Past Events

About

Vanderbilt is gathering leaders and innovators, from all disciplines to participate in conversations across our Nashville and New York campuses to model civil discourse in action.听

These conversations will be real dialogue that moves beyond sound bites and performance to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time and brings curiosity and conversation back to the public square.听 Together, we will explore how listening, understanding and learning how to 鈥渄isagree鈥� and 鈥渁gree鈥� with nuance, evidence and civility can shape a stronger, more connected future.听听听

Watch Past Event Recordings

September 8, 2026: A Conversation on Free Expression and Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier joined Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 in Nashville, TN for a bipartisan conversation on academic freedom, antisemitism and campus belonging.

February 27, 2026: Katie Fahey Keynote Address | 2026 Tennessee Campus Civic Summit

February 26, 2026: Vanderbilt Football Head Coach Clark Lea in conversation with Vanderbilt Football Alum Chris Krause at the 2026 Live. Learn. Lead. Academy Symposium

February 25, 2026: Jon Meacham discusses his latest book in conversation with John M. Seigenthaler

February 4, 2026: Sir Richard Moore KCMG joins General Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.) for a Fireside Chat

February 3, 2026: Dialogue Vanderbilt Presents: The Death of Facebook featuring Teddy Solomon, CEO of Fizz Social

October 5, 2026:
The Pulse of Democracy: The U.S. in Regional Perspective
Drawing on the latest AmericasBarometer survey, the 2026 Pulse of Democracy examines how people across the Americas view democracy, governance, migration, security, and other pressing issues shaping the region.听听
Featured Speakers:
, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 and Director of the Center for Global Democracy and LAPOP Lab
, Professor and William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站.; Partners; Center for Global Democracy
Presented by the Center for Global Democracy and Dialogue Vanderbilt.
October 3, 2026:
Kentucky Governor in conversation with a special guest to celebrate his new book, .
In partnership with the and .
October 2-3, 2026:
An event to discuss the most pressing challenges threatening freedom of expression worldwide and identify impactful solutions to reinvigorate this fundamental freedom.
Presented by and Dialogue Vanderbilt.
October 2-3, 2026:
An event to discuss the most pressing challenges threatening freedom of expression worldwide and identify impactful solutions to reinvigorate this fundamental freedom.
Presented by and Dialogue Vanderbilt.
October 1, 2026:
Part of a national movement focused on building stronger communities through shared meals, The Longest Table creates space to engage across perspectives, build community and experience belonging in action.听 Every seat is an opportunity for connection 鈥� share a meal with people you might not otherwise cross paths with, discover new perspectives and build connections beyond your usual circles.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and Student Affairs.
October 1, 2026:
The Midterms: National Security
Featured Speakers:
, Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of Undergraduate Studies for Public Policy Studies and National Security, Immersion Faculty Fellow.
, Journalist at The Atlantic, National Security Fellow at the Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Institute of National Security.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dialogue Vanderbilt will host conversations centered on a timely issue shaping the national dialogue.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and .
October 1, 2026:
The Midterms: National Security
Featured Speakers:
, Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of Undergraduate Studies for Public Policy Studies and National Security, Immersion Faculty Fellow.
, Journalist at The Atlantic, National Security Fellow at the Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Institute of National Security.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dialogue Vanderbilt will host conversations centered on a timely issue shaping the national dialogue.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and .
October 1, 2026:
Institutional Non-Neutrality
Featured Speaker:
, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis
Presented by the and Dialogue Vanderbilt.
September 28, 2026:
in conversation with to celebrate her new book, .
In partnership with the and .
September 24, 2026:
The Midterms: Immigration
Featured Speakers:
, Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Professor of Political Science and Director of Graduate Studies.
, Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Associate Professor of History.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dialogue Vanderbilt will host conversations centered on a timely issue shaping the national dialogue.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and .
September 22, 2026:
Ken Burns in Conversation with Paul Stob: The American Revolution
Award-winning documentary filmmaker in conversation with , Director of the at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt听and the .
EVENT RECORDING COMING SOON
September 21, 2026:
What Works in Education鈥攁nd Why Is It So Hard to Scale?
Harvard 溏心vlog免费B站 professor听听and Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 professor听听join moderator听, CEO of Accelerate and former Tennessee Commissioner of Education, for a timely conversation exploring the research, policies, and practical challenges of improving educational outcomes and translating proven approaches into lasting, large-scale impact.
Presented by听.
September 17, 2026:
The Midterms: Supreme Court
Featured Speakers:
, Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Law School Professor of Law and Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise.
, Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Law School Associate Professor of Law.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dialogue Vanderbilt will host conversations centered on a timely issue shaping the national dialogue.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and .
September 17, 2026:
Presented by听Dialogue Vanderbilt,听, the听, and the听.
September 15, 2026:
Utah Governor will join , Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Andrew Jackson Chair in American History, for a conversation about Cox's new book, .
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt, in partnership with the .
September 11, 2026:
25 Years Later: A Moment for Remembrance
Together, we will pause to remember and honor those whose lives were lost and forever changed on September 11, 2001.
Remarks will be shared by Sydney Savion, Ed.D., Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Vice Chancellor for People, Culture and Belonging.听
In partnership with Student Affairs.
September 9, 2026:
Former U.S. Senator in conversation with chief Washington correspondent about Alexander鈥檚 bestselling memoir.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt, in partnership with the .
September 8, 2026:
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier joined Reps. and at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 in Nashville, TN for a bipartisan conversation on academic freedom, antisemitism and campus belonging.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and the Division of Government and Community Relations.
September 8, 2026:
The History of Nashville Hot Chicken
Former Nashville Mayor and of will come together for a conversation about one of Nashville鈥檚 most iconic traditions: hot chicken.听
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt.
September 8, 2026:
in conversation with to celebrate her new book, .
In partnership with the and .
September 4, 2026:
in conversation with 听to celebrate her new book, .
In partnership with the and .
September 3, 2026:
The Midterms: The State of Democracy
Featured Speaker: , Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Associate Professor of History; Director, Rogers Center for the American Presidency.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dialogue Vanderbilt will host conversations centered on a timely issue shaping the national dialogue.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt and .
July 2, 2026:
discussing her new book in conversation with . The award-winning, bestselling author of 听and听听returns with a soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger.
In partnership with the 听and .
June 8, 2026:
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A special evening for a candid conversation with former First Lady about her life in the White House during a singular moment in US history in conversation with .
In partnership with the 听and .
April 28, 2026:
Featuring author in conversation with
In partnership with the , , the ,听, and .
April 23-24, 2026:
Asness Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats
The Shadow of War, The Illusion of Peace: National Security in the Age of Asymmetry
In partnership with the Institute of National Security.
April 23, 2026:
Jock Jams: A Listening Session with Soul鈥檇 Creative Collective
In partnership with the and the .
April 20, 2026:
Cracking the Code: How Vanderbilt Students Won Over MLB Executives
In partnership with the .
April 17, 2026:
Featuring a conversation with author , Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard 溏心vlog免费B站
In partnership with the .
April 15, 2026:
Evolutionary Studies Initiative Earth Day Lecture: Mass Extinction and Ecosystem Recovery featuring
In partnership with the Evolutionary Studies Initiative.
April 14, 2026:
Featuring, Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Professor of Communication Studies;
Director of Culture, Advocacy, and Leadership; Director of A&S College Core
In partnership with the and .
Featuring a conversation with author , New York 溏心vlog免费B站 Professor of American Jewish History; Director, Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History
In partnership with the .
April 10, 2026:
The Aging of Information: From Info-Enthusiasm to Info-Anxiety
Featuring , Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the School of Information, 溏心vlog免费B站 of California, Berkeley
In partnership with the .
April 9, 2026:
Locked Out: Structural Barriers Facing the Formerly Incarcerated
Panel featuring Kelsey Hall, Rep. Harold Love, Jr., Savannah Quintero & Thomas Shaw
In partnership with .
April 8, 2026:
Can AI Strengthen Democracy?
A听conversation with Warren County Judge/Executive of Kentucky and Scott Carpenter, Managing Director of , a Google company.
The conversation will be moderated by , Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站; Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair; Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions; and Executive Board Member of the Data Science Institute.
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt.
April 2, 2026:
Poverty, Power, and the Possibility of Change
Community Over Chaos Speaker Series featuring , the Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology at Princeton 溏心vlog免费B站 and the principal investigator of听.听 This conversation will be moderated by , Vanderbilt 溏心vlog免费B站 Divinity School Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society.
In partnership with the James Lawson Institute.
April 1, 2026:
Who Speaks for Nashville Now?听 Local Journalism and Democratic Accountability听
Featured speakers include , , , , , and .
In partnership with the Curb Center and the .听
March 26, 2026:
Featuring a conversation with author , Ira D. Wallach Professor of History at Columbia 溏心vlog免费B站
In partnership with the .

