Freedom of Expression, Intellectual Freedom, and Constructive Dialogue Speaker Series
2025-2026 Speakers
Alice Dreger
- Oct 15+16, 2025 (talk times and locations coming soon)
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Oct 28+29, 2025 (talk times and locations coming soon)
Past Speakers
Oct 15+16, 2025 (talk times and locations coming soon)
Alice Dreger holds a Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science from Indiana University and her work has focused on the epistemology of democracy. She is the Managing Editor at Heterodox Academy and the author of Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex and Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and One Scholar's Search for Justice. Dreger is a frequent keynote speaker on academic freedom, medicine, and the humanities, and her bylines include the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and WIRED.
Dr. Dreger's talk will be free and open to the public. Those who can't make it in person can check back here for the livestream link.
Oct 28+29, 2025 (talk times and locations coming soon)
Simon Cullen is Visiting Research Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Civil Discourse at UNC Chapel Hill's School of Civic Life and Leadership and a Faculty Research Fellow at Heterodox Academy's Segal Center for Academic Pluralism. Cullen's research uses tools from cognitive science, computer science, and philosophy to improve how we reason and communicate. Many of Cullen's projects involve experiments in argument visualization, market-based discussion moderation, and AI-scaffolded discussion facilitation. Cullen experimentally tests AI applications to enhance group reasoning, depolarize political debate, and foster open inquiry and intellectual independence on campus and beyond.
Dr. Cullen's talk will be free and open to the public. Those who can't make it in person can check back here for the livestream link. Dr. Cullen's campus visit will also include meetings with students and faculty members in small workshop settings.
Past Speakers
Nadine Strossen
“Does Free Speech Help or Hurt Civil Rights Movements?”
Nadine Strossen gave a talk entitled “Does Free Speech Help or Hurt Civil Rights Movements?” on Tues, Feb. 25 at 5:30pm in the Agriculture Auditorium. Strossen is John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law, Emerita, New York Law School, former president of the ACLU, and the author of HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship (2018) and Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know® (2023). Strossen’s visit is brought to us by the UW chapter of Heterodox Academy, with additional support from the Office of the President, and was free and open to the public. Strossen's books will be available for sale at the University Store and at the reception.
Martín Carcasson
"Tackling Wicked Problems through Deliberative Engagement: How to Engage Diverse Perspectives and Elevate our Conversations in Hyper-Partisan Times"
Martín Carcasson presented his work on dialogue and deliberation to tackle wicked problems on Monday, March 10, and Tuesday, March 11, 2025. His presentation, "Tackling Wicked Problems through Deliberative Engagement: How to Engage Diverse Perspectives and Elevate our Conversations in Hyper-Partisan Times," took place in the Student Union West Ballroom on March 10 at 5:30 p.m. Carcasson, a Professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University and the founding director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, shared insights from his research, which focuses on helping local communities address “wicked problems” more productively through improved public communication, community problem-solving, and collaborative decision-making.
The day after his presentation, on March 11, Carcasson offered three participatory workshops for faculty, staff, and students to practice collaborative dialogue techniques. All of these sessions took place in the Student Union West Ballroom.
Carcasson’s visit was sponsored by the student organization BridgeUWYO, the Service, Leadership, and Community Engagement (SLCE) Office, the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program, and the Office of the President.
Paul Steinhardt
“The Great Debate 2025: How the Universe Came to Be”
Paul Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science at Princeton University, delivered his presentation “The Great Debate 2025: How the Universe Came to Be” on Friday, April 25, at 4 p.m. in Classroom Building 129. A reception with food and drinks followed the talk. Both events were free and open to the public.
Guests or members of the public who attended university-sponsored events and programs and required disability accommodations were encouraged to reach out to principles@uwyo.ed. Note: The linked video is an interview with Steinhardt rather than a recording of the actual talk given.
