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A recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, a winner of the Tony Award, and influential figures in science, business, and various other fields are among the presenters set to engage with the University of Georgia this semester as part of the university’s Signature Lecture Series.
Signature Lectures showcase speakers recognized on a national or international level for their extensive, interdisciplinary appeal and impactful bodies of work. Numerous lectures are financed by endowments, while others commemorate significant individuals and milestones in the university’s legacy. The lecture series is managed by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.
“UGA’s Signature Lecture Series consistently attracts esteemed artists, celebrated scientists, and thought leaders from diverse sectors to our campus,” stated Benjamin C. Ayers, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This semester’s lectures offer a unique chance for students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to learn from distinguished speakers across a broad array of fields.”
The fall 2025 Signature Lectures will feature:
Andrew T. Cathy, CEO, Chick-fil-A
Shoukry Leadership Speaker Series
Sept. 10, 10:20 a.m., University of Georgia Chapel
As the CEO of one of the largest family-operated businesses in the nation, Cathy is the third individual in the company’s history to occupy this position. He follows his father, current Chairman Dan T. Cathy, and his grandfather, Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. With vast experience that includes roles in Chick-fil-A restaurants and various support center positions, Cathy is a UGA alumnus who holds a bachelor’s degree in business education.
Sponsored by the Institute for Leadership Advancement, Terry College of Business.
Lea Salonga, Tony Award-winning Broadway performer
Sept. 10, 5 p.m., Ramsey Concert Hall, UGA Performing Arts Center
Salonga is internationally celebrated for her Tony Award-winning performance in “Miss Saigon.” In addition to the Tony, she has received the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World awards. Many fans will remember her as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” and “Mulan II.” For her contributions as these beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company honored her with the title of Disney Legend.
Supported by the UGA Performing Arts Center.
Eddie Opara, acclaimed graphic designer
Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m., M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, Georgia Museum of Art
Opara is a versatile designer and partner at Pentagram whose work integrates strategy, design, and technology. His award-winning endeavors span brand identity design, publications, packaging, environments, exhibitions, interactive installations, websites, user interfaces, and software, with many projects crossing various media.
Presented by the Georgia Museum of Art and the Lamar Dodd School of Art.
Mark Graber, Regents Professor at Francis King Carey School of Law, University of Maryland
Constitution Day at UGA Lecture
Sept. 19, 2 p.m., University of Georgia Chapel
Renowned nationally for his expertise in constitutional law and politics, Graber is the author of “A New Introduction to American Constitutionalism,” “Dred Scott and the Problem of Constitutional Evil,” and “Punish Treason, Reward Loyalty,” among other significant works. He has co-edited major constitutional law casebooks and published over 100 articles in top-tier law and political science journals.
Sponsored by the School of Public and International Affairs.
Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist
Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, professor and director, UGA Center for Food Safety
Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Lecture and Food, Power, and Politics Lecture
Sept. 23, 6 p.m., UGA Special Collections Building, Room 285
Blum, the acclaimed author of “The Poisoner’s Handbook” and “The Poison Squad,” is renowned for her writings on chemistry, toxicology, and the presence of poisons in our daily lives and history. Diez-Gonzalez directs the Center for Food Safety and teaches in the department of food science and technology at UGA.
Supported by UGA Libraries, the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.
Teresa Amabile, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor, Harvard Business School
2025 Annual Torrance Lecture
Oct. 2, 4 p.m., University of Georgia Chapel
Amabile is an internationally recognized researcher, author, speaker, and emerita professor at Harvard Business School, well-known for her groundbreaking studies on creativity, everyday work experiences, and retirement. Her 45-year research agenda on how the work environment can affect creativity and motivation has resulted in a theory of creativity and innovation; frameworks for assessing creativity, motivation, and the work environment; and recommendations for fostering and sustaining innovation.
Sponsored by the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development.
