University Forum Lecture Series

The University Forum Committee (UFC) is responsible for bringing external speakers to the campus of Appalachian State University.

The University Forum Lecture series is one of the longest-running such series at Appalachian State University and it provides opportunities for the students, faculty, and staff at the university and for people in the surrounding region to hear some of the most stimulating speakers in the country.

Spring 2025 Schedule

How to be a Working Artist

February 3, 3:30 pm
Greer, Room 111
401 Academy Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608
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February 5, 5:00 pm
Valborg Theater
480 Howard St
Boone, NC 28608
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Speaker: Keith Hamilton Cobb
Faculty member: Elizabeth Parks


Boone Docs Film Festival; documentary film-making and screening of “How to Sue the Klan”

February 21-22

Speaker: John Beder
Faculty member: Beth Davison


Cross-Board Literature in East Asia

Thursday, February 27 
DLLC Annual Symposium

Speakers: Yang Yi and Li Kotomi
Faculty member: Xiaofei Tu


Dr. April Baker-Bell

March 28, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Speaker: Dr. April Baker-Bell
Faculty member: Beth Carroll


Flourishing Futures? Children, Families, and Communities in the Polycrisis

April 3, 2025, 6:30-7:30
Reich College of Education, Rooms 124 A,B & C

151 College Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608
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Speaker: Joe Waters
Faculty member: Rhonda Russell

Join Joe Waters, Co-Founder and CEO of the think tank Capita, to discuss the interconnected crises shaping our world—what some have termed the "polycrisis." From climate disruption and demographic shifts to the widespread loss of meaning among young people, these challenges push us to cultural, social, and ecological tipping points. In particular, families face mounting pressures, including the rising costs of housing, child care, and health care, wage stagnation, and increasing loneliness and anxiety—all contributing to a growing sense of insecurity. This insecurity is manifesting, in part, in a trend away from having children as birth rates plunge worldwide.

In this lecture, Joe will explore some of the major transformations of our time—social, demographic, cultural, technological, environmental, and economic—and their profound implications for families and our communities. He will argue that true leadership lies not just in solving immediate problems but in asking the right questions and cultivating a deeper understanding of underlying trends. Rather than presenting ready-made solutions, Joe will discuss how we can craft comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches—bringing together business, civil society, and policymakers—to build a future where families and communities have every opportunity to flourish.


Perennial Agriculture for a Sustainable 21st Century

April 14-15, 6 pm
Watauga Agricultural Conference Center
252 Poplar Grove Rd
Boone, NC 28607
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Speaker: Tim Crews
Faculty member: Jay Bost


Colombia Filmmaker Event

April 17, 5:30 PM
Reich College of Education, Room 54
151 College Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608
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Speakers: Simón González Vélez and Carlos Enrique Lodoño Sánchez
Faculty member: Anneliese Maria Thomae Elias

This event is part of a film series, and will feature a film and speakers’ conversation with the audience.


Science Communication through Art with Climate Artist Jill Pelto

April 22, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Parkway Ballroom (420) PSU
263 Locust Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608
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Speaker: Jill Pelto
Faculty member: Laura England


University Forum Committee Mission

The mission of the University Forum Committee is to bring distinguished speakers to the campus of Appalachian State University for the purpose of enlightening and educating the university community about issues of interest. The goal of an active and engaging speaker series should be to promote the exchange of ideas through the process of civil discourse. Invited speakers play an integral role in the educational experience by exposing students, staff and faculty to new ideas, and they help advance the learning process by challenging people with new and perhaps controversial ideas. Exposure to such ideas helps to prepare students to be the leaders of tomorrow, to develop an awareness of the role that ideas play in a democratic society, and to think critically about issues of concern to themselves and society.

The committee also administers the External Scholars Grant Program. This program is designed to facilitate bringing in distinguished academics and scholars from across all fields of inquiry for the purpose of enhancing the scholarship and/or pedagogy of the faculty.

University Forum Committee 2024-25

Seth Grooms
Department of Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
groomssb@appstate.edu

Kristina Groover
Department of English
College of Arts and Sciences
grooverkk@appstate.edu

Katherine Ledford
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies 
College of Arts and Sciences
ledfordke@appstate.edu

Johnnie Lotesta
Department of Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences
lotestaja@appstate.edu

Jayjit Roy
Department of Economics
Walker College of Business
royj@appstate.edu

Susan Weidmann
Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education
Beaver College of Health Sciences
weidmannsg@appstate.edu

Juhee Woo
Department of Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences 
wooj@appstate.edu