WUD Distinguished Lecture Series

09/17/2024

Join us as we introduce the Distinguished Lecture Series, our exec team, and our first speaker of the year!

Our kickoff meeting will be Wednesday, Sep 19th at 6pm in Memorial Union, Langdon Room (4th floor). Subsequent meetings will continue to be every Wednesday at 6pm at Memorial Union (Check TITU for the room!).

12/15/2023

Jason Stanley | December 14th, 2023

Thanks to all everyone who came out to our Q&A with It was enlightening to hear his intellectual views on propaganda, fascism, language, and how they all shape our current culture. We also wanted to shout out Prof. Mary McCoy for an amazing job moderating and the audience for their incredibly thoughtful questions. We're truly appreciative for Dr. Jason Stanley's thought-provoking insights and exuberant presence!

04/14/2023

Our lecture with Esmé Weijun Wang on breaking the stigma around mental health is only a few days away!

As if that wasn't enough, attendees will have the chance to win one of 20 copies of "The Border in Paradise", with the opportunity to get their book signed by the author at our book signing after the lecture.

A Room of One's Own Bookstore will also have copies available to purchase that you can get signed as well. You don't want to miss out on this amazing opportunity! It'll be a night to remember and we can't wait to see you there! ❤️

04/03/2023

We are thrilled to announce that Esmé Weijun Wang will be our final speaker for this years Boundary Breakers and Shakers main series! 🎉

Esmé Weijun Wang is the author of the New York Times-bestselling essay collection The Collected Schizophrenias and the novel The Border of Paradise, which was one of NPR's Best Books of 2016. She won the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize (2016), was named by Granta as one of the “Best of Young American Novelists” in their decennial list (2017), received a 2018 Whiting Award, and was anthologized in Best American Short Stories 2018. Born in the Midwest to Taiwanese parents, Esmé lives in San Francisco. She is the founder of The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy for ambitious writers living with limitations, and can be found at esmewang.com

Join us for "An Evening with Esmé Weijun Wang Success Redefined: Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health on Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in Gordon Dining and Events Center. The one-hour lecture and 30-minute Q&A session is free and open to students, staff, and the public. This is an in-person event with a book signing of her award winning novel "The Border of Paradise" following the event from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

03/06/2023

***In-person tickets are SOLD OUT. Livestream registration will be available on March 8th at 10AM! Find more information on our event page below!***

UPDATE: In-person tickets are SOLD OUT.

🚨 Students, keep your eyes peeled and your .edu inbox refreshed for your exclusive promo code. 💌

Free student presale tickets for “An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall: Inspiring Hope Through Action” will 𝗴𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝗮.𝗺.!

Join WUD Distinguished Lecture Series Committee in welcoming Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of the Peace, world-renowned ethologist and conservationist to campus on March 26 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall: union.wisc.edu/goodall.

📷: Stuart Clarke

10/04/2022

🚨🚨🚨Scott Kelly is TODAY! Come meet us at Shannon Hall from 7:00-8:30pm in Memorial Union for a lecture and Q&A with the US Spacetime record holder! Admission is free, open to the public, and tickets are NOT needed. Doors open at 6:30pm! 🚨🚨🚨

04/09/2022

🎉 Get ready for our final speaker of the year!

Join WUD DLS for Let's Talk Climate Change, A Conversation with Bill Nye on Monday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. The one-hour conversation is open and FREE to both students and the public, and will end with a 30-minute Q&A. This is an in-person event with a livestream option available for those who cannot attend.

Registration is required! Click on the link in bio to register!

03/29/2022

THIS THURSDAY! RSVP TODAY! tiny.cc/helen-zia

📣 On occasion of Women's History Month x APIDA Heritage Month, LGBTQ+ and Asian-American Activist, Journalist, and Feminist Helen Zia will be speaking at Union South on March 31st, 2022! Zia is considered an important figure in the Asian-American movement, and was in Princeton University's first graduating class of women. She is featured in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Who Killed Vincent Chin? and was profiled in the PBS series, Becoming American: The Chinese Experience.

RSVP link in bio!

03/09/2022

📣 On occasion of Women's History Month x APIDA Heritage Month, LGBTQ+ and Asian-American Activist, Journalist, and Feminist Helen Zia will be speaking at Union South on March 31st, 2022! Zia is considered an important figure in the Asian-American movement, and was in Princeton University's first graduating class of women. She is featured in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Who Killed Vincent Chin? and was profiled in the PBS series, Becoming American: The Chinese Experience.

