paul Ryan and more.

Carolyn Woo (Mar. 2024) (Video)

Carolyn Woo was educated by missionary sisters in Hong Kong and came to Purdue University in 1972 as a foreign student with one year of funding. Thanks to scholarships and fellowships, she was able to complete her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD in strategy by 1979.

John I. Jenkins (Feb. 2024) (Video)

Elected in 2005 as the University of Notre Dame’s 17th president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., was reelected by the university’s board of trustees to a fourth five-year term, effective July 1, 2020. As president, he has devoted himself to fostering the university’s unique place in academia, the church, the United States and the world.

Beth Moses (Nov. 2023) (Video)

Commercial space pioneer Beth Moses, who has successfully completed six spaceflights for Virgin Galactic and serves as its chief astronaut instructor, joined Purdue President Mung Chiang for a conversation as part of the Presidential Lecture Series.

Patrick Gelsinger (Oct. 2023) (Video)

Intel Corp. CEO Patrick Gelsinger, who has over four decades of experience in technology leadership and driving innovation, joined Purdue President Mung Chiang for a Presidential Lecture Series event.

Paul Alivisatos (Sept. 2023) (Video)

Paul Alivisatos was named the 14th president of the University of Chicago in 2021. He also is the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the university’s undergraduate college. Paul joined Purdue President Mung Chiang for a conversation about navigating the opportunities at the intersection of education, science and leadership.

Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn (Sept. 2023) (Video)

Vint G. Cerf and Robert E. Kahn, the duo credited with the seminal work during the 1970s that led the creation of the Internet, joined Purdue University President Mung Chiang for a Presidential Lecture Series event, coinciding with the 60th anniversary celebration of Purdue’s historic launch of the nation’s first academic computer science department.

David W.C. MacMillan (Feb. 2023) (Video)

Renowned scientist and entrepreneur David W.C. MacMillan, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work on catalysis. The Scottish-born MacMillan joined Purdue University President Mung Chiang for a conversation during the first Presidential Lecture Series event of 2023. 

Joe Lonsdale (Nov. 2022) (Video)

Serial entrepreneur, startups investor and philanthropist Joe Lonsdale is the founder and managing partner at 8VC, a U.S.-based venture capital firm managing over $5 billion in capital. Purdue President Mitch Daniels joined Lonsdale to discuss his career, innovation, investing and more.

George W. Bush (Dec. 2022)

George W. Bush served as the 43rd U.S. president from 2001-09. As commander in chief, President Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity and security at home and abroad. The conversation featured a discussion of leadership in challenging times and the responsibilities of an informed citizenship.

Peggy Noonan (Oct. 2022) (Video)

Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist Peggy Noonan, called the “voice of our times” with her powerful and poignant commentaries, brings her pointed pen and gift of giving U.S. presidents their words to the Purdue University campus, joining President Mitch Daniels for an enlightening Presidential Lecture Series discussion.

Julie Wainwright (Mar. 2022) (Video)

Purdue President Mitch Daniels sits down with Julie Wainwright, founder and CEO of the RealReal luxury consignment enterprise, serial entrepreneur and Purdue alumna, to discuss recovering from failure, making your business stand out from competitors and overcoming the challenges of being a female entrepreneur.

Kenneth Feinberg (Feb. 2022) (Video)

Kenneth Feinberg joins Purdue President Mitch Daniels for a conversation about his role overseeing billions of dollars in victim compensation funds following tragedies.

Steven E. Koonin (Oct. 2021) (Video)

Steven E. Koonin will join President Daniels for an hour-long conversation on the proper role of science in advancing knowledge and informing public opinion in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.

Garry Kasparov (Sept. 2021) (Video)

President Mitch Daniels will host Garry Kasparov, Soviet-born chess champion and human rights advocate, for an hourlong conversation in Loeb Playhouse. Daniels and Kasparov will talk about Kasparov’s remarkable accomplishments, human rights advocacy and the values of promoting freedom globally.

American Democracy: Where Do We Go From Here? (Feb. 2021) (Video)

President Daniels hosted U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp for a virtual discussion on civil discourse and the state of our nation’s democracy.

Condoleezza Rice (Oct. 2019) (Video)

66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined President Daniels for a conversation on international politics, college sports and more at the Elliott Hall of Music.

Walter Isaacson (Sept. 2019) (Video)

Author, historian and former news executive Walter Isaacson shared his insights on technological innovation.

Expert panel: NASA’s Next Moonshot is a Gateway to Mars (April 2019) (Video)

A panel of experts discussed what’s next for NASA: Purdue alum Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations; Mary Lynne Dittmar, president and CEO of The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration and Operations; and Jonathan Lunine, professor and director of the Cornell University Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science. The panel discussed a variety of topics related to space exploration and policy.

