Viktor Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine
2011-09-19 00:00 (America/Chicago)
Viktor Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine, received the 2011 Dole Leadership Prize.
“We are honored to give the Dole Leadership Prize to such a great cultural and revolutionary icon,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. “Yushchenko and the Orange Revolution ignited a fire for the people of Ukraine, and his victory was a landmark for all of postcommunist eastern Europe.”
Yushchenko served as Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1999-2001. During that time, he addressed economic and social problems by lowering inflation, advancing privatization, and challenging corrupt practices. Although he was a popular prime minister, Yushchenko was forced out of office by higher ranking government officials.
Yushchenko responded by forming a broad-based democratic coalition called Our Ukraine, which was victorious in the parliamentary elections in 2002. The newly organized opposition gave him a platform from which to mount a credible challenge to President Leonid Kuchma, who had been accused of overseeing an increasingly corrupt administration.
During his campaign for the presidency in 2004, Yushchenko became seriously ill from dioxin poisoning in an apparent assassination attempt; his face was left permanently disfigured. Mass protests, which became known as the Orange Revolution, followed a runoff round in which Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had been declared the winner of fraudulent elections. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens, inspired by Yushchenko’s candidacy and their desire for democracy, occupied the center of the capital city for weeks. The Supreme Court invalidated the falsified result and ordered a second runoff to be held in December 2004. Yushchenko was officially confirmed as the winner the following month.
Yushchenko’s victory was proof that a powerful civic movement, committed opposition politicians, and a resolute, rising middle class had come together to stop the ruling elite from rigging an election and stealing Ukraine’s presidency. The Orange Revolution was a groundbreaking milestone in the history of Eastern Europe since the fall of communism and inspired pro-democracy movements all over the world.
The 2011 Dole Leadership Prize was made possible in part through the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Brian C. King of Leawood, Kan.

2012 | Why Presidents Succeed. Why They Fail.
2012-01-29 00:00 - 2012-04-23 00:00
With the 2012 presidential contest already underway, the Dole Institute’s signature series looks at what separates successful presidents from those deemed failures.
Both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon had significant accomplishments during their presidencies that were overshadowed by Vietnam and Watergate respectively. What if these men had been able to avoid these stains? Join us as we look at each man in this light.

Kick Off
1/29/2012
With the 2012 presidential contest already underway, the Dole Institute looks at what separates successful presidents from those deemed failures.
Presidential historian and first Dole Institute permanent director, Richard Norton Smith, will kick off the series with his take on this timely topic. Join Richard as he is interviewed by Dole Institute Director, Bill Lacy, on the leadership traits that create great presidents, and the mistakes that make them weak.
Note: This event was not recorded.

Nixon Presidency
4/19/2012

Former Nixon speechwriters John Andrews, who previously served as President of the Colorado Senate, and Lee Huebner, former professor of communications and journalism at Northwestern University, speak about the Nixon Presidency, and as the question of
“What if there never was a Watergate?” These two speechwriters from the Nixon White House will explore his presidency without this term-ending event.

Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency
4/23/2012

Without Vietnam would the public and historians have seen LBJ differently? Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum director and author, Mark Updegrove, discusses this question and his new book, Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency.

Senator George Mitchell
2012-04-04 00:00
George Mitchell is an exemplary public servant with an impressive political career. Mitchell served with Senator Dole in the Senate and was a founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center. After leaving the Senate, he has continued to serve by seeking peace in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East and by studying the effect of doping in professional sports.
Mitchell most recently served as U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from January 2009 to May 2011. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in public service. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1980 to complete the unexpired term of Sen. Edmund S. Muskie. He was elected to a full term in the Senate in 1982 in a come-from-behind victory. Mitchell went on to a career in the Senate spanning 15 years. He left the Senate in 1995 as the Senate majority leader, a position he had held since January 1989.
In 2007, Mitchell joined fellow former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Bob Dole, and Tom Daschle to found the Bipartisan Policy Center, a non-profit think tank that works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan support.

