2020
John Cruickshank, Consul General of Canada in Chicago
Captain Beverley Bass, American Airlines’ first female captain
Lieutenant General Eric “Rick” Findley, RCAF, NORAD’s Director of Operations on September 11
Topic: Closing North American Skies – The People and Stories Behind Come From Away
Dr. Paul Salem, president, Middle East Institute
Topic: U.S. Interests and Policy in a Turbulent Middle East
Dr. Rex Archer, MD, MPH, Director of Health, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Andrew Azan, vice president, Health Care Practice, Aon
Dr. Michael Stellern, professor, Helzberg School of Management, Rockhurst University
Mary Sanchez, nationally syndicated columnist, moderator
Topic: The Emerging Impacts of the Coronavirus
Dr. Faisal Khan, CEO, Samuel U. Rodgers Health
Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor, University of Kansas Law School
Cody Wood, associate, Dentons Law Firm
Mary Sanchez, nationally syndicated columnist, moderator
Topic: Supplying and Sustaining a Prepared Public Health Infrastructure
Dr. Sarah Kessler, associate professor, University of Kansas Medical Center
Michael Tabman, former FBI Special Agent in Charge
Topic: Balancing Public Health and Privacy Concerns During a Pandemic Response
Marc Chandler, Chief Market Strategist, Bannockburn Global Forex
Topic: The Global Economy: What Can We Reasonably Expect?
Sam Brannen, senior fellow, International Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Daniel R. Mahanty, U.S. Program Director, Center for Civilians in Conflict
Lora Vogt, curator, Education, National WWI Museum and Memorial
Topic: International Cooperation in Responding to Crisis
Tamanna Salikuddin, director, South Asia programs, U.S. Institute of Peace
Topic: Conflict and Competition in South Asia
Geoffrey Gertz, fellow, Global Economy and Development program, Brookings Institution
Topic: Balancing Globalization and Self-Sufficiency Post-Covid
Karl Matthias Klause, head, Economic Section, German Embassy in Washington
Topic: Innovating Cooperation: Covid, Germany, and the U.S.
Michael Kimmage, professor of History, Catholic University of America
Vince Houghton, historian and curator, International Spy Museum
Jeffrey Gedmin, editor in chief, The American Interest
Topic: What Happened to the West? An Evolving Idea in American Foreign Policy
Ambassador Ron Kirk, former U.S. Trade Representative
Topic: Choices: Tariffs and Trade
Erik Brattberg, director, Europe Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Topic: Choices: The Transatlantic Relationship
Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, former U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, Egypt, the Philippines, and India
Topic: Choices: Peace in the Middle East
Melanie Nakagawa, head of climate initiative, Princeville Global
Topic: Choices: Energy, Environment, & Climate Change
Melissa Dalton, senior fellow and deputy director of the CSIS International Security Program (ISP), director of the Cooperative Defense Project
Topic: Choices: Military & Diplomacy
Richard Fontaine, CEO, Center for a New American Security
Topic: Choices: Great Power Competition: China, Russia, & the U.S.
Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Topic: Choices: Iran, North Korea, and Nuclear Proliferation
Oona A. Hathaway, Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School
Topic: Choices: American Leadership & Multilateralism
2021
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the United States
Topic: The Middle East from Kurdistan’s Perspective
Jeffrey Brown, head of technology policy, Bertelsmann Foundation
Topic: Covid, Technology, and the Future of Work
Jomana Qaddour, nonresident senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council
Topic: The Ripples of Syria
Secretary Chuck Hagel, 24th United States Secretary of Defense and former Nebraska senator
Topic: The Global Rebalance of Power
Gary Sick, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Middle East Institute
Topic: Persian Gulf Security Issues
Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment
Topic: Polarization in Democracy: A 2021 Global Landscape
Dr. Charlie Bankart, associate vice provost for international affairs, University of Kansas
Consul Alfonso Navarro Bernachi, head consul, Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City
Fang Shen, partner, Husch Blackwell
Carolyn Watley, vice president of community engagement, CBIZ
Topic: The World Is Here: International in Kansas City
Anita Dixon and Jake Wagner, authors of Kansas City’s UNESCO Creative City of Music application
Topic: Music and Diplomacy
J. Samuel Valenzuela, professor of sociology, University of Notre Dame
Topic: South America’s Political Patchwork
Daniel S. Hamilton, Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Distinguished Fellow, director of the Global Europe Program, Wilson Center
Topic: Brexit and the European Union
Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, senior associate and regional director for Central and West Africa, National Democratic Institute
Topic: Africa: The Road To and Through Democracy
Heather A. Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, CSIS
Topic: Struggles Over the Melting Arctic
Florindo Chivucute, founder and executive director, Friends of Angola (FoA)
Lina Benabdallah, assistant professor of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University
Topic: China’s Role in Africa
Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, Stanley J. Buckman Professor of International Studies and department chair, Rhodes College
Dr. Kanta Kumari Rigaud, lead adaptation specialist, World Bank
Lisa Palmer, National Geographic Professor of Science Communication, School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University
Topic: Toward 10.9 Billion: Challenges of Global Population Growth
Yaya J. Fanusie, adjunct senior fellow, Center for a New American Security
Topic: The Growing Influence of Cryptocurrency
Chung Min Lee, senior fellow, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Jenny Town, senior fellow and director, 38 North Program, Stimson Center
Topic: The Korean Peninsula
Dr. Ken Burton, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Coordinator
Topic: Nuancing National Security: Biological & Agricultural Security
HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S.