Francis Fukuyama (April 2019) (Video)

World-renowned scholar, diplomat, and author Francis Fukuyama discussed personal identity and its relationship to the political climate.

Seema Verma (Oct. 2018)

Verma, administrator of the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joined President Daniels for a discussion about the future and sustainability of these services.

Ben Domenech and Ezra Klein (Sept. 2018)

Domenech, founder and publisher of The Federalist, a conservative news site, and Klein, editor-at-large and founder of Vox, a left-leaning news site, discussed the polarized political climate with President Daniels.

Bob Kerrey (Feb. 2018) (Video)

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War and managing director at Allen & Co., an investment banking and financial advisory firm, joined President Daniels in a Q&A session about the opioid crisis, national security, the state of higher education and more.

Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina (Oct. 2017) (Video)

World Food Prize Laureate and Purdue alumnus Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina spoke with President Daniels at Loeb Playhouse. The prize was given in recognition of his work with the Rockefeller Foundation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria.

Joseph Ellis (Sept. 2017) (Video)

The installation of a “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painting at Wilmeth Active Learning Center. Joseph Ellis, a Pultizer Prize-winning American historian, spoke about the painting at the unveiling.

Bjorn Lomborg (Apr. 2017) (Video)

Lomborg is a Danish author, think-tank president and visiting professor of strategic management and globalization at the Copenhagen Business School. He joined President Daniels for an hour of discussion on climate change and audience Q&A.

Doug Brinkley (March 2017) (Video)

Brinkley, historian and author of a number of award-winning and best-selling books on Hurricane Katrina, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Walter Cronkite, spoke with President Daniels at Fowler Hall.

Stan Druckenmiller (Feb. 2017)

Named one of the world’s greatest investors by MoneyWeek, Druckenmiller sat down with President Mitch Daniels for a discussion and audience Q&A.

J.D. Vance (Jan. 2017) (Video)

Vance is the New York Times best-selling author of “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” a frequent contributor to National Review, and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC. Vance joined President Daniels in a discussion and audience Q&A.

Ron Chernow (Nov. 2016)

Chernow, author of the book “Hamilton,” which inspired the hit Broadway musical, was interviewed by Brian Lamb at Loeb Playhouse.

Catherine Bertini (Nov. 2016) (Video)

Former executive director of the United Nations World Food Program and 2003 World Food Prize Laureate discussed global food security.

George Shultz (Apr. 2016) (Video)

Former U.S. Secretary of State, Labor and Treasury, economist and four-time U.S. Cabinet member joined President Daniels in a discussion and audience Q&A.

George Will (Dec. 2015) (Video)

One of the world’s most widely read and recognized writers and TV personalities, George Will joined Purdue president Mitch Daniels for a conversation and Q&A.

Arne Duncan (Sept. 2015) (Video)

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke for a Presidential Lecture Series event as part of his sixth annual “Back-to-School Bus Tour: Ready for Success.”

Frank Bruni (Sept. 2015) (Video)

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni presented his talk “Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be: An antidote to the college admissions mania” at Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.

Harlan Coben (Apr. 2015) (Video)

Author of No. 1 New York Times Best Seller “Missing You” Harlan Coben gave his talk, “The Rules of Writing and When to Break Them,” covering writing tips, inspiration, how-tos and the insecurities that plague all writers.

Howard G. Buffett (March 2015)

Buffett, author of “40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World” and personal farmer, discussed challenges and solutions to achieving global food security.

Tom Vilsack (Nov. 2014)

As the 30th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Vilsack led the U.S. Department of Agriculture toward building vibrant rural communities, provided food assistance to millions of Americans and carried out conservation efforts. Vilsack joined President Daniels for a discussion on agriculture and a Q&A session.

Brian Greene (Nov. 2014)

Greene, a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, is a professor in physics and mathematics at Columbia University. His work has been published in Wired and The New York Times. His presentation to Purdue focused on String Theory.

Mara Liasson (Oct. 2014) (Video)

Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for NPR, discussed her news coverage of politics and policy in Washington, D.C.

Paul Eremenko (Oct. 2014) (Video)

Paul Eremenko of Google discussed Project Ara and innovation at Google, DARPA and elsewhere.

Sam Allen (Sept. 2014) (Video)

Deere & Co. CEO and Purdue alumnus Sam Allen discussed meeting the food production needs of a growing population.

James Barrat (Sept. 2014) (Video)

Documentary filmmaker and author of “Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era” presented his thought-provoking vantage point and interacted with Purdue faculty experts.

Anant Agarwal (March 2014) (Video)

Agarwal, founder and president of edX, an education innovation and research company specializing in open-source education solutions, presented in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.