Wounded Warrior Project
2012-10-14 00:00
With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they achieve new triumphs. WWP was the recipient of the 2012 Dole Leadership Prize. Wounded Warriors, a WWP advocate/caregiver and WWP’s executive director, Steven Nardizzi, joined us at the Dole Institute for an interview discussion and awarding of the prize.
U.S. Army sniper Shane Parsons was prowling for IEDs in Baghdad when he pointed a Humvee down a desolate street to check out something that seemed out of the ordinary in a place marked by oddities of warfare.
What happened next would send him on a challenging six-year journey to the Dole Institute of Politics at The University of Kansas, where he offered a poignant recitation of life from injury into survival aided by the Wounded Warrior Project. The organization’s contributions to Parsons and thousands of other veterans making the adjustment to the civilian world on Sunday earned it the 2012 Dole Leadership Prize.

2013 | In the Beginning: Three Men Who Made America
2013-02-10 00:00 - 2013-02-18 00:00
A fascinating look at the Founding Fathers! Presidential historian and first permanent director of the Dole Institute, Richard Norton Smith, brought our first three presidents to life and helped us understand these men’s important contributions to the start of our nation.

Part One: George Washington
2/10/2013

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington served as a general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution, and later became the first president of the United States, serving from 1789-1797. Washington’s first term in office was dominated by shaping the role of the president. He appointed the first presidential cabinet, oversaw measures that Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton encouraged for solid financial grounding, and designated a site for the nation’s new capital. Washington’s second term centered on foreign affairs, and he wisely let his preference for neutrality be known. He dealt firmly with the Whiskey Rebellion and sent Chief Justice John Jay to England to negotiate an unpopular peace treaty with the British. He also asserted his distaste for emerging political parties, which were coming to dominate the American system of government. Washington enjoyed three years of retirement at Mt. Vernon before his death on December 14, 1799.

Part Two: John Adams
2/12/2013

John Adams was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1735. A Harvard-educated lawyer, he early became identified with the patriot cause. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the treaty of peace. In 1788, he returned from the Court of St. James to be elected Vice President under Washington. In 1796, Adams became the second president of the U.S. During his presidency, a war between the French and British was causing political difficulties for the U.S. Adams’ administration focused its diplomatic efforts on France, whose government had suspended commercial relations. Adams sent three commissioners to France, but the French refused to negotiate unless the U.S. agreed to pay what amounted to a bribe. When this became public knowledge, the nation broke out in favor of war. By 1800, Adams had become significantly less popular with the public. He lost his re-election campaign with only a few less electoral votes than Thomas Jefferson. Adams died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence.

Part Three: Thomas Jefferson
2/18/2013

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary, then read law. In 1772, he married Martha Wayles Skelton and took her to live in his partly constructed mountaintop home, Monticello. As the “silent member” of Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following, he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably, he wrote a bill establishing religious freedom, enacted in 1786. As a reluctant candidate for President in 1796, Jefferson came within three votes of election. But through a flaw in the Constitution, he became Vice President, although an opponent of President Adams. When Jefferson assumed the Presidency in 1801, the crisis in France had passed. He slashed Army and Navy expenditures, cut the budget, eliminated the tax on whiskey, reduced the national debt by a third, and purchased the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson retired to Monticello, and then died on July 4, 1826.

Ike's Legacy: Brigadier General Carl Reddel
2013-05-02 00:00
Ike is a personal hero of Bob Dole’s, and the Dole Institute was proud to honor President Eisenhower’s life and legacy with the annual Dole Lecture. Are you aware of the effort to honor IKE with a memorial on the national mall? Authorized in 1999 by an act of Congress, the Commission seeks to build a memorial fitting this great American and Kansan. General Reddel will talk about what Eisenhower means to America, as well as the status of building this national icon’s memorial.
Brigadier General Carl Reddel is Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
2013-10-27 00:00
The Dole Institute of Politics was proud to honor Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, as the 2013 Dole Leadership Prize recipient. Mandela’s great-grandson, Luvuyo Mandela, accepted the prize on the former president’s behalf. The $25,000 prize was awarded to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

2014 | The First Ladies: Intimate Sacrifice, Honored Post
2014-02-16 00:00 - 2014-02-27 00:00
Richard Norton Smith, notable presidential historian, will examine the private lives and the public roles of the First Ladies and how this position has changedsince Martha Washington.
The Presidential Lecture Series is sponsored in part by the William T. Kemper II Charitable Trust and Commerce Trust Company and Bob Loyd, Co-Trustees.