Topic: From Saudi Arabia’s Perspective
Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, adjunct professor of Security Studies, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service
Topic: Nuancing National Security: The 21st Century Military
Christopher Rendo, deputy consul general, U.S. Consulate in Belfast
Topic: A Kansas City Diplomat: Updates from Belfast
Mona Yacoubian, senior advisor on Syria, the Middle East and North Africa, United States Institute of Peace
Topic: Nuancing National Security: Diplomacy’s Role in National Security
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director, Transatlantic Security Program, Center for a New American Security
Topic: Nuancing National Security: Transnational Security Issues
George A. Lopez, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Topic: The Effectiveness of Economic Sanctions
Bob Kolasky, director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Risk Management Center
Topic: Nuancing National Security: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Resilience
Bob Cekuta, Ambassador, Republic of Azerbaijan
Topic: Nuancing National Security: Energy Security
David Dollar, Senior Fellow, John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings Institution
Topic: Great Decisions Lecture Series: The End of Globalization?
Brian Tronic, Counsel, Perseus Strategies
Topic: International Career Series: Human Rights Law
Dr. Andrea Hendricks, Senior Executive Director & Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer, Cerner
Kristina Perkin Davison, Founder, iEurope, New Europe Capital Partners LLC
Beth Ward, Senior Vice President- Supply Chain and Corporate officer, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: International Business
Dr. Karen Britt, Assistant Professor, Department of Fine and Performing Arts, Northwest Missouri State University
Topic: International Career Series: Art & Archeology
Cristina Ávila-Zesatti, Founder, Corresponsal de Paz
Daisy Sindelar, Vice President & Editor in Chief, RFE/RL
Vanessa Bassil, Founder/CEO, Media Association for Peace, Lebanon
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: Journalism
Deborah Sandler, General Director, Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Min Jung Kim, Director, St. Louis Art Museum
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: The Arts
Vedika Bhandarkar, CEO, Water.org
Maria Teresa “Teddy” Naluwu, Coordinator of Community Development, leads efforts of Unbound Kampala
Nithyasri Sharma, Manager of Strategy, Women’s World Banking
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: International NGO’s
Esther George, CEO, KC Fed
Allison Berey, Kansas City Consultant, Corporate Leadership
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: Finance & Economics
Guillermo Malpica Soto, Undersecretary of Industry & Commerce, Government of Puebla
Topic: Great Decisions Lecture Series: Global Supply Chains and National Security
Nicole Aandahl, Director of CSIS’s Diversity & Leadership in International Affairs Program
Anne- Louise Colgan, Director of Public Education at U.S. Institute of Peace
Sarah Staton, Ph.D – Deputy Director for the Science & Technology Cooperation, U.S. Department of State
Topic: Women in Global Leadership: Foreign Policy
Dr. Samira Asma, Assistant Director-General, Impact
Topic: Great Decisions Lecture Series: The Role of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic
Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador, European Union to the United States
Topic: Amb. Lambrinidis: From the European Union’s Perspective
2022
Jay Kim, Founder, DataLocker
Michael Volz, Associate Teaching Professor of Chinese, Missouri University
Tamara Medakov, Language Arts Student, University of Findlay
Topic: Is English the World’s Language
Frank J. Klimas, U.S. Air Force Officer, Assistant Professor, Department of Joint, Interagency, & Multinational Operations in U.S. Army
Topic: What’s Happening in Syria
Pritha Hariharan, International Program Director Asia & Africa, Unbound
Topic: International Career Series: NGO’s and Nonprofits
Janis Garisons, State Secretary, Latvian Ministry of Defense
Topic: Eastern Europe from Latvia’s Perspective: A Conversation with State Secretary Garisons of the Latvian Defense Ministry
Christopher Hum, Diplomatic Ambassador, Master of Gonville & Caius College Cambridge
Topic: Will China Rule the World?