Tom Johnson, former CEO of Los Angeles Times and CNN
Oct. 29, 4 p.m., UGA Special Collections Building Auditorium
Before his role as CEO of The Los Angeles Times and CNN, Johnson was selected for the inaugural class of White House Fellows and later served as assistant press secretary under Bill Moyers. He also worked as an aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. A UGA alumnus, he has received numerous accolades, such as the Horatio Alger Award, Ten Outstanding Young Americans, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Paul White Award, and the John Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award from the White House Fellows for his lifetime contributions to public service. His latest publication is “Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN,” with a foreword by Judy Woodruff.
Supported by the University of Georgia Press, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and The Red & Black.
Edward Hirsch and Robin Coste Lewis, globally recognized poets
Nov. 4, 5:30 p.m., University of Georgia Chapel
UGA Poetry Festival Keynote Event
A MacArthur Fellow, Hirsch has authored 10 poetry collections, including “Gabriel: A Poem” and “Stranger by Night.” His eight prose works include “How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry” and “The Heart of American Poetry.” His latest book is the memoir “My Childhood in Pieces.” He has received various awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pablo Neruda Presidential Medal of Honor, and the National Jewish Book Award. He has been the president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation since 2003.
Lewis earned the National Book Award for “Voyage of the Sable Venus,” a title recognized by the online magazine Literary Hub as one of the best books of the past two decades. Lewis is a former professor who has made substantial contributions to the literary field.
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The poet laureate of Los Angeles, her works have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. Lewis serves as a professor of poetry and poetics at the University of Southern California.
Presented by the Georgia Review and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.
Cori Bargmann, Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Rockefeller University
Hope Ritter Lecture in Cellular Biology
Nov. 11, 5 p.m., Cedar Street Building C (Chemistry), Room 430
A globally recognized neurobiologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences, Bargmann is celebrated for her research on the genetic and neural circuit frameworks of behavior, especially the mechanisms of olfaction in the worm C. elegans. In 2014, she was appointed to lead President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative and acted as the head of science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative from 2016 to 2022. Bargmann received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from UGA. During her doctoral studies at MIT, she explored the molecular processes of oncogenesis and contributed to identifying the function of Ras in bladder cancer. Although her research’s significance was questioned at the time, it eventually paved the way for important treatments for breast cancer.
Presented by the department of cellular biology.
Allison Ausband, executive vice president and chief people officer, Delta Air Lines
Mason Public Leadership Lecture
Nov. 12, 10:20 a.m., University of Georgia Chapel
In her role as executive vice president and chief people officer at Delta Air Lines, Ausband ensures that the company’s 100,000 employees feel appreciated, supported, and empowered. She oversees various aspects, from recruitment and career advancement to compensation and benefits, helping to define Delta’s people-first ethos.
Presented by the Institute for Leadership Advancement.
Raj Khosla, incoming Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University
D.W. Brooks Lecture
Nov. 13, 3:30 p.m., University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, Masters Hall
Khosla has been pivotal in the field of precision agriculture since its early days, making substantial advancements in its evolution and global acceptance. He is the founder and former president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture. Khosla’s investigations concentrate on utilizing spatial and temporal variability in managed agro-ecosystems to refine decision-making. Presently, he is co-leading multi-state, multi-year, federally funded initiatives to devise and assess next-generation sensors and innovative AI algorithms aimed at enhancing water and nitrogen efficiency in irrigated systems.
Presented by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Hanna Pylväinen, finalist for the National Book Award in fiction
Dec. 2, 6 p.m., Ramsey Hall, UGA Performing Arts Center
Pylväinen has penned the novels “We Sinners,” recognized with the Whiting Award and the Balcones Fiction Prize, and “The End of Drum-Time,” a contender for the 2023 National Book Award in fiction. Her writings have appeared in Harper’s, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and The Wall Street Journal. She currently teaches at the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers.
Presented by The Georgia Review and the UGA Performing Arts Center.
All Signature Lectures are complimentary and accessible to the public. Some lectures have limited seating, requiring registration.
Requests for accommodations for individuals with disabilities should be made as soon as possible and no later than seven days before the scheduled lecture. To request an accommodation, please reach out to the event contact. Event contacts are listed here.
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