Prisoners of State
2/16/2014

For the first event, Smith examined and discussed the early First Ladies. Many of these distinguished women experienced personal tragedy and paid a heavy price for their husband’s ambition.

Mary and Her Sisters
2/17/2014

The Gilded Age of First Ladies was a fascinating group of women. Mary Todd Lincoln was a polarizing figure in the press, Lucy Hayes became the first First Lady to graduate college, and Frances Cleveland married into the White House. Smith took a look at their contributions to the nation.

The Wilsons & the Roosevelts
2/26/2014

Trailblazers & Traditionalists
2/27/2014

The First Ladies of the recent past: Jackie, Lady Bird, Betty, and Nancy really gave the First Lady title influence and prestige. These women were role models and style icons for the women of America and sought causes to champion in their own right.

The New Democrats and the Return to Power: Al From
2014-05-04 00:00
“Al From is the principal architect for the Clinton presidency and the new Democrat movement, which helped shape the 21st century Democratic Party,” said Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy. “Most of the Dole Lectures have been by or about public figures; this is the first that will honor a person working behind the scenes to change American politics in a major way.”
Al From described his involvement in the effective restoration of the Democratic Party.
From also discussed current U.S. politics, the state of both parties and his book, “The New Democrats and the Return to Power.” This key, behind-the-scenes strategist helped shift domestic political power.

John D. Kemp, president & CEO of The Viscardi Center
2014-12-14 00:00
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics honored John D. Kemp, president & CEO of the Viscardi Center, with the 2014 Dole Leadership Prize. The prize was awarded during an interview with Mr. Kemp, who uses his own life with a disability to inspire others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, personality, and persistence. Hear why Mr. Kemp is widely respected for his many achievements, both in the corporate and non-profit worlds.
The Dole Leadership Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group whose public service leadership inspires others. Mr. Kemp chose to gift the $25,000 award to The Viscardi Center, a network of non-profit organizations that provides services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities.

2015 | The First Woman President 2.0
2015-02-12 00:00 - 2015-03-04 00:00
With attention turning toward the next presidential race, we look at a question we first addressed nine years ago: Will the U.S. elect its first woman president? What unique challenges must women overcome to rise through the ranks to some of the highest positions in public service, politics, and business or to be President of the United States? Following the historic election of our first African-American President in 2008 we update the Dole Institute’s 2006 series on women in leadership and look at this possibility for 2016.

Part I: An Evening with Kathleen Sebelius
2/12/2015

Former Governor of Kansas and former Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, will be interviewed about her journey in public service from her days in Kansas politics to her presidential appointment in Washington, and the challenges she faced in her two pivotal executive roles.

Part II: The New Paradigm for Women’s Political Success with Adrienne Kimmell
2/17/2015

Executive director of the nonpartisan Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Adrienne Kimmell, joins us to look at how research is helping women candidates utilize advantages unique to their gender to tailor ads, speeches and messaging into successful campaigns. From personal traits, to actions that convey qualification and likeability, to recovery from mistakes, this program will look at what it takes for women to seek and win elective office.

Part III: Women Legislative Leadership with panelists Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Beka Romm & Joan Wagnon
2/24/2015

Dole Institute associate director and State Representative, Barbara Ballard, will moderate this discussion on leadership, time pressures, and what it takes to successfully lead on the local, state, and federal levels. Come hear more about confronting and overcoming hurdles – be they political, personal, or social – from those working in the legislative arena.

Part IV: Women’s Leadership on Campus: Discovering the Leader in You
3/4/2015

With KU faculty panelists Mary Banwart, Ann Cudd & Alice Lieberman. Do you communicate confidence, ambition, and capability? Panelists from Communications Studies, Philosophy, and Social Welfare, along with moderator, Dole Institute associate director Barbara Ballard, will be on hand to discuss your leadership potential. Topics will explore values, tactics, and beliefs – all factors that contribute to becoming the leader you would like to be.

Representative Lynn Jenkins
2015-04-26 00:00
U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, fifth ranking member of the House Majority, will be interviewed on her national leadership position in Congress, what’s happening in Washington, D.C., today, and women’s leadership. An excellent way to conclude a semester largely devoted to women as leaders.

