Dialogue Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt University Government Relations is hosting a student advocacy workshop on Thursday, April 4, 2:30–4 p.m. in the Kissam Multipurpose Room. The workshop will be an interactive working session about advocacy best practices to help equip students with practical skills they can use to advocate effectively for their interests. Read More

National education reporter Laura Pappano will discuss her latest book, School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education (Beacon Press, 2024), at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries on Tuesday, April 9. In her book, Pappano draws on archival research as well as on-the-ground reporting to offer a nuanced view of how schools across the country have become lightning rods in the culture wars. Read More

Bestselling author and Vanderbilt alum James Patterson will discuss his prolific writing career, support for literacy initiatives and the power of books and reading in a wide-ranging conversation at Vanderbilt University on Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Dialogue Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy in collaboration with Parnassus Books, 'An Evening with James Patterson' will be moderated by former NBC News anchor and correspondent John M. Seigenthaler. The event is open to the public, but registration is required to attend. Read More

The student-led Impact Symposium was established 60 years ago to bring leaders and intellectuals from around the world to Vanderbilt University to encourage discussion on current issues affecting our world. Plan to join this year’s anniversary celebration on Thursday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Langford Auditorium. Read More

A conversation between Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, and Morgan Ortagus, former spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, will be Tuesday, March 19, at 4 p.m. CT at the John Seigenthaler Center. Markarova’s participation will provide attendees with an invaluable opportunity to learn about Ukraine’s challenges and geopolitical stance.   Read More

Although gun control is a topic at the forefront of the national conversation, it’s rare to see a structured debate on gun policy reform between those on opposing sides of the issue. On Feb. 28, the Advocacy, Dialogue, and Debate Lab for Civil Discourse Education and Vanderbilt Political Review hosted a debate on gun control policy between Vanderbilt College Republicans and College Democrats on gun control policy. It was the first time in several years that the two organizations held a formal debate. The event was sponsored by Dialogue Vanderbilt. Read More

The Campus Reading for the 2024–25 academic year will be I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica Guzmán. The book was chosen by a committee of faculty and students and launches community-wide dialogue that begins during orientation and continues throughout the year in houses on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, in Vanderbilt Visions groups, and across campus. Read More

Don Abram, the visionary founder of Pride in the Pews, will be the next speaker in the Dialogue Vanderbilt faith leader series. His conversation with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce is scheduled for 5 p.m. March 6 at the John Seigenthaler Center. Read More

Dialogue Vanderbilt continued its mission of fostering meaningful conversations with its second event in its series which aims to cultivate open discussions about faith and how it influences people dealing with pressing societal issues. The discussion featured Maha Elgenaidi, founder of the Islamic Networks Group, in conversation with Vanderbilt University Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce.  Read More

Pulitzer Prize–winning author and propaganda expert Anne Applebaum will visit Vanderbilt on March 5 for a discussion of the rise of autocracy in today’s geopolitical climate.  Read More

The event, hosted by The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and the Rogers Center for the American Presidency, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public; registration is required to attend. Read More

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney joined Pulitzer Prize–winning author and professor Jon Meacham, co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, to speak about the future of U.S. democracy at the inaugural event for the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the American Presidency. Read More

In light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and in furtherance of Vanderbilt’s commitment to free and open discourse, the university partnered with civic bridge building organization Interfaith America on a series of listening sessions with students, faculty and staff Jan. 16–18 and Jan. 31–Feb. 1. Read More

The Dialogue Vanderbilt Public Debate Series is scheduled to kick off with a public debate on Friday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. The debate tournament will follow on Saturday and Sunday.  Read More

Dialogue Vanderbilt recently hosted an insightful fireside chat between Rabbi David J. Wolpe and Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce. The Jan. 18 event was part of a series organized by Dialogue Vanderbilt that aims to foster open discussions about faith and how it influences people dealing with pressing societal issues.  Read More

Maha Elgenaidi, founder and executive director of the Islamic Networks Group, will visit Vanderbilt’s Rothschild Black Box Theater next month for a conversation with Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce. The discussion is expected to explore Elgenaidi’s perspective on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the theological context and historical backdrop shaping it, along with her advice on effective communication practices around deeply personal and polarizing topics. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows program is set to host a panel discussion on equity and dialogue in the aftermath of affirmative action on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. in the Central Library’s Community Room. The event will feature distinguished professor and media commentator Melissa Harris-Perry.   Read More

This year’s MLK Day commemoration theme—“One Vanderbilt. One Nashville. One Dream.”—was a nod to the history of the university, which celebrates its sesquicentennial this year and where generations of Nashvillians have come together to learn and serve.  Read More

Hosted by the Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows program as a part of the chancellor’s Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative, Jonathan Rauch, a distinguished Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution, will visit Vanderbilt for a a thought-provoking discussion exploring the crucial role free speech plays in safeguarding the interests of minorities and fostering inclusivity and understanding within society. The event will be held on Monday, Jan. 22, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Read More

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney will share her views on the state of American democracy and the presidency, as well as her first-hand perspective on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the ensuing Congressional investigation, in a compelling, exclusive conversation with Jon Meacham, Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Political Science and Pulitzer Prize–winning historian. Read More