RSVP link in bio!

02/20/2022

Ruth E. Carter (Academy Award Winning Costume Designer of Black Panther) will be speaking on 27th February, 2022 at Union South! RSVP at tiny.cc/ruth-e-carter or link in bio!

02/01/2022

We’re excited to announce our first speaker of the semester, activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning on February 17 from 7-8:30pm! This is a free ticketed event so grab your tickets by either scanning the QR code in the image or clicking this link: tiny.cc/chelsea-manning!

01/12/2022

DLS is looking for an Associate Director for Spring 2022! If you are interested in graphic design, then this is the position for you! Apply today at the link below, applications are rolling!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6aT8X04VTdqYQTPRhgG26_iQyf8ol0dumOOW579Ft8aUTfw/viewform

12/23/2021

Time for another throwback! Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting Lakota Harden, a respected, award-winning indigenous community leader who has played a role in Native American struggles for the past four decades. The talk, named “We Are the Land!”, was a very insightful discussion about the preservation of indigenous values and culture. A big thanks to for introducing our speaker! The talk was followed by a Q&A, and we had a great time learning about the indigenous experience.

12/15/2021

A quick look back to our November event in collaboration with , where Dr. Reuben Miller spoke about incarceration, reintegration, and the unique challenges that individuals face both during and after their sentences. The moderated discussion was followed by a reception and book signing of Dr. Miller’s book, “Halfway Home: Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration.” We loved getting to know him over the course of the night!

11/18/2021

REMINDER: Tonight is the lecture! If you plan to attend, PLEASE RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeic-9XOwSd4fsNpYBGGW7rx-_sGFzfZqvwgdiX62l0PiT6YQ/viewform

If you missed the movie and would like access to stream Warrior Women, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBChJPxkuYVkLAkSgQqE7V3sFf74nvhHAQMZp4Vk7PhLO5LA/viewform

11/16/2021

We’re excited to announce 2 upcoming events in celebration of Native November!

First, join us at Union South’s Marquee Cinema on November 17th from 6:30-7:30PM for a showing of “Warrior Women.” This film describes and illustrates the story of mothers and daughters fighting for Native American rights during the 1970’s.

Then, make sure to head over to Union South’s Varsity Hall on November 18th from 7-8:30 PM for Lakota Harden’s talk, “We Are the Land!” Harden, a highly respected organizer, community leader, and elder, has played a key role in Native American struggles for the past four decades. Harden will be speaking and answering questions on the importance of rediscovering and preserving indigenous culture and values in the modern day world.

See you all there!

11/03/2021

Mark your calendars! We're excited to announce that our second speaker of the year is Dr. Reuben Miller! Dr. Miller, a sociologist and professor at University of Chicago, will be coming to Shannon Hall to talk about his new book "Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Incarceration"! The book discusses the lifelong burden that even a single arrest can put on the lives of those who have been incarcerated, their families, and their communities.

Get your free tickets at the link in our bio! 🎟 This event can also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel!

11/03/2021

Mark your calendars! We're excited to
announce that our second speaker of the
year is Dr. Reuben Miller! Dr. Miller, a
sociologist and professor at University of
Chicago, will be coming to Shannon Hall
to talk about his new book "Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Incarceration"! The book discusses the lifelong burden that even a single arrest can put on the lives of those who have been incarcerated, their families, and their communities.

11/02/2021

Flashback to a few weeks ago when we welcomed Scott Dikkers to Shannon Hall! Dikkers spoke about what it was like being a founding editor of the Onion, and how the satirical newspaper has grown into what it is today.

10/11/2021

REMINDER THAT THIS IS TONIGHT (Oct 11) at 7:30PM! Admission is free and open to all!

We’re proud to announce our first speaker of the year: Scott Dikkers, a founding editor of satirical news website The Onion!

During his lecture “The Funny Story Behind Funny Stories,” Dikkers will share his story of building a world-renowned brand with almost no marketing budget and developing a creative culture of brutal honesty and freedom.

See you all on Monday October 11th, at 7:30PM (doors OPEN at 7:00PM) @ Shannon Hall (Memorial Union)!