William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
2015-11-23 00:00
President Bill Clinton accepted the 2015 Dole Leadership Prize, presented by the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, for his work balancing the budget and practicing bipartisanship while in office.
As president, Clinton led the U.S. to the longest economic expansion in American history and worked with both Republic and Democratic congressional majorities. The Dole Leadership Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group whose public service leadership inspires others.

2016 | They Also Ran: America’s Would-Be Presidents
2016-01-31 00:00 - 2016-04-26 00:00
In the 2016 Presidential Lecture Series, noted presidential historian and former Dole Institute director Richard Norton Smith returns this spring to examine the politicians who were nominated to America’s highest office but never elected. Covering their careers and the reasons behind their losses, this timely four-part series will shed light on the impact of presidential elections on U.S. politics.

Part One: The 19th Century
1/31/2016

In the 1800s, three men ran for President of the United States a combined nine times, but never claimed the prize. Though Henry Clay, James G. Blaine and William Jennings Bryan’s presidential candidacies failed, their historical contributions and careers inspired millions.

Part Two: Governors of New York
2/1/2016

The beginning of the 20th century saw the rise of New York’s influence on United States politics, along with the start of America’s love/hate relationship with the Empire State. Three New York governors in Charles Evans Hughes, Thomas E. Dewey and Al Smith became key leaders across the political spectrum.

Part Three: Influence in Defeat
4/25/2016

Adlai Stevenson and Barry Goldwater were polar opposites in many ways. One was from the left and the other the right, but both possessed devoted followers and had profound influence on their party’s development in the mid-20th century.

Part Four: The Contemporary Midwesterners
4/26/2016

Smith wraps up the series by bringing us to modern times with Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern and Robert Dole, three native Midwesterners who had a historical impact that far exceeded their electoral vote.

Martin Frost and Tom Davis
2016-04-17 00:00
In a high-stakes election year with deep divisions along party lines, bipartisanship often feels like a thing of the past. Former Congressmen Tom Davis (R) and Martin Frost (D) joined us at the Institute to discuss why gridlock is more prominent than ever—and how it can be stopped.
With 40 years of combined service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Davis and Frost are the authors of Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis.

Nancy Kassebaum, U.S. Senator
2016-09-17 00:00
Longtime Senate colleagues and friends Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum take the stage at the Dole Institute to discuss Congress when they served, the state of Congress today and contemporary politics.

2017 | The U.S. and the Great War: 100 Years Later
2017-02-02 00:00 - 2017-02-23 00:00
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked a joint session of Congress to make the world “safe for democracy.” Four days later, the United States entered World War I, one of the deadliest wars in American history. The 2017 Presidential Lecture Series will welcome expert guest lecturers to dive inside U.S. involvement in the Great War and the ways in which the war effort touched all levels of society.

America’s Road to War
2/2/2017

When war broke out in Europe in 1914, the U.S. stood on the sidelines as President Wilson asked his fellow citizens to remain neutral “in thought as well as in deed.” Michael Neiberg, noted scholar and chair of war studies in the U.S. Army War College, introduces our lecture series, exploring the complex paths of politics, economics and cultural divisions that came together and brought America into the war less than three years later.

A Giant with Feet of Clay: The American Military in the Great War
2/9/2017

The story of how the U.S. Army sought to transform itself over the course of 18 months into a comparable or superior military force to the European armies is grounded in irony. Richard Faulkner, professor with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, lays out how the American Expeditionary Forces played a pivotal role in the brutal campaigns that led to Germany’s defeat on the battlefield.

Americans All: The Homefront in World War I
2/16/2017

In America, World War I brought expanded involvement in global politics, the experience of modern warfare—and equally important domestic changes. Noted scholar from Chapman College Jennifer Keene will discuss the responses of Americans to the introduction of the draft, economic mobilization, the patriotism crusade and its effects and much more.

Boldness and Frailty: Woodrow Wilson’s Fight for the League of Nations
2/23/2017

Acclaimed biographer of Woodrow Wilson and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, John Milton Cooper closes the series by painting a portrait of Wilson and his transformative leadership. Wilson guided the nation through World War I and sought to bring about an international system to ensure lasting peace. He arguably established a new way of thinking about international relations that, 25 years later, ushered in the United Nations.

