Upcoming Lectures:
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee presents:
Hill Harper, TV Actor and Iowa City Native
Date: February 25, 2026, 6:00 pm
Location: Richey Ballroom, IMU
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee & Late Night presents:
"Can We Talk?" with Penn Badgley and Dr. Nura Mowzoon
Date: March 5, 2026, 7:00 pm
Location: Main Lounge, IMU
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee presents:
Olympic Gymnast & Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez
Date: March 30, 2026, 6:30 pm
Location: International Ballroom, IMU
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee & Late Night presents:
Ryne Weiss: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Date: April 7, 2026, 5:30 pm
Location: Senate Chambers, Old Capitol
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee & the Dr. Foens Series presents:
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Date: April 22, 2026, 7:30 pm
Location: Englert Theatre
Lecture archive
Check out our archive of previously presented events and speakers
About the University Lecture Committee
For more than 100 years, The University of Iowa Lecture Committee has brought some of the world's great thinkers to the University of Iowa campus. Speakers have included an impressive roster of national and international figures in science, politics, business, human rights, law, and the arts. Each year the University hosts from 6 to 10 thought-provoking lectures. These events help enrich Iowa's academic environment and enhance its reputation as a prestigious Big Ten university.
Notable Donor: Cassandra Foens, M.D., F.A.C.R
More Than 10 Years of Bringing the World's Greatest Thinkers to the University of Iowa
On August 27, 2008, at the Englert Theater in downtown Iowa City, author Chuck Klosterman was ushered to the stage marking the inaugural event of the Cassandra S. Foens, M.D., Lecture Series. Before a standing room only audience, the University of Iowa Lecture Committee students proudly introduced the new series and the remarkable individual who made it possible.
What was originally envisioned as a program offering within the UI’s annual Week of Welcome, a week-long series of programs and events to welcome new and returning students for the start of a new academic year, the series has shifted to lectures that take place throughout the academic year. The series has hosted a diverse slate of speakers including author Margaret Atwood, Broadway star Leslie Odom, Jr., Doctors Without Borders physician Dr. Paul Farmer, talk show host Seth Myers, and legendary basketball star and author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Continue reading about the Dr. Cassandra Foens, M.D., F.A.C.R. Lecture Series.
Meet our members
