Through hosting public programming, the Jepson School opened its doors to renowned scholars, thought leaders, and community members — inviting all to explore leadership in a variety of contexts and engage in meaningful conversations about the complexities of leadership.
Inaugural Leadership and Humanities Scholar
Jeffrey Rosen, CEO emeritus of the National Constitution Center, served as the school’s inaugural Leadership and Humanities Scholar. Students enrolled in Historical Foundations of Leadership (LDST 101) read the best-selling author’s book The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. They also attended his at-capacity public lecture on the same topic in February.
The Jepson Leadership Forum
The Jepson Leadership Forum focused on the theme “Game Changers: Rethinking Leadership in Sports.” Football great and ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Desmond Howard launched this year’s series on Sept. 10 with a lively discussion of leadership on and off the field, delivered to an enthusiastic, packed house. Subsequent forum presentations considered data-driven decisions in sports and the integration of the National Basketball Association in the ’70s and ’80s.
The Gary L. McDowell Institute
Housed in the Jepson School, the Gary L. McDowell Institute is a cross-campus hub promoting the civil exchange of diverse ideological viewpoints on pressing issues in ethics, law, and politics. The McDowell Institute Lecture Series included a talk by New York Times columnist and McDowell Institute Scholar-for-the-Day Ross Douthat on his book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. Other public lectures explored the unifying rhetoric of President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and offered a critique of free speech in higher education.
Save the dates for the 2026-27 McDowell Institute public lectures.