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Public Lecture Series

Welcome the 2023–2024 speaker line-up! This year, the Office of Public Lectures will host speakers who will encourage us to explore race and social justice, artificial intelligence, the state of American democracy, disability activism and more. We look forward to seeing you!

Our speakers are brought to the UW community, citizens of Seattle, and the state of Washington through three very generous private endowments: The Walker-Ames Fund, The Jessie and John Danz Fund and the Mary Ann and John D. Mangels Fund.

Out of an abundance of caution and care for our community, the Office of Public Lectures encourages our patrons to wear a mask when attending our in-person events. We strongly recommend our guests to take a rapid antigen test ahead of attending a lecture with us as we foster a healthy environment for all.

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2023–2024 Speakers

Jaipreet Virdi
October 24, 2023
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Jevin West
October 27, 2023
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Paul Chan
November 8, 2023
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Arathi Sethumadhavan
November 14, 2023
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Alice Wong
January 9, 2024
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Patty Berne
January 17, 2024
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Michael Twitty
January 24, 2024
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Tina Campt
February 8, 2024
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Wayne Yang
February 13, 2024
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Anand Gopal 
February 28, 2024
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Marc Bamuthi Joseph
March 5, 2024
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Robert Bullard
April 9, 2024
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Kate Raworth
April 15, 2024
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Steven Pinker
May 14, 2024
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Yvette Pearson
April 24, 2024
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Mahzarin Banaji
April 30, 2024
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Margaret Cho
May 1, 2024
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Important Dates

  • September 13, 2023 – Fall quarter registration opens
  • December 13, 2023 – Winter quarter registration opens
  • March 13, 2024 – Spring quarter registration opens 

Please direct all registration-related questions to the Graduate School at lectures@uw.edu or 206.543.5900.

Standby Line Policy

If an event is sold out, as a courtesy, the Graduate School will offer standby seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Any reserved seats not taken by 15 minutes before the start of the lecture will be offered to our guests in the standby line. Please note: standby entrance is based on seat availability and there is no guarantee of admittance to the public lecture.


The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodations, contact the UW Office of Public Lectures at least 10 days in advance at lectures@uw.edu or 206.543.5900.


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