UW to Host ‘Conversations on Democracy’ Lecture Series Across Wyoming

The University of Wyoming’s Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program and the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies will host the Conversations on Democracy Lecture Series this fall, bringing discussions of relevant global, national and statewide issues to UW and communities across Wyoming.

The series will feature UW faculty and expert guests exploring a variety of contemporary issues important to Wyoming and the nation.

“The Conversations on Democracy series provides an opportunity to bring thoughtful discussions about some of the most important issues facing our state, country and the world directly to communities across Wyoming,” says Jean Garrison, the Clyde E. and Jerrine N. Stewart Family Professor in Public Service and organizer of the lecture series. “We look forward to engaging with the broader public as well as school audiences around the state this fall and into the future.”

The first statewide event is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center’s Mineta-Simpson Institute Lecture Hall, 1519 Road 19, located off U.S. Highway 14 between Cody and Powell. The program, “Global Challenges in the Late 2020s: Patterns, Problems and Prospects,” will bring together experts to discuss contemporary global challenges and their implications for the United States and the world.

Participants include Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty, the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science at UW, who served for 27 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, including as U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso, with postings in the Middle East, Europe and Australia; Nevin Aiken, associate professor of political science and international studies, whose expertise focuses on identity, conflict and post-conflict peacebuilding; Garrison, whose expertise focuses on U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-China relations and energy security; and Aura Newlin, executive director of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, which oversees the Heart Mountain historic site, Interpretive Center and Mineta-Simpson Institute.

The series continues Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Laramie County Library’s Cottonwood Room, located at 2200 Pioneer Ave. in Cheyenne. The discussion will feature Dougherty; Garrison; Zoe Pearson, an associate professor of international studies and geography, whose expertise includes Latin America, natural resource politics and the international drug trade; and Thomas Seitz, an associate professor of international studies and political science, whose expertise includes East and Southeast Asia, democratization and U.S. foreign policy.

Additionally, there will be two events on the UW campus in November that focus on the upcoming midterm elections.

On Monday, Nov. 2, Howard Wolfson, the education program lead of Bloomberg Philanthropies, will discuss “My Career in Political Campaigns, as Deputy Mayor of NYC, and in Civic Education” from 12:10-1 p.m. in Arts and Sciences Building Room 139.

On Monday, Nov. 9, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the East Yellowstone Ballroom in the Wyoming Union, Andrew Garner, a professor of political science and head of the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; Ryan Williamson, an associate professor of political science; and Jim King, emeritus professor of political science, will participate in a panel discussion presenting key findings from UW’s 2026 Wyoming election-year survey. This discussion will highlight trends in voter behavior, turnout and issue priorities that shaped the election results. The panelists will discuss what the election outcomes mean for policy and politics over the next few years at both the state and national levels.

“We’re excited to support the Conversations on Democracy series and to be able to engage Wyoming communities and the campus in timely and relevant conversations with faculty from the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies and expert guests about contemporary global challenges and national issues and prospects for building a better future,” says Aiken, co-director of the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program.

All events are free and open to the public.

The series is sponsored by UW’s Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program; the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation; and local community partners. The Oct. 8 event is co-sponsored locally by the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center’s Mineta-Simpson Institute, while the Oct. 14 event is co-sponsored locally by the Laramie County Library.

For more information about the Conversations on Democracy Lecture Series, email wallop@uwyo.edu or visit www.uwyo.edu/wallop.