SUNY Plattsburgh to Host Donor-Funded Speaker Series
A new donor-funded program will bring thought leaders, public intellectuals and visionaries to the SUNY Plattsburgh campus for an annual lecture that explores critical issues influencing our world.
The University Speaker Series — made possible by charitable support from SUNY Distinguished Librarian Emeritus and former Dean of Library and Information Services Cerise Oberman and Professor Emeritus of expeditionary studies Dr. Laurence “Larry” Soroka with additional support from the Plattsburgh College Foundation, Office of the President, Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion and Institutional Advancement — will kick off this fall and provide an annual public lecture through fall 2030.
The inaugural speaker — award-winning American writer, poet and scholar Clint Smith — will present his talk, “Memories, Moments, and the Stories that Connect Us,” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 in the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium. Smith is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America.” He is also the author of two books of poetry, the New York Times bestselling collection “Above Ground,” as well as “Counting Descent.” Providing additional charitable support for this inaugural University Speaker Series event are alumni Thomas ‘70 and Marie ‘72 Hermes.
All speakers featured in the program are selected by the University Speaker Series Committee, which comprises Soroka, along with Feinberg Library Director Joshua Beatty, Honors Program Director Dr. Tracie Guzzio, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Anne Whitmore Hansen and Institute for Ethics in Public Life Director Dr. Daniel Lake. Their intent is to recruit thought leaders who will prompt the campus and community to engage in constructive thought on topics, such as public education in support of democracy, the challenge of balancing individual rights with civic needs, free expression in the digital age, the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education and society at large, the influence of social media on human development, and the history and culture of democracy in America.
“Some of our most cherished memories from our years at the college are the evenings spent in the audience of The Presidents’ Speaker Series,” Oberman and Soroka said in a joint statement. “For 13 years, that series did something special; it brought our campus and community together around the power of ideas, sparking conversations that lingered long after the speakers left the stage.
“We are excited to think that the new University Speaker Series will create those same kinds of memorable moments for today’s students, faculty and community, connecting Plattsburgh with thinkers and voices shaping our world right now.”
