Suggested Speakers & Topics

Below is a partial list of speakers and possible topics. Click on a name for more information about that speaker, or on a school/department link for additional ideas. (And if you find a dead or incorrect link in this list, please do let us know. Thanks.)

 

For details about the AYA-Redpath Speakers Program and how to request a speaker for your Yale Club event, click here. 

 

 

 Speaker  School or Dept.  Possible Topic Areas
Bruce Ackerman Law Civil liberty in an age of terrorism
Jay Ague Peabody Museum, Geology & Geophysics Sustainable energy; mineralogy
Bruce Alexander ONHSA Yale and New Haven
Elizabeth Alexander African-American Studies, English American poetry
Suzanne Alonzo E&E Biology Evolution of reproductive traits
Robert J. Alpern Medicine Yale School of Medicine
Sidney Altman Chemistry, Biology Biophysical chemistry at Yale
Abbas Amanat History Middle East culture; modern Iran
Akhil Amar Law U.S. presidency; the Constitution
Paul T. Anastas F&ES, Chemistry Green chemistry, green engineering
Thomas Appelquist Physics Theoretical physics at Yale
Harold Attridge Divinity The Bible; Yale Divinity School
Ian Ayres Law, Management Economic incentives; using everyday ingenuity to solve problems
Omer Bajwa Chaplain’s Office Muslim life at Yale
Jack Balkin Law Constitutional law; the First Amendment
Emily Bakemeier Provost’s Office The humanities at Yale
Nicholas C. Barberis Management Psychology of the financial crisis
Timothy Barringer History of Art Art and the British empire
Tom Beckett Athletics Athletics at Yale
Robert Beloin Chaplain’s Office Catholic life at Yale
Richard C. Benson Art Photography
David Bercovici Geology & Geophysics The science of natural disasters
Murray J. Biggs Theater Studies, English Actors at work
David W. Blight History The Civil War; slavery
R. Howard Bloch Medieval Studies, French The Bayeux Tapestry
Robert L. Blocker Music Music at Yale; teaching music in public schools
Paul Bloom Psychology The psychology of good and evil
Kent Bloomer Architecture Architectural ornamentation
Gerhard Böwering Religious Studies Islam today; the Koran
Paul Bracken Management, Political Science Business strategy; nuclear proliferation
Elizabeth Bradley Public Health Yale’s global health Initiatives
Mark Brandon Geology & Geophysics Glaciers; tectonic evolution
Garry Brewer Management Business and the environment
Derek Briggs Peabody Museum What’s new at the Peabody
David Bromwich English Shakespeare; Emerson; Shelley; Orson Welles
Heidi Brooks Management, Medicine Business coaching and development; women at Yale
Peter Brooks Comparative Lit., French Literary criticism at Yale
Turner Brooks Architecture Experiencing architectural space
Kelly Brownell Medicine The American diet; food policy
James Bundy Drama Trends in American theater
Richard Burger Anthropology Machu Picchu
Paul Bushkovitch History Russian history
Leo Buss Peabody Museum, E&E Biology Invertebrates at the Peabody
Daniel Butler Political Science Public officials’ behavior in U.S. politics
Jon Butler American Studies, Religious Studies Religion in America today
Daylian Cain Management Behavioral business ethics
David R. Cameron Political Science The European Union today
Jill Campbell English, Women’s/Gender Studies 18th-century British literature; teaching reading and writing
Hazel V. Carby African-American Studies, American Studies African-American studies at Yale
John Carlson MC&D Biology Malaria, mosquitoes and the sense of smell
Stephen Carter Law Democracy’s choice: books or bumper stickers
Nayan Chanda YCSG Globalization; Asian politics, security and foreign policy
George Chauncey American Studies, History Modern U.S. history; gay and lesbian history
Marian R. Chertow F&ES Asian economic power and the environment
Annping Chin History Women in Chinese history
Amy L. Chua Law The rise and fall of hyperpowers; Asia’s future; “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”
Marvin Chun Psychology Visual attention, memory and perception
Paul Cleary Public Health Future of U.S. health and healthcare
James P. Comer Medicine How schools, parents and community can collaborate for children’s success
Edward S. Cooke History of Art American material culture and decorative arts
Peter Crane F&ES Update from the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Craig Martin Crews Medicine, Chemistry Raiding Mother Nature’s cabinet
Joseph L. Cumming Divinity Is Middle East peace possible?