Dr. Karenbeth Zacharias, Chair of Division of Humanities and Liberal Arts, Director of Lawrence D. Starr Center for Peace & Justice, University of Saint Mary
Topic: What’s Happening in Ethiopia?
Dr. Jiakun Jack Zhang, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Director of KU Trade War, Kansas University
Topic: What’s happening in the South China Sea?
José Antonio Dos Santos , Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Republic of Paraguay
Counselor Sebastian Ortiz, Head of Trade and Economic Affairs office, Embassy of Paraguay to United States
Topic: Doing Business with Paraguay: A Business Roundtable with the Paraguayan Ambassador to the United States
Gary Espinas, Senior Lecturer & Regional Program Lead, Institute for Security Governance DSCA
Topic: What’s Happening in Ukraine
Alyson Schroer, Corporate Compliance & Consulting Manager, The Scarbrough Group
Topic: International Career Series: Transportation and Logistics
Adriana Boersner-Herrera, PhD, Assistant Professor Political Science, University of South Carolina Aiken
Topic: What’s Happening in Venezuela?
Luis Guillermo Solís, 47th President of The Republic of Costa Rica
Yuan Wang, Fellow, Columbia-Harvard China
Robert S. Ross, Professor Political Science, Boston College
Min Ye, Associate Professor International Relations, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University
Topic: The Regional Impacts of China’s Belt and Road Initiative Symposium
Amir Hamja, Photographer, NYT, WSJ, Bloomberg news, etc.
Topic: Global Horizons- International Career Series: Photography
Seungkwon You, Director, Global Leadership Program and Asian Scholars Program, Asian Affairs Center
Topic: Global Horizons- Lexicon: Korean
Jennifer Owen, Artistic Director, Owen/Cox Dance Group
Heather Lowenstein, Founder, StoneLion Puppet
Topic: Global Horizons- Global Bridges Through Performing Arts
Mike Wuthrich, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Director, Center for Global and International Studies
Topic: What’s Happening in Turkey?
Spandita Malik, Visual Artist from India, Focus on global socio-political state of Affairs
Topic: International Career Series: Visual Arts
Amb. William B. Taylor, Vice President of Russia & Europe, U.S. Institute of Peace
Topic: What’s Happening in Russia?
Amb. Ebrahim Rasool, Former Distinguished Scholar, Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School for Foreign Services
Topic: What’s Happening in South Africa?
Emily Schultheis, Freelance Journalist and Fellow, Institute of Current World Affairs
Topic: What’s Happening in Germany?
Tamara Demuria, Head of Humanitarian Assistance, Corus International
Topic: The Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine
Amb. John C. Kornblum, Diplomat, U.S. and Europe
Topic: War in Europe: The European Perspective
Jay Sjerven, President emeritus, United Nations Association of Greater Kansas City
Topic: What’s Happening at the United Nations?
Hilary Renner, Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications on Cuba, U.S. Department of States
Topic: The Evolution of U.S Policy Toward Cuba
Thomas Alan Schwartz, Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States
Topic: War in Europe: The Old & New Cold Wars
Dr. Michael Makara, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Central Missouri
Topic: What’s Happening in Yemen?
Dr. Velikova, International Business & Economics Professor, Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business
Topic: War in Europe: The Russian Domestic & Economic Perspective
2023
Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, Partner, Praxis and Gnosis
Topic: What’s Happening in Nigeria?