Featuring a conversation with the author, National Book Award鈥搘inning historian , and
In partnership with the and .听
March 24, 2026:
Featuring a conversation with author
In partnership with the .听
Special community gathering featuring a lecture from a freed hostage and Nova Festival survivor, Maya Regev
In partnership with .
March 19, 2026:
Covering Climate in Chaotic Times featuring Sadie Babits, National Public Radio Senior Supervising Climate Editor
In partnership with the .听
March 18, 2026:
Evolutionary Studies Initiative 2026 J.T. Scopes Lecture featuring Tyrone B. Hayes
In partnership with the Evolutionary Studies Initiative.
Charley Pride: I鈥檓 Just Me: A Film Screening and Live Discussion
Featuring Filmmaker and Director Barbara Hall and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick听
In partnership with the and the .
March 17, 2026:
Reclaiming Our Cities: Fighting Displacement and Building Belonging
Community Over Chaos Speaker Series featuring Tara Raghuveer, Tenant Union Federation听
In partnership with the James Lawson Institute.
March 11, 2026:
Nashville's Hidden Heroes: Honoring Rabbi Randall M. Falk
Moderated by Andr茅 L. Churchwell, M.D.
In partnership with the .
March 5, 2026:
Barrett Lecture: Civic Courage, the Rule of Law, and the Legal Profession at a Crossroads听featuring Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.
In partnership with听.
March 2, 2026:
Is There A Center in America? A Conversation with Joe Manchin and Jon Meacham
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt.
February 27, 2026:
2026 Tennessee Campus Civic Summit
Student-Driven Solutions for Tennessee's Future featuring Keynote Speaker Katie Fahey, Executive Director of The People
In partnership with the听,听, and听.听
February 26, 2026:
Bishop Johnson Black Cultural Center presents the Black Futures Symposium 2026: Blackness and Artificial Intelligence
Presenters: Morgan Debaun, Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc and AfroTech Conference; Corey Ponder, Alum (B.S. '07) & Global Head of Policy and Product Partnerships at TikTok; Dr. Charreau Bell, Senior Data Scientist at the Data Science Institute at Vanderbilt
In partnership with the听Bishop Johnson Black Cultural Center.听
Live. Learn. Lead. Academy Symposium听Keynote Speaker Coach Clark Lea
In partnership with the Live. Learn. Lead. Academy.听
February 25, 2026:
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham to discuss his latest book听in conversation with former NBC News anchor and correspondent听John M. Seigenthaler听
American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union
In partnership with the 听and .
February 24, 2026:
We Live Here: Community Power and the Struggle for Environmental Justice featuring Sharon Cayette Lavigne and Shamyra Lavigne-Davey of RISE St. James
In collaboration with the听James Lawson Institute.
February 20, 2026:
Vanderbilt Holocaust Lecture Series featuring Dr. Alex Kor & Dr. Stacy Gallin
Medicine and Morality: Why the Lessons and Legacies of the Holocaust Matter Now More Than Ever
In partnership with the听, the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life,听, and .
February 18, 2026:
Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. Memoir Launch Celebration
NONVIOLENT: My Life of Resistance, Agitation, and Love by Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. and Emily Yellin
In partnership with the听James Lawson Institute听and听.
International Darwin Day Lecture featuring Michael Lynch
Evolutionary Cell Biology: Rethinking the Origins of Cellular Architecture
In partnership with the Evolutionary Studies Initiative.
February 17, 2026:
The John C. Kornblum Distinguished Lecture Series featuring Metin Hakverdi
In partnership with the听听and the听.
February 11, 2026:
Building What Lasts: No BS Lessons from a Made-in-America Company featuring Bill Banta, CEO of DECKED
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt.
Where is Our Hope in a World of Death?听 A conversation on living and dying well featuring Jessika C. Boles and Lydia Dugdale听
In partnership with the .
February 6, 2026:
Vanderbilt Divinity School Lunch and Learn featuring Rep. Harold Love, Jr.
In partnership with the .听听听
February 4, 2026:
The Vanderbilt Lecture Series on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats featuring Richard Moore, KCMG
In partnership with the Institute of National Security.
February 3, 2026:
The Death of Facebook featuring Teddy Solomon, CEO of Fizz
Presented by Dialogue Vanderbilt.
January 15, 2026:
MLK Commemorative Event Series featuring Cheryl McKissack Daniel in Conversation with Jeremi London
In partnership with the听MLK Commemorative Event Series.
January 13, 2026:
Community as Sanctuary: Defending Immigrant Families in Times of Fear featuring Cathy Carrillo, Co-Founder of ReMIX TN
In collaboration with the听James Lawson Institute.