Deborah Davis Sociology China’s consumer revolution
Stephen J. Davis Religious Studies Early Christian history
Michael Donoghue E&E Biology Plant diversity and evolution
Toni Dorfman Theater Studies Yale’s theater scene
Julie Dorsey Computer Science Computer graphics and animation; computers and art
Thomas C. Duffy Music Yale’s bands; Glenn Miller at Yale
Thomas P. Duffy Medicine Ethics of stem cell research; doctor-patient relationships
Carlos Eire History, Religious Studies Cuban exiles; church history
Stanley Eisenstat Computer Science How to cheat at Hangman, and other great ideas from computer science
Menachem Elimelech Engineering Environmental applications of nanomaterials; water and sanitation in developing countries
Donald Engelman MB&B Membrane and protein research at Yale
Joseph Errington Anthropology, Linguistics Patterns of social and language change
David Evans Geology & Geophysics Geodynamics and tectonics; climate change
Ronald Eyerman Sociology How culture structures our social life and problems
Ray Fair Management, Economics Effects of the economy on national politics
John Mack Faragher History History of the American West; Yale’s Western Americana collections
Cynthia Farrar Political Science History of democracy
Margot Fassler Divinity, Music Medieval and American sacred music
Debra Fischer Astronomy Life in the universe; exoplanets
Durland Fish F&ES, Public Health Ecology; disease prevention; climate change; ticks, mosquitoes
Owen Fiss Law Freedom of speech; racism in America
Daphne Fitzpatrick Art Studying sculpture at Yale
Bonnie Fleming Physics Particle physics; teaching science to middle-schoolers
Paul Fleury Engineering Nanoscience; engineering at Yale
Hugh Flick Religious Studies Being a residential college dean at Yale
William Foltz African Studies, Political Science Politics and ethnic conflict in Africa
Howard Forman Management, Medicine Health policy; economics of healthcare
Benjamin Foster Library Yale’s Babylonian collections
Karen Foster History of Art Yale’s Babylonian collections
Terri Francis African-American Studies, Film Studies American experimental cinema; Spike Lee
Roberta Frank English Major English poets; Old English; the Vikings
Paul H. Freedman History Medieval crusades and today’s conflicts
Joanne Freeman History How George Washington invented the Presidency
Kirk Freudenburg Classics Horace; studying the Classics at Yale
Paul Fry English Why do we need literature?; Romantic literature and painting
John Gaddis History Foreign policy; diplomacy
Beverly Gage History The day Wall Street exploded
John Gambell University Printer, Art The Yale typeface; how Yale brands itself
Rosalinda Garcia Yale College The Latino experience at Yale
Alex Garvin Architecture Urban planning in U.S. cities
Jacques Gauthier Peabody Museum, Geology & Geophysics Yale, the birthplace of American dinosaur paleontology
John Geanakoplos Economics Can the financial system be saved?
Gordon Geballe F&ES The environment in China; the American lawn
Marla Geha Astronomy, Physics Frontiers and controversies in astrophysics
David Gelernter Computer Science The future of computing; technology as art
Tamar Gendler Philosophy Five ancient secrets to happiness
Aaron Gerow East Asian Lang. & Lit., Film Studies Japanese cinema and culture
Mark Gerstein Computer Science, MB&B Bioinformatics; quantitative approaches to problems in molecular biology
Paul Gerwitz Law The law in China today
Susan Gibbons Library Yale’s libraries
Glenda Gilmore African-American Studies, History Southern politics; civil rights history
Steven Girvin Physics, Applied Physics Engineering at Yale
Jay Gitlin History The American West
William Goetzmann Management Emerging markets; art as an investment
Walter Goffart History Barbarian kingdoms; early Middle Ages; historical atlases