Amb. John Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
Topic: Russia’s Full-Scale War on Ukraine – One Year In
Mona Yacoubian, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa Center at USIP
Topic: What Ever Happened to ISIS?
Minister Xu Xueyuan, Official Delegate, Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C.
Topic: Bilateral Relationship between the United States and China ahead of the 2023 U.S.-China Agricultural Summit
Sharon Valasek, Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Kansas City
Topic: What’s Happening in the Czech Republic
Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, Assistant Professor, United States Air Force Academy
Topic: International Perspectives of Women in the Military
Shay Foster, Co-Director, Love Haiti
Topic: What’s Happening in Haiti?
Noah Ross, Deputy Regional Security Officer for Protective Operations, U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Topic: What’s Happening in Iraq?
Zac Jarrard, Jarrard Consulting LLC
Topic: The Power of Games to Unleash Collaboration and Creativity at Work
Dr. Andrew Lownie, Professor, Ulster University
Topic: Stalin’s Englishman: Guy Burgess, the Cold War, and the Cambridge Spy Ring
Fahad Nazer, Official Spokesperson of the Saudi Arabian Embassy
Topic: What’s Happening in Saudi Arabia?
Steven Youngblood, Director, Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University
Topic: What’s Happening in Moldova?
Pedro Cabazes, Coordinator, The Central America Alliance Against Mining,
Karilyn Vides, El Salvador National Director, Companion Community Development Alternatives
Vicente Cuchillas, Professor, University of El Salvador
Topic: What’s Happening in El Salvador
Amb. David Young, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi
Topic: Diplomacy & Development: Insights on Malawi and Zambia
2024
Vlada Teper, Freelance Author
Topic: Voice Over War
Dr. Cynthia Watson & Robert “Bud” Cole, formerly of National War College
Topic: China: Inside & Out
Dr. Diego Gutierrez, Rockhurst University, former MLS Humanitarian Of The Year
Adam Lewis, Executive Fellow, Human Rights & Sustainability, KC2026
Dr. Gene T. Chavez, Author & Historian
Topic: Sports & Cross-Cultural Understanding
Amb. Justin Mohamed, Australia’s Ambassador For First Nations People
Topic: First Nations In Foreign Policy
Ian Evans, Program Officer, US State Dept Sports Envoy Program
Dr. Simon Darnell, Associate Professor, Sport for Development & Peace, University of Toronto
Sally Nnamani, Co-Executive Director, PeacePlayers International
Topic: Sports & Peacebuilding
Dr. Austin Bogina, Professor of Sport Management, University of Kansas, US Olympic Trialist (Marathon)
Mariya Dostzadah Goodbrake , Executive Director, Global FC
Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff, Author & Consultant
Topic: Sports & Social Justice
David Pruente, SVP, Strategic Partnerships, Kansas City Chamber Of Commerce
Erik Scott , KU Center For Russian, East European, & Slavic Studies
Dr. Fabiola Riobe, Vice President of Educational Innovation & Global Programming, Kansas City, Kansas Community College
Topic: Sports & Soft Power
Bill S.C. Huang,Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver, Colorado
Topic: U.S.-Taiwan Relations as the Taiwan Relations Act Turns 45
Travis Murphy, President/CEO, Jetr Global
Topic: To 2026 and Beyond: Rethinking U.S. Policy Toward Sports
Ted Craig,Senior Programs Advisor, State Department Counterterrorism Bureau
Topic: Pakistan & American Diplomacy
Jay Paxton, Chief of Public Affairs, NATO Allied Command Transformation
Topic: NATO at 75: An Update
Dr. Andrew Rhyne,Professor of Marine Biology at Roger Williams University
Vanda Felbab-Brown, Brookings Institute
Christopher Aldrich, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Topic: Science Meets Diplomacy: Illegal Wildlife Trade
Dr. Susan Lee, US Women’s Caucus
Elahe Amani, Women’s Intercultural Network
Dr. Karenbeth Zacharias, Director, Lawrence D. Starr Center for Peace & Justice, University of Saint Mary
Topic: Gender Equity On The World Stage
Manuel Marques Pereira, Head of Division for Migration, Environment, Climate Change and Risk Reduction, International Organization of Migration
Topic: Relocation & Climate Refugees
Colonel (Ret.) Matt Dimmick, European Program Manager, Spirit of America
