Tenth Anniversary Of Voyages Lecture Series To Kick Off At ECU | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post, Kelly Setzer, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

    The 10th anniversary of East Carolina University's Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series kicks off in September with speakers of internationally renowned and wide public interest.

    "Whether encountering a person or topic for the first time, or delving into a familiar subject more deeply, the Voyages lectures are events that engage our curiosity and touch our sense of wonder," said Dr. William M. Downs, dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. "All of the speakers in this year's series will challenge us to explore ideas that enlarge our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world."

    The season opens at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 with the Premier Lecture featuring Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and investigative reporter who broke the news about the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration. In this well-timed presidential election year, Woodward will discuss "The Age of the American Presidency."

    On Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., ECU will welcome Eboo Patel, a member of President Barack Obama's inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships, for the Religion and Culture Lecture. Patel will talk about how "Interfaith Leadership Can Save the World."

    Two events will follow in the spring. The Brewster History Lecture, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31, will feature Keith Wailoo on the topic of "Pain: A Political History." Wailoo, a history professor at Princeton University, is an award-winning author who has written on the topics of drugs and drug policy; race, science and health; and health policy and medical affairs in the U.S.

    The Thomas Harriot Lecture rounds out the 2016-17 series. In conjunction with the ECU School of Music, The Nile Project will present "Citizen Diplomacy & Transboundary Water Conflict" at 7 p.m. on April 6. One of the tightest, cross-cultural collaborations in history, the Nile Project Collective brings together artists from the 11 Nile basin countries, representing more than 400 million people, to make music that combines the rich diversity of the oldest places on Earth. Using music to spark cultural curiosity, the Nile Project engages musicians and audiences, challenging them to connect to the world's longest river and explore new approaches to its social, cultural and environmental problems.

    "This special anniversary season of the Voyages lecture series features speakers who are changing the world and who will inspire us to work together for a better future," said Dr. Jeffrey S. Johnson, professor of English and director of the lecture series.

    The Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series is made possible through contributions from Harriot College's Dean's Advancement Council, various university organizations and many friends and supporters. For more information, contact Johnson at (252)328-6378 or via email at johnsonj@ecu.edu. Additional information is available online at www.ecu.edu/voyages.

    Lectures for the 2016-17 season will be held in Wright Auditorium and are open to the public. Individual and season tickets are available by visiting www.ecu.edu/voyages/tickets.cfm or by calling the ECU Central Ticket Office at 1-800-ECU-ARTS. All lectures are free for ECU students. To receive a free ticket, ECU students must go to the ECU Central Ticket Office, located in Mendenhall Student Center, and present his or her ECU One Card. Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call (252)737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event.