Harvey Goldblatt Slavic Lang. & Lit. Medieval Slavic philology and culture
Mary Helen Goldsmith MC&D Biology Biology of plants
Roberto González Echevarría Comparative Lit. Spanish and Latin American literature; Cuban baseball; Yale aviation
Sara Goodyear English Romantic and Victorian poetry
Bruce Gordon Divinity, History The Reformation
Joseph Gordon Yale College Admin Undergraduate education at Yale
Thomas Graedel F&ES, Engineering Industrial ecology
Ronald Gregg Film Studies Classical Hollywood; gay cinema
Zareena Grewal American Studies, Religious Studies Muslim life in America today
Frank Griffel Religious Studies Islam; Islamic fundamentalism
John Grim F&ES, Religious Studies Religion and ecology
Robert Grober Engineering Golf and Physics
Dimitri Gutas Arabic Studies Arabic and Islamic studies at Yale
Jacob Hacker Political Science American healthcare policy
Koichi Hamada Economics The international economic order; Japanese law and economics
Langdon Hammer English Writing daily themes at Yale
Valerie Hansen History Chinese archeology; Beijing in history
Clarence Hardy Divinity Black religious culture
Robert Harms African Studies, History Africa in the era of the slave trade
Peter Hawkins Divinity Dante; Old Testament poetry
James Hepokoski Music Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, then and now
Roy Herbst Medicine Yale at the forefront of treating cancer
Andrew Hill Anthropology Human evolution in its ecological context
Charles Hill Int’l Security Diplomacy; terrorism
Lisa Hodermarsky Art Gallery American prints and drawings
Josephine Hoh Ophthalmology Eyesight & environmental health
Jonathan Holloway African-American Studies, History Yale’s residential colleges
Robert Holzer Music Music of the Italian Baroque; the Second Viennese School
Laurence Horn Linguistics Linguistics; semantics
Gregory Huber Political Science Crime and punishment in modern America
Paul Hudak Computer Science Computer music
Pincelli Hull Geology & Geophysics Evolution and ecology of marine life
Roger Ibbotson Management Asset allocation after the financial crisis
Jeannette Ickovics Public Health AIDS research at Yale
Gerald Jaynes African-American Studies, Economics Black affluence, black poverty
Walter Jetz E&E Biology Conservation biology; biodiversity
Marcia Johnson Psychology Human memory; emotion and cognition
James Jones Athletics Update on Yale Basketball
Gilbert Joseph History Latin America; NAFTA; Mexico
Shelly Kagan Philosophy Ethical obligations; social and political philosophy
Edward Kamens East Asian Lang. & Lit. Japanese literature
Dean Karlan Economics Fighting global poverty
David Scott Kastan English Shakespeare; Renaissance literature
Alan Kazdin Medicine Aggression and antisocial behavior in children
Frank Keil Psychology Linguistics and cognition
Stephen Kellert F&ES Green architecture; green buildings at Yale
William Kelly Anthropology, East Asian Lang. & Lit. Japanese culture, society and sports
Paul Kennedy History American strategic power
Haig Keshishian Medicine, MC&D Biology The brain: a user’s guide
Bettyann Kevles History History of science; women in space
Daniel Kevles History History of science, technology and intellectural property
Kenneth Kidd Medicine, E&E Biology Genetics of human disorders
Benedict Kiernan International Studies, History Genocide in world history
Diana Kleiner Classics, History of Art Cleopatra; women in ancient Rome
Diane Krause Medicine Stem cell research
Judith Krauss Nursing Health policy, healthcare organizations
Anthony Kronman Law Have our universities given up on the meaning of life?
Roman Kuc Engineering Intelligent sensors; digital data
Sharon Kugler Chaplain’s Office Religious life at Yale
Douglas Kysar Law Climate change laws; law and the environment
Marianne LaFrance Psychology Why do women smile more than men?