2017 SPRING | President Trump: The First 100 Days
2017-03-01 00:00 - 2017-05-03 00:00
Dole Fellows Henry “C.J.” Jackson and Johanna Maska
Read more about Dole Fellows >>
Fresh off a dramatic election season, KU alums Henry “C.J.” Jackson and Johanna Maska will examine and interpret the first 100 days of the Trump administration as they happen. Jackson and Maska will welcome a who’s-who of Washington insiders and reporters to explore a complex season in U.S. politics.

A Nation in Transition
3/1/2017

White House and presidential campaign veteran Johanna Maska and veteran political journalist C.J. Jackson will focus on presidential transitions and explore what’s unique about the new Trump White House. The pair will examine how Washington D.C. changes with a new administration, how new presidents build relationships (or don’t), and how they adjust to the trappings of their office. Both KU alums, Maska and Jackson will also discuss their careers and personal transitions as they moved to Washington D.C. in 2009, sharing experiences while balancing professional obligations—and sometimes national security guidance.

The New “Race”
3/15/2017

Former Deputy Social Secretary and State Department official Samantha Tubman traveled at President Barack Obama’s side throughout the 2008 campaign, working on his presidential transition before taking on key roles in the White House and State Department. She joins Dole Fellow C.J. Jackson to discuss the rapid transformation from a campaign to governing. Jackson and Tubman will explore the new “race” to enact policy, the challenges of a presidential transition, and Tubman’s path as a young person engaging with politics to the White House and beyond.

Entering the White House
3/29/2017

With guest Greg Jenkins – Founder, North Bay Strategies; Deputy Assistant to George W. Bush
Two former White House aides—one from each major party—break down what a presidential transition looks like from the inside. As a former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush, Greg Jenkins traveled the world helping to craft and hone a president’s message. Dole fellow Johanna Maska, who held a similar role for President Obama, will lead a discussion on the demands of working in the White House as the beginning of a new administration.

Meet the Press
4/5/2017

NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley, Republican communications strategist Tim Miller and Dole fellow Johanna Maska will look at the relationship between politics, government and the press. They will focus on what’s unique in Trump’s emerging relationship with the press and what challenges any administration’s press corps would face. This discussion will focus on the important role of the media, the obligations of those in political communications and how history is made and recorded.

Inside the Situation Room and the Importance of Presidential Language
4/19/2017

Former White House deputy director of speechwriting and lead National Security Council speechwriter Terry Szuplat joins Dole fellow C.J. Jackson to talk about how presidents form a national security message. Szuplat will discuss what it is like to be in the Situation Room in a crisis and how presidents craft their messages for an international audience. Szuplat will also analyze the Trump administration’s approach to international relations and talk about the issues that have already emerged.

At Home and Abroad: the Global Presidency
4/26/2017

Former National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden joins Dole fellow C.J. Jackson to discuss how presidents manage an international audience. Hayden, who has worked across national security positions in government, will examine how the Trump administration approaches diplomacy, how the presidential transition affects international relationships and more.

The Loyal Opposition
5/3/2017

The final discussion group of the semester will focus on the party out of power, looking at how the minority party has reacted to big political changes. What tactics do minority parties use to stay relevant, or effect change? How do they develop their relationships with a new president–or how don’t they? How do new presidents work with (or not work with) the opposition party? Former Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement for Hillary Clinton and KU graduate Marlon Marshall joins Dole fellows C.J. Jackson and Johanna Maska to talk about how the “out” party adjusts to a new president and what they do to stay relevant.

INNOVATION SERIES | Finances of Innovation
2017-03-08 00:00
In the 21st century, government financing plays an ever-increasing role in scientific innovation. Hosted in partnership with the KU School of Engineering, join a fascinating discussion on federal research and development funding with Kei Koizumi, former Assistant Director for Federal Research and Development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The Other Side: A Liberal Democrat Explores Conservative America
2017-03-30 00:00
Documentary filmmaker Joe McGovern started with a question: is the source of our political anger with others caused, in part, by a lack of understanding? The result is his film “The Other Side,” documenting his travels across the U.S. and candid interviews with conservative Americans.

Ronald Reagan’s 1968 Dress Rehearsal
2017-04-04 00:00
Author Gene Kopelson shares the story of Ronald Reagan’s first quest for the presidency in the late 1960s. Mentored by Dwight D. Eisenhower and opposed politically by Robert Kennedy, Reagan’s first major foray into presidential politics set the tone for his future candidacies—and eventual victory. This program will include a book sale and signing.