Topic: Approaching 1000 Days: An Update On The Full Scale Invasion of Ukraine
Sally Bedell Smith, Journalist & Biographer
Topic: George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy
Shari L. Wilson, Teaching Ecologist, Project Central
Any Shields, Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Jorge Soberon, Director, University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute
Topic: Climate & Biodiversity
Robert Rebori, President & CEO, Bio-Microbics
Dominique Davison, Founder, Davison Architecture + Urban Design
Ryan Grobler, Founder & CEO, FridgeWize
Topic: Sustainability Across Industries
Dr. Elizabeth Haase, Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center
Topic: Climate Anxiety & Mental Health
Rachel Stroer, President, The Land Institute
Jason Humphrey, Vice President of Development, Evergy
Max Kaniger, Director, Founder & CEO, Kanbe’s Markets
Topic: Solutions And The Path Forward
2025
Patrick Jenevein, Chief Executive, Pointe Bello Research
Topic: Dancing with the Dragon: Cautionary Tales of the New China from an Old China Hand
Bander Almohammadi, UMKC School of Law
Topic: The SPS Agreement and Climate Change
Lt. Col Andrew Shealy, Instructor, U.S. Army Command & General Staff College
Dr. Alan Holiman,Professor of Political Science, William Jewell College
Topic: Regional Perspectives On The War In Ukraine
Ruth Daniel, CEO & Artistic Director, In Place Of War
Vlada Teper, Freelance Author
Brian McCarty, Executive Director: War Toys
Topic: The Arts & Conflict
Melissa Ferrer Civil, Poet Laureate of Kansas City, MO
Kemet Coleman, Musician & Founder of Vine Street Brewing
Heather Leowenstein, Artistic & Executive Director, StoneLion Puppet Theatre
Topic: International Travel Though An Artist’s Eyes
Jillian Carroll Letrinko, Sports Journalist
Dr. Diego Gutierrez, Rockhurst University
Christian Anderaos, Portuguese Broadcaster, KC Current & Professional Soccer Player, KC Comets
Topic: Global Game: Local Connections – Soccer in Kansas City
Nicholas Kralev, Washington International Diplomatic Academy
Topic: How US Diplomacy Lost Its Way and How To Fix It
Jenna Gibson, University of Chicago
Javier Leon, Director, Latin American Music Center at Indiana University
Ann Lena Ho, University of Pennsylvania
Topic: International Arts in the U.S. Mainstream
Capt. Robert Watts IV, NSCUCR
Topic: Dangerous Ground: A Naval Perspective on U.S.-China Relations
Khaled Elgindy, Georgetown University
Topic: The Gaza Catastrophe: What Next for Israel & Palestine?
MacKenzie Mallon, Provenance Specialist, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Amanda Chen, Archaeologist, Kansas City Art Institute
Topic: Art Provenance
Chris Whatley, Executive Director, HALO USA
Topic: Difference Makers: The HALO Trust
Sebastian Mallaby, Council for Foreign Relations
Topic: Artificial Intelligence: What’s Next?
Dr. Saadia Pekkanen, Gertrud Tamaki Endowed Professor, University of Washington
Patrick Finley, Director, Human Exploration and Operations Division, Office of International & Interagency Relations, NASA
Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Vice President of Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Space Foundation
Topic: Science Meets Diplomacy: International Cooperation in Space
Tom Crane, Founder, KKFI
Seyko Groves, Musician, The Freedom Affair
Topic: Diplomacy Through Music
Amb. Joseph Manso, former U.S. Permanent Representative, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Topic: Diplomacy and U.S. National Security
Amb. Frank Lavin, former White House Political Director
Topic: Inside The Reagan White House
Rachel Miner, founder and CEO, Bellwether International
Topic: Disrupting The Cycle Of Genocide
Reginald Black, International Parliamentary Scholarship Recipient, German Bundestag
Mansa Diallo, Gilman Scholar to Meknes, Morocco
Topic: Opportunities To Build Your Global Future
Ha-Joon Chang, Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge
Topic: Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World
Dr. Sirisha Naidu, Professor of Economics, University of Missouri – Kansas City
Dr. Martin Stack, Professor of Management, Rockhurst University
Dr. Jack Zhang, Director, KU Trade War Lab
Topic: A Global Economy Update: And What It Means for Kansas City