10/05/2021

We’re proud to announce our first speaker of the year: Scott Dikkers, a founding editor of satirical news website The Onion!

During his lecture “The Funny Story Behind Funny Stories,” Dikkers will share his story of building a world-renowned brand with almost no marketing budget and developing a creative culture of brutal honesty and freedom.

See you all on Monday October 11th, at 7:30PM (doors OPEN at 7:00PM) @ Shannon Hall (Memorial Union)!

05/11/2021

📣 Applications for WUD DLS Associate Directors are now open!

Join us and get a wonderful opportunity to gain leadership skills, resume bullet points, friendships, compensation and a chance to improve the UW Madison community!

We have three positions available (AD of events, AD of marketing and AD of member development and recruitment)!

Click on the link below! Due May 14th (this Friday!) 📣

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfw7yxtT45Ycpc9vg0NnEGWY7DVnoV_1q6LIowiKJ59PlhYcg/viewform

05/11/2021

Applications for WUD DLS Associate Directors are now open! 📣

Join us and get a wonderful opportunity to gain leadership skills, resume bullet points, friendships, compensation and a chance to improve the UW Madison community!

We have three positions available (AD of Events, AD of Marketing and AD of Member Development and Recruitment)!

Click on the link below! 📣

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfw7yxtT45Ycpc9vg0NnEGWY7DVnoV_1q6LIowiKJ59PlhYcg/viewform

04/07/2021

Tonight! Join us for our last event of the semester, "Music, Art and Poetry: A Conversation with Noname"! She'll be discussion social justice work, her book club and addressing racism in the music industry.

This free, virtual event will start at 7pm tonight. Only UW students, staff, and faculty, and those with valid wisc.edu address will be able to register and attend. Please note that this lecture will not be recorded and put on our Box page. To make sure you get the stream link, be sure to register here: https://go.wisc.edu/5k76y5

This event is put on as part of WUD Publications Lit Fest, going on this week until Friday! "Music, Art and Poetry: A Conversation with Noname" is put on by WUD Publications, WUD DLS, WUD Music, WUD Performing Arts Committee, The Black Voice, and UW-Madison Arts on Campus.

Leading up to the event tonight, listen to some of Noname's music in this medley performance from her album "Room 25" that she did for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!

Poet and recording artist Noname performs a medley of songs from her debut album 'Room 25.'Subscribe To "The Late Show" Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/ColbertYo...

04/03/2021

Get excited for WUD Publications' Lit Fest next week! On Wednesday, we'll be collaborating with them, WUD Music, WUD Performing Arts Committee, The Black Voice, and UW-Madison Arts on Campus for a very exciting event with rapper and poet Noname!

Please join us and these amazing organizations for "Music, Art, and Poetry: A Conversation with Noname" on Wednesday, April 7th at 7pm! Only UW students, staff, and faculty, and those with valid wisc.edu address will be able to register and attend. Please note that this lecture will not be recorded and put on our Box page. To make sure you get the stream link the day of the event, be sure to register here: https://go.wisc.edu/5k76y5

Registering the event gives you the chance to receive a FREE copy of Citizen by Claudia Rankine. WUD Publications be giving away 50 copies of this book! Additionally, you will also have a chance to enter a giveaway for baskets sponsored by local businesses around Madison (Red Square Flowers, Green Life Trading Co., and Community Pharmacy, and more!)

04/02/2021

Have you ever wanted to ask an influential person questions about issues important to you? Is there a particular person who you'd love to see come to campus?

The WUD Distinguished Lecture Series is currently seeking nominations for speakers for the 2021-2022 school year and we want YOUR help!

Let us know who you want to speak on campus through our nominations process! To submit a potential speaker, fill out our nominations form here: https://go.wisc.edu/g4g642

Selected speakers will:
- Be current residents of the United States
- Be distinguished and knowledgeable in their fields
(they don’t have to be academics!)
- Discuss topics of interest and importance to the
students and community of UW-Madison
- Challenge mindsets

Past speakers have included Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rebecca Skloot, Nyle DiMarco, and Ben Crump. We even booked Bill Nye for the Spring 2020 semester! A full list of our past speakers can be found here: https://go.wisc.edu/3rps7s

Thank you for supporting DLS and our commitment to challenging mindsets!