CALS Speaker Series

CALS Speaker Series

The CALS Speaker Series aims to bring in distinguished guest speakers to provide our community with insightful perspectives on a variety of topics. All presentations are free and open to the public. 

Past speakers

• James Morrissey, research lead for Oxfam America
  Topic: Dignity and freedom without poverty: Why Oxfam works the way it does and where to from here?
• Johan Swinnen, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and managing director, systems transformation, CGIAR 
  Topic: Global food security in CCC (conflict, climate, COVID) times
• Scott Hutchins, USDA deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics 
  Topic: Igniting agricultural innovation
• Tom Tomich, founding director of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at University of California, Davis 
  Topic: Global food security and sustainability: Food system disruptors and opportunities
• Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum 
  Topic: Out of many, one: A defining moment for American immigration
• Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and autism spokesperson 
  Topic: Educating different kinds of minds
• Cliff Ohmart, retired senior scientist with SureHarvest
• Alison Van Eenennaam, USDA NRSP-8 Cattle Genome coordinator 
  Shelley McGuire, director, Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences 
  Topic: Food evolution
• Randy Olson, a scientist-turned-filmmaker 
  Topic: ABT framework: The communications tool science has been needing
• Cathy Kling, Charles F. Curtis distinguished professor of economics at Iowa State University 
  Topic: Improving water quality: Are economics and the environment always at odds?
• Sonny Ramaswamy, director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture 
  Topic: Innovations for 21st Century Food Systems
• Cara L. Santa Maria, M.S., science communicator and journalist 
  Fred Gould, distinguished university professor, North Carolina State University 
  Topic: What’s for dinner? A guide to understanding GMOs

Visit the CALS Speaker Series playlist to view past presentations.