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.
Fall 2024 Schedule
Brown Mountain Nights! (Garrett Martin) with Dr. Dan Canton
Join us for a night of film, discussion, hiking, and brown mountain light hunting, all by the moon's light!
Tuesday, September 17 - 5:30 p.m. - Rain Date: Wednesday, September 18
IG Greer Auditorium
*Following the film and Q&A, we plan to take any interested students to Wiseman's View, allowing an opportunity to look for the lights and further immerse yourself in the mystery.
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Tim Crews, Perennial Agriculture for a Sustainable 21st Century
Thursday, October 24 - 6:00 p.m.
Watauga Agricultural Conference Center (252 Poplar Grove Road, Boone)
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Dave Wilkins, Apart & Akin: Indigenous Peoples and African Americans
- Similarities and Differences in Historical/Legal Experiences
Friday, November 8 - 11:00 a.m.
Plemmons Student Union, Room 169
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Dr. Kevin Uno, Climate Control: How we broke the Earth's thermostat and what to do next.
Friday, November 8 - 3:30 p.m.
IG Greer Auditorium
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Simon Gonzalez Velez and Carlos Enrique Lodono Sanchez, Jaguar - Colombian Film Festival
Thursday, November 21 - 5 p.m.
Plemmons Student Union, Greenbriar Theater
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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