Jaime Lara Divinity Christian art and architecture; early Christianity
Stephen Latham Political Science, Management Current issues in bioethics
Penelope Laurans English Yale’s residential colleges
Erin Lavik Engineering, Medicine Tissue engineering
Adria Lawrence Political Science Middle East politics
David Leffell Medicine Dermatology at Yale
Richard Lifton Medicine Genes, genomes and the future of medicine
Haifan Lin Medicine Stem cell research at Yale
Marshall Long Engineering, Applied Physics Laser diagnostic techniques; combustion
Ellen Lust Political Science Middle East politics
Thomas Lynch Cancer Center Curing Cancer: The Yale Vision
John MacKay Film Studies, Slavic Lang. & Lit. Russian culture through film
Colleen Manassa Egyptology Fiction in ancient Egypt
Lawrence Manley English Shakespeare; 16th- and 17th-century British literature
Steven Marans Medicine Child psychiatry; protecting children in society
Theodore Marmor Political Science, Management Healthcare policy in the U.S. and Canada
Vasileios Marinis Divinity Christian art and architecture of the Middle Ages
Thomas Masse Provost’s Office The arts at Yale
Susan Matheson Art Gallery, Classics Ancient art in Yale’s collections
John F. Matthews Classics, History Life and politics in the Roman Empire
Linda Mayes Medicine Child study at Yale
David Mayhew Political Science Congress; political parties; U.S. legislative behavior
Carolyn Mazure Medicine Women’s health research at Yale
J.D. McClatchy English The Yale Review; modern poetry
Drew McDermott Computer Science Artificial intelligence
Roderick McIntosh Anthropology African archaeology; illicit traffic in art and antiquities
Robert Mendelsohn F&ES, Economics Economics of climate change
John Merriman History Modern European history
Amy Meyers British Art Center British art at Yale
George Miles Library Yale’s Western Americana collections
Christopher Miller African-American Studies, French Studying French at Yale; literature of the slave trade
Mary Miller Yale College Yale College update
Alastair Minnis English Chaucer; medieval literature
Florencia Montagnini F&ES Tropical forests
Michael Morand OPAC New Haven-Yale partnership; New Haven urban renaissance
Thomas Murray Music Yale’s magnificent organs
Charles Musser American Studies, Film Studies Early American film
Barry Nalebuff Management Game theory; strategic thinking
Priyamvada Natarajan Astronomy, Physics Dark matter; how galaxies form
Thomas Near E&E Biology Fish; Peabody Museum’s ichthyology collections
Robert Nelson History of Art Medieval art
Julie Newman Office of Sustainability Sustainability at Yale
William Nordhaus F&ES, Economics Macroeconomics: employment, finance, business fluctuations, economic growth
Sherwin Nuland Medicine The art of aging
Ian Oliver Chaplain’s Office Religious life at Yale
Sharon Oster Management Strategy for nonprofits; economics of regulation and antitrust
Gene Outka Divinity Ethical dilemmas in modern society
Mark Pagani Geology & Geophysics Organic geochemistry
Joan Panetti Music What to listen for when listening to music
Jeffrey Park Geology & Geophysics Seismology and earthquakes
Annabel Patterson English 20th-century novels
Linda Pellico Nursing Creative teaching; refining powers of observation in nursing
Peter Perdue History China’s environmental crises through history
Charles Perrow Sociology Reducing our vulnerabilities to disasters
Linda Peterson English Nature writing; the Brontës
Brigitte Peucker Film Studies, German Films of Hitchcock, Fassbinder, Herzog
Steven Pincus History Origins of the British Empire
Stephen Pitti American Studies, History 20th-century California culture and history
Alan Plattus Architecture Architecture at Yale; urban design
Thomas Pollard Graduate School The Yale Graduate School today
James Ponet Chaplain’s Office Jewish life at Yale
William Porter Athletics Crew at Yale
Robert Post Law Teaching the law at Yale
Jeffrey Powell E&E Biology Conserving the Earth’s biodiversity
George Priest Law Insurance and public policy; regulation of industry
Richard Prum E&E Biology Birds; birds as living dinosaurs
Alec Purves Architecture Urban architecture
Anna Pyle Chemistry, MB&B Molecules that walk, shuffle and carry things around
David Quint Comparative Lit. Classical and Renaissance heroic poetry
Douglas Rae Management Urbanism; New Haven history
Ainissa Ramirez Engineering Smart materials; making science study exciting
Gustav Ranis Economics Global economic development
Claude Rawson English Swift, Fielding, other 18th-century authors
Nancy Redeker Nursing Studying nursing at Yale; sleep and sleep disorders
Tony Reno Athletics Football at Yale
Judith Resnik Law Federalism, courts, equality, citizenship
Jock Reynolds Art Gallery Art at Yale; collecting art
Joseph Roach Theater Studies, English Theater studies at Yale; European literary traditions
Stephen Roach Jackson Institute Global/Asian markets
Susan Rose-Ackerman Political Science, Law Corruption and accountability in government
Frances Rosenbluth Political Science Japanese politics
