Chancellor's Distinguished Lecture Series
Presented by The Damrauer Endowed Lectureship Fund
Lectures are free and open to the public. RSVPs are requested.
The Chancellor’s
Distinguished Lectures focus on
subjects to help narrow the widening gap between fast moving advances in
knowledge acquisition and their understanding and appreciation by the general
public. The individuals selected as lecturers are chosen to fulfill the
lectureship’s important public outreach function and contribute to an understanding
and appreciation of rapid advancements and important nuances in their fields. Our
lecturers are chosen on the basis of their international renown and their
ability to speak and interact with a well-informed public audience.
These lectures are presented at CU Denver and are generally given each fall.
Upcoming Lectures
Stanford University
Modern Human Origins
September 25, 2019
Fossils and genes indicate that modern humans (Homo sapiens) arose in Africa between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago, when they abruptly spread to Eurasia. They then quickly replaced or swamped the Neanderthals and other non-modern Eurasians. Technological innovations that enhanced hunting and gathering provide the most economic explanation for modern human success. Genetic change that enhanced cognitive and communicative potential likely underlay the technological innovations.
Join us for an evening with Dr. Richard Klein as we delve deeper into the history and origins of our species. A public reception with light refreshments will follow the lecture. Please register via the link above to confirm your attendance at this exciting event!
Celebrated Author of: The Wolves of Yellowstone
Wildness Restored: The Wolf's Return to Colorado
October 23, 2019
Mike has served as the Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) and an advisor to Turner Biodiversity Divisions (TBD) since he established both with Ted Turner and his family in 1997. Mike has played a key role in wolf conservation and recovery. From 1986–1994, he was the Field Coordinator for the Red Wolf Recovery Program. He was also instrumental in the return of gray wolves to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, serving as Project Leader for the wolf restoration effort from its inception in 1994 until 1997. As an endeavor separate and apart from his leadership of TESF and TBD, in 2006 Mike entered the political arena through election to the Montana legislature as the representative for House District 66, Bozeman. Shortly thereafter, Mike founded the Montana Legislative Climate Change Caucus. In 2009, Mike was elected as the Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. During this legislative session, Mike played a critical role in crafting and passing the nation’s most comprehensive law for sequestering CO2 in geological formations.
Kip Thorne, PhD
2017 Nobel Laureate, Physics
Executive Producer of Interstellar
April 17, 2020
Kip Thorne led a research group at Caltech from 1967 to 2009, focusing on relativistic astrophysics and gravitational physics, with emphasis on relativistic stars, black holes, the theory of time travel, and gravitational waves. He was a cofounder of the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) Project and made the breakthrough discovery of gravitational waves arriving at Earth from the distant universe in 2015. For these contributions, Dr. Thorne shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 2009, he stepped down from his professorship at Caltech to ramp up a new career at the interface of art and science, which included authoring a treatment and serving as executive producer for Christopher Nolan's 2014 blockbuster, Interstellar. Today, he continues his research and scientific consulting and is working on a new movie project along a forthcoming book: The Warped Side of the Universe.
Paul Boulos, PhD
President, Innovyze
Board Member, Lebanese American University
October 7, 2020
Paul Boulos is one of the world's foremost experts on water resources and navigation engineering. He is the recipient of numerous honors from national and international scientific and engineering societies, governments, univerities, and NGO's. Among them is the U.S. Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate, their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, unique talents, and selfless generosity. Dr. Boulos is a highly dynamic engineering and technology business leader and philanthropist, with a stalwart commitment to the welfare of young people and a passionate voice for the next generation of engineers.
Past Lectures (click on links to view archived lectures)