Robert Kaplan
2017-04-05 00:00
Explore the complex world of U.S. monetary policy and the central banking system in the 2017 Dole Lecture with Robert Kaplan, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Only the second KU alum to deliver the Dole Lecture, Kaplan will discuss his career as leader of one of the 12 banks in the Federal Reserve System and the role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy.

2017 | Inaugural Lecture
2017-04-30 00:00
Join the Dole Institute for the inaugural lecture in a special new signature series, the Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture, delivered by former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Dole will discuss her long career in public service, including her years as commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Secretary of Labor, president of the American Red Cross and a U.S. senator representing the state of North Carolina.

2017 SUMMER | Beyond the Border: U.S.-Mexico Relations
2017-05-24 00:00 - 2017-07-11 00:00
Dole Fellow Christina Luhn
Read more about Dole Fellows >>
For many, the U.S.-Mexico border presents a problem, for others, an economic opportunity. An expert in cross-border economic development, Christina Luhn will lead a summer discussion group series exploring the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico with a focus on border security, immigration and trade.

The Value of Bi-National Collaboration
5/24/2017

Because the international border falls under federal jurisdiction, decisions are made far from the border in the respective capitals of Washington, D.C. and Mexico City. Yet these decisions not only impact the borderlands but also the rest of America, including Kansas and other midwestern states. In this discussion, Alfonso Navarro-Bernachi, Mexican Consul General in Kansas City, brings a unique perspective to understanding the value of bi-national collaboration. A distinguished member of Mexico’s Foreign Service, Navarro-Bernachi has served in consulates in several border states including California and Arizona and will share his insights on collaboration from firsthand experience.

Trade and the Border: the Value of NAFTA
5/31/2017

Recent political and economic rhetoric has focused on how globalization and NAFTA have cost many Americans their jobs. What is often missing in these emotionally charged narratives are the many jobs that are created and supported by trade. With Mexico recently becoming the largest export market for Kansas, a repeal of NAFTA could have catastrophic consequences for Kansas economy. In this discussion, Christopher Wilson, Deputy Director of the Mexico Institute at The Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., brings a researcher’s perspective to help sort through trade myth from reality and discuss possible policy solutions to address some of the more glaring issues associated with trade.

Life along the Border: A Separate Reality?
6/21/2017

While there are many positive economic opportunities for bi-national collaboration, this is not the reality for many who struggle with border conditions. This discussion with Andy Carey, executive director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, will provide a deeper understanding of this reality and how some of these complex problems are being addressed. Carey brings a breadth of experience in his years working the entire U.S.-Mexico border to grow community philanthropy, leadership and cross-border collaboration in order to increase the human and financial capital needed to address the complex issues facing the region.

Borderlands: Why should Kansans and Midwesterners care about the Border?
6/28/2017

This session is designed to provide a deeper understanding of the U.S.-Mexico border and key issues, with special emphasis on historical context. In this discussion, Raul Rodriguez, Chairman of the Board of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation in New York City and former President of the North American Development Bank, brings his long and distinguished career of working on important bi-national issues to help explain how we got here today and what is special about the U.S.-Mexico border.

Security, Immigration, Trade and the Border
7/11/2017

This session will provide deeper understanding of key issues around border security, trade and immigration. Is the proposed wall realistic and would it achieve what its proponents suggest? Are security, immigration and trade mutually exclusive or can we have all three? In this discussion, Alan Bersin, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, brings his vast federal experience to a discussion about the intersection of security, immigration and trade. Having served in the Obama and the Clinton Administrations, Bersin has learned a great deal about what works, what doesn’t and what might be on the horizon.

World War II: Home Front to Battlefront
2017-06-14 00:00
Frank Lavin shares the tale of a World War II foot soldier who finds himself thrust into a world where he and his unit grapple with the horrors of combat, the idiocies of bureaucracy, and the oddities of life back home—all in the same day. Lavin’s book “Home Front to Battlefront” follows his father Carl Lavin, an Ohio native who enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18, taking him from training across the U.S. and Britain to combat with the 84th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge. This program includes a book sale and signing.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETER | David Shuey on John J. Pershing
2017-07-12 00:00
Explore the life and times of General John J. Pershing, a Missouri native and commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. Join the Institute to commemorate 100 years since the U.S. entry into the war and examine one of our nation’s most decorated military leaders, portrayed here by historical interpreter David Shuey.