Willie Ruff Music Congregational line singing; Duke Ellington; jazz at Yale
Bruce Russett Political Science World politics; conflict resolution
Cynthia Russett History American 20th-century intellectual life; history of women
Mark Saltzman Engineering Biomedical engineering at Yale; designing replacement organs
Laurie Santos Psychology Sex, evolution and human nature; why people can be irrational
Lidia Santos Portuguese Modern Brazilian literature
Brian Scassellati Computer Science Intelligent robotics; machines with social skills
Alanna Schepartz MC&D Biology, Chemistry Emerging frontiers in chemical biology
Judith Schiff Library Yale history
Alicia Schmidt Camacho American Studies Immigration; Latinas in America
Oswald Schmitz F&ES, E&E Biology Population trends; community ecology
Brian Scholl Psychology Cognitive science; psychology and philosophy
Richard Schottenfeld Medicine Fighting drug and alcohol addictions
Vicki Schultz Law Employment discrimination law
Fiona Scott Morton Management Competitive business strategies
William Segraves Yale College Admin, MC&D Biology Reproductive biology; the sciences at Yale
David Sensabaugh Art Gallery Asian art in Yale’s collections
Ramamurti Shankar Physics, Applied Physics Einstein for the masses; physics at Yale
Zhong Shao Computer Science Introduction to programming
Ian Shapiro Macmillan Center International studies at Yale
Bennett & Sally Shaywitz Medicine Dyslexia and creativity
Catherine Sheehy Drama American comedy on stage and screen
Bruce Shields Opthalmology Glaucoma; artists’ vision
Robert Shiller Economics Risk management; income inequality
Helen Siu Anthropology Contemporary China
David Skelly F&ES, E&E Biology Ecology; environmental research at Yale
Richard Skolnik Public Health Global Health 101; nutrition in low-income countries
Michael Skonieczny Public Health Yale’s growing role in global public health
Ronald Smith F&ES, Geology & Geophysics The Earth’s atmosphere; weather
Steven Smith Political Science Lincoln’s statecraft and political thought
Mitchell Smooke Engineering, Applied Physics Fluid mechanics; combustion; calculus for engineers
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld Management Business leadership
Jonathan Spence History Chinese history
Dennis Spencer Medicine Studying medicine at Yale
John Bryan Starr Political Science Politics and public schools
Stephen Stearns E&E Biology Evolution, ecology and behavior
Joan Steitz MB&B Basic science’s impact on medicine
Thomas Steitz Chemistry, MB&B Biophysical chemistry
Robert Stepto African-American Studies, English American autobiographies; 20th-century poetry
Robert A.M. Stern Architecture Teaching architecture at Yale
Susan Stokes Political Science Latin American politics
Douglas Stone Physics, Applied Physics Thermodynamics; solid-state physics
Robert Storr Art Teaching art at Yale
Harry Stout History, Religious Studies The Civil War; Jonathan Edwards
Fred Strebeigh F&ES, English Nonfiction writing; the bicycle as a cultural force in China
Scott Strobel West Campus, Chemistry Yale’s West Campus
Lloyd Suttle Provost’s Office The Yale campus; campus planning
Peter Swenson Political Science Market Regulation in Capitalist Democracies
Norma Thompson Philosophy Rhetoric and political order
Adam Tooze History German history; 20th-century economic history
Emilie Townes Divinity Christian ethics; womanist theology
Angus Trumble British Art Center Collecting art
Mary Evelyn Tucker F&ES Religion and the environment
Karl Turekian Geophysics Global environmental change
Paul Turner E&E Biology How evolutionary biology unites the life sciences
Christopher Udry Economics Economic development in Africa
Meg Urry Physics Astronomy; black holes
Noël Valis Portuguese 19th- and 20th-century Spanish literature and culture
Kyle Vanderlick Engineering The future of engineering at Yale
Tomas Venclova Slavic Lang. & Lit. Russian, Polish and Lithuanian literature
Miroslav Volf Divinity Dialogue between culture and faith
Elisabeth Vrba Peabody Museum, Paleontology Paleontology and evolution
John Wargo F&ES, Political Science Creating environments that protect human dealth
Michael Warner American Studies, English History of reading and journalism; secularism in America
Ebonya Washington Economics Public finance, political economy
Laura Wexler American Studies, Women’s/Gender Studies Photography and images of social life
William Whobrey Yale College Admin, German Buxheim Library; contemporary Germany; Yale’s summer programs
Andre Willis Philosophy Hume; modern liberal philosophy of religion
Robert Wilson Divinity Biblical history
Anders Winroth History Medieval Europe; the Vikings
Jay Winter History Human rights; immigration; World War I
Craig Wright Music Music history; Mozart, J.S. Bach
Robert Wyman MC&D Biology Ethnic cleansing among chimpanzees
Ruth Yeazell English Henry James; relationships between literature and visual arts
Mimi Yiengpruksawan History of Art Buddhist art and iconography
Julie Zimmerman Engineering, F&ES Green chemistry, green engineering
Robert Zinn Astronomy Evolution of galaxies and stars

 

""