Tuesday 2026 Schedule
9:30 AM - 10:40 AM:
From Earth to Expression: Using Nature as Material and Inspiration
Description:
Explore how artists use the environment physically, symbolically and emotionally to create work that reflects our relationship with the planet.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 4
Speakers:
Asher Jay
Nathalie Latham
Nalini Nadkarni
Power, Protest and the Digital Battlefield
Description:
How can activists harness digital tools to resist oppression and drive meaningful, lasting change?
Location: Limelight Flatiron 2
Speakers:
Srdja Popovic
John Heffernan
Aboubakr Jamai Berraoui
Elena Gaby
Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Creating Opportunity for All
Description:
A discussion about what the workplace is like today for neurodiverse adults.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 3
Speakers:
Dr. Kerry Magro
Ty Tashiro
Laura I Harder
150th: Generations of CWA: How One Professor’s Big Idea Became a Boulder Tradition
Description:
Howard Higman’s original vision shaped generations and helped CWA grow into one of CU Boulder’s most enduring and influential traditions.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 1
Speakers:
Coming soon!
11:00 AM - 12:10 PM:
Show Me the Money: The Business of Sports
Description:
From college athletes cashing in on their names to the sports betting gold rush, how the sports world is transforming.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 2
Speakers:
Marco Messina
Carl Quintanilla
Diana Moss
Into the Unknown: How Risk, Discovery and Storytelling Bring Science to Life
Description:
From remote field sites to unexpected breakthroughs, these stories reveal the human experiences that turn data into understanding.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 4
Constitutional Crisis: The Presidency and the Rule of Law
Description:
The current administration is stretching the Constitutional limits of presidential authority. Can our government maintain the balance of power?
Location: Limelight Flatiron 1
Speakers:
Joshua A. Levy
Patrick J. Deneen
Joe Cirincione
Lorraine Voles
Seeing Story through the Lens of Oscar-winning Director Charles Burnett
Description:
We spotlight the filmmaking vision and cultural impact of Charles Burnett.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 3
Speakers:
Maya S. Cade
12:30 PM - 1:40 PM:
150th: Out of this World: A History of Space Exploration at CU Boulder
Description:
Trace our role in space exploration and celebrate the people who turned curiosity into discovery—and shaped our understanding of the cosmos.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 2
Speakers:
Coming soon!
Satire as Resistance: The Molly Ivins Tribute
Description:
Tribute to Molly Ivins spirit of "Raise Hell, Fight Hard, Have Fun!" using humor to raise awareness of complex issues and maintain sanity.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 1
2:00 PM - 3:10 PM:
Pop Girlies are Singing what Gen Z is Feeling
Description:
A fear of rejection as vocalized in today's pop music.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 3
Extra, Extra, Read all About It: Do Billionaires Controls the News?
Description:
As billionaires buy out newsrooms and audiences scroll past headlines, journalism is being reshaped from the inside out.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 2
Speakers:
Carl Quintanilla
Carine Hajjar
Laura Lindenfeld
Diana Moss
You’re Saying There’s a Chance: Building a Brighter Future for the World
Description:
What can the human race do to save ourselves from war, climate change, population decline and AI?
Location: Limelight Flatiron 1
Speakers:
Kevin Kuruc
Scott Sherman
Azadeh Khalili
Innovation at Risk: How Science Funding Cuts are Impacting Progress and Research
Description:
What is the impact of federal science funding cuts and how should the international and private sector respond?
Location: Limelight Flatiron 4
Speakers:
Roger Pielke
Ling Xin
János ZoltánCsák
3:30 PM - 4:40 PM:
How to Lose a Democracy in 10 Days
Description:
An analysis of the processes enabling global democratic backsliding, modern authoritarianism and what can be done to stop it.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 2
Speakers:
Srdja Popovic
John Heffernan
Ellen Weintraub
Joshua A. Levy
From Imposter Syndrome to Shattering the Glass Ceiling
Description:
Four women who have broken through in male-dominated spaces share their strategies, setbacks and successes.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 4
Speakers:
Gavriella Schuster
Azadeh Khalili
Sheila Warren
Parker Hamilton Poling
Climate Crossfire: What’s the path forward?
Description:
Moving the climate debate from conflict to common ground and constructive action.
Location: Limelight Flatiron 3
Speakers:
Michael Mann
Roger Pielke