Climbing Kilimanjaro
2017-07-27 00:00
Standing as the highest point on the African continent at 19,341 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is considered a fairly accessible mountain summit, involving an arduous trek at high altitudes with no technical climbing. Mountain guide and trekker Ian Taylor will return to the Dole Institute to share the challenge and beauty of climbing one of the seven summits of the world.

2017 FALL | The Elusive Quest for the Lacrosse Mom: How do Politicians, Corporations, Organizations and the Community Engage Women?
2017-09-12 00:00 - 2017-11-28 00:00
Dole Fellow Cherylyn Harley LeBon
An experienced campaign advisor, D.C. insider and media contributor, fall fellow Cherylyn Harley LeBon will lead a discussion group series examining how various organizations, corporations and political entities attempt to engage with women, and why they can be a difficult constituency to reach.

Sarah Bruno
9/12/2017

“Guest: Sarah Bruno, Executive Director of the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN)
This discussion will focus on how to engage young women and provide them with the tools they need to become future leaders.”

Katie Pinke
9/19/2017

“Guest: Katie Pinke, publisher and general manager, Agweek
This discussion will focus on women from the heartland engaging with their communities. Katie Pinke is a columnist, small business owner and mother from North Dakota.”

Patrick Jephson and Mary Jo Jacobi
9/26/2017

This discussion will examine corporate engagement and reputation management from the pros. Jephson is the former Social Secretary and Spokesman for Princess Diana, while Jacobi boasts a long career in energy, finance and government, including time in President George H.W. Bush’s administration.

Andrea Bottner
10/10/2017

Andrea Bottner is founder of Bottner Strategies, LLC, is an expert in women’s issues and has earned the respect and admiration of some of Washington’s most influential policy makers. Prior to creating Bottner Strategies, Bottner served at the U.S. Department of State as Director for the Office of International Women’s Issues. Prior to her work at the State Department, Bottner served at the U.S. Department of Justice as Principal Deputy Director and later, as Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. Additionally, Bottner served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Republican National Committee Co-Chairman Ann Wagner, specializing in the Committee’s national women’s outreach expansion strategy.

Ashley Davis
10/24/2017

This conversation will examine ways to engage more women at the national, state and local level of politics. Ashley Davis is a former member of the President George W. Bush administration and a noted political strategist and lobbyist.

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall
11/14/2017
Sandra Sobieraj Westfall is the national political correspondent and Washington bureau chief for PEOPLE Magazine. She joins the Dole Institute for a discussion on her career as a journalist for PEOPLE and the Associated Press, covering national politics and engaging with women voters.

Alan West
11/28/2017

Allen West, political commentator, retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel and former U.S. Congressman (R) representing Florida’s 22nd District
This conversation will focus on the future of constitutional conservatism in the U.S.

Not Pretty Enough: The Unlikely Triumph of Helen Gurley Brown
2017-09-13 00:00
Author Gerri Hirshey, Rolling Stone’s first female contributing editor, will join the Dole Institute to shine new light on the complex life of Helen Gurley Brown. One of the most incomparable women of the 20th century, Gurley Brown served as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan for over 30 years and penned the famous book, “Sex and the Single Girl.” Hirshey’s biography of Gurley Brown, “Not Pretty Enough,” is a rich story that ties in 90 years of women’s history with the life of a fascinating subject. This program includes a book sale and signing.

2017 CONSTITUTION DAY | Religious Rights or Unlawful Discrimination?
2017-09-19 00:00
Two experts in religious freedom law and anti-discrimination law will join the Dole Institute to discuss the difficult issues that arise when the assertion of religious beliefs conflicts with the rights of others. Does the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion trump state anti-discrimination laws that prohibit denying services based on a customer’s sexual orientation? Robin Fretwell Wilson, professor of law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Camilla Taylor, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, explore this topic in a conversation moderated by Stephen McAllister, KU distinguished professor of law.
This event is the 2017 Constitution Day program, part of KU Civic Engagement and Leadership.
