April 8 | Robert Zoellick

"America in the World: U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy"

Event Location: Memorial Union, Oceti Sakowin Ballroom, 4-5:30 p.m., hors d'oeuvres will follow from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The former President of the World Bank Group from 2007-2012, Trade Representative from 2001 to 2005, and Deputy Secretary of State from 2005 to 2006, Robert Zoellick is one of the world’s most distinguished authorities on the global economy, international finance, and foreign policy. He is unrivaled in his depth and breadth of what makes global economies tick and how best to operate in an increasingly global market.

Zoellick is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State’s highest honor, and continues his work as a top expert in finance and economics as the non-executive chairman of Alliance Bernstein, a leading global investment management firm that offers high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets.

***Event Registration Opening Soon!

November 19 | Doug Duncan

"A Conversation About the U.S. Economy and the Future with Implications for North Dakota"

*Special Event Location: North Dakota's Gateway to Science, Innovation Space in Bismarck, ND 4-5:30 p.m., hors d'oeuvres will follow from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Douglas G. Duncan is an Executive Advisor, Senior Vice President at Fannie Mae. He was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for forecasts and analyses of the economy and the housing and mortgage markets. Duncan also oversaw strategic research regarding the potential impact of external factors on the housing industry.

Under his leadership, Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group earned the 2022 Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Forecast Accuracy, recognizing their industry-leading work over a four-year period. In both 2015 and 2016, Duncan and the ESR Group won the NABE Outlook Award, presented annually for the most accurate GDP and Treasury note yield forecasts, becoming the first recipient in the award's history to capture the honor two years in a row.

Named one of Bloomberg/BusinessWeek's 50 Most Powerful People in Real Estate and Inman News' 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate, as Chief Economist, Duncan was Fannie Mae's source for information and analyses on demographics and the external business and economic environment; the implications of changes in economic activity on the company's strategy and execution; and for forecasting overall housing, economic, and mortgage market activity.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Duncan was Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association. His experience also includes work on the Financial Institutions Project at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and service as a LEGIS Fellow and staff member with the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs for Congressman Bill McCollum in the U.S. House of Representatives. Previously, Duncan was a Board member of the National Association of Business Economics and a Board member and Chairman of Strategies to Elevate People (STEP).

Duncan is a Hoyt Professional Fellow at the Homer Hoyt Institute. He was chosen as the North Dakota State University College of Agriculture Alumni of the Year in 2018. He was also elected as a Trustee of North Dakota State University in 2022.

Duncan received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University and his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University.

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October 8 | Greg Lukianoff 

"Free Speech in Free Fall: The Academic Freedom Crisis on Campus"

Event Location: Memorial Union, Oceti Sakowin Ballroom, 4-5:30 p.m., hors d'oeuvres will follow from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Greg Lukianoff is an attorney, New York Times best-selling author, and the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He is the author of Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate, Freedom From Speech, and FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus. He co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure with Jonathan Haidt. Most recently Greg co-authored The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All—But There Is a Solution with Rikki Schlott. Greg is also an Executive Producer of Can We Take a Joke? (2015), a feature-length documentary that explores the collision between comedy, censorship, and outrage culture, both on and off campus, and of Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story (2020), an award-winning feature-length film about the life and career of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser.

Greg has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and numerous other publications. He frequently appears on TV shows and radio programs, including the CBS Evening News, The Today Show, and NPR’s Morning Edition. In 2008, he became the first-ever recipient of the Playboy Foundation’s Freedom of Expression Award, and he has testified before both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives about free speech issues on America’s college campuses.

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