Dole Institute

Jimmy Carter: A Special Memorial Exhibit
2025-01-02 - 2025-02-02 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Senator Bob Dole was proud that President Jimmy Carter participated in the Dole Institute’s dedication in 2003, in a significant demonstration of bipartisan leadership. Lifelong public servants, President Carter and Senator Dole knew America works best when we work together to seek common ground for the common good.
Join the Dole Institute in honoring his life and legacy by visiting our Museum & Galleries to view a special memorial display featuring items from the Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archives and Special Collections that highlight the relationship between Dole and Carter.
Visitors will have an opportunity to sign a guest book that will later be presented to the Carter family.
Plan your visit to the Dole Institute’s Museum & Galleries by visiting our website.

The 2024 Post Election Conference: National Panel
2024-12-11 14:00 - 17:30 (America/Chicago)
Join Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib and Dole Institute Director Emeritus Bill Lacy as they co-moderate the National Panel of the 2024 Post Election Conference. Seib and Lacy will lead a panel that will dive into the practices of both presidential campaigns, congressional races in battlegrounds throughout the nation, and more from this unprecedented general election.

About the Post Election Conference
Held biennially after midterm and general elections, the Dole Institute’s Post Election Conference brings journalists, practitioners, and experts together to analyze campaigns and election results in Kansas and throughout the country.

Jerry Seib has been a journalist with The Wall Street Journal for almost 45 years. He served as the Journal’s Executive Washington Editor and wrote the weekly “Capital Journal” column for 29 years. He also reported from the Middle East for the Journal in the mid-1980s, covered the White House, has moderated three presidential debates, and interviewed every president since Ronald Reagan.

Bill Lacy is the former director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. Since his appointment in 2004, Lacy established the Institute a highly-respected venue for bipartisan, philosophically-balanced political programming. Additionally, he led the Institute through many other milestones, including the creation of the Student Advisory Board, the completion of processing Senator Bob Dole’s archival collections, obtaining Senator Elizabeth Dole’s career papers, and the addition of millions to the Institute’s endowment to further the Institute’s mission and support the student body at the University.

Molly Ball is The Wall Street Journal’s senior political correspondent, covering campaigns, the White House, Congress, political personalities and policy debates across America. She is also a frequent television and radio commentator and the author of “Pelosi,” a bestselling biography of the first woman Speaker of the House. Prior to joining the Journal, she covered U.S. politics for Time magazine, the Atlantic, Politico and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She has worked for newspapers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Cambodia, as well as the New York Times and the Washington Post. She has received numerous awards for her political coverage, including the Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress, the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting. She is a graduate of Yale University, a former Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan and once won $100,000 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Molly grew up in Idaho and Colorado and lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband and three children.

Brendan Buck is one of Washington’s top communications strategists and a trusted political analyst. Having served two consecutive Speakers of the House, he was at the center of many of this era’s biggest policy and political battles. Brendan is currently a Partner at Seven Letter, a Washington and Boston based public affairs firm. He is also an NBC News and MSNBC Political Analyst. Previously, he spent twelve years on Capitol Hill, all in the House. Most recently, he was Counselor to House Speaker Paul Ryan, leading messaging and communications strategy for the speaker and House GOP. Before that, Brendan served as Communications Director at the House Ways and Means Committee under Chairman Ryan and helped him navigate his unexpected ascension to the Speaker’s Office in 2015. Earlier, Brendan was Press Secretary to House Speaker John Boehner, working primarily with the White House press corps to shape the coverage of the Obama administration. Brendan was also on the 2012 Romney-Ryan presidential campaign, serving as Press Secretary to the Vice President nominee. He’s held several other senior communications roles on Capitol Hill including for future-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Tom Price. In 2017, POLITICO named him to its inaugural Power 30 list, and in 2020, PR Week named him to its annual ’40 Under 40′. He was also named a ’40 Under 40* alumnus by the University of Georgia, which is where you can find him many Saturdays during football season.

Francesca Chambers is a White House Correspondent for USA Today covering foreign policy and the 2024 presidential race. She has covered the nation’s highest elected office and the politicians seeking it since 2014. Prior to USA Today, she covered campaigns, elections and the White House for McClatchy, DailyMail.com and the syndicated newsmagazine DailyMailTV. She is a team Emmy winner and a Society of Professional Journalists D.C. Dateline Award recipient. Francesca is a frequent guest on network television and a former White House Correspondents’ Association board member. She is a proud graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas and currently sits on its board of trustees.

Anita Dunn is a partner and founding member of SKDK. She most recently served as a senior advisor to President Joe Biden. In that role, she advised on overall strategy and messaging during the beginning of the President’s term, overseeing successful landmark legislative priorities and helping the President navigate through once-in-a-lifetime crises. Prior to that, she served as a senior advisor to the Biden-Harris presidential campaign, advising on all aspects of the campaign, including messaging, debate preparation, and overall strategy. Ms. Dunn was a chief strategist to former President Barack Obama, as a senior campaign advisor and as the White House Communications Director. She oversaw all communications strategy and messaging and helped the former President navigate a complex legislative and political landscape early in his administration. Named one of Washingtonian’s most powerful women in 2019, She also served in a variety of senior roles for other key Democrats throughout her career, including Tom Daschle, Bill Bradley, and Evan Bayh.

Alex Latcham is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, and has worked for President Trump for over eight years, most recently as the Director of Congressional Engagement for his historic 2024 campaign. In this role, Latcham oversaw the campaign’s engagement with members of Congress, regularly advised President Trump on political races and endorsements, and served as the campaign’s primary liaison to the NRCC, NRSC, and RGA. During the 2024 Republican primary, Alex Latcham served as the Early States Director, planning and directing all campaign activity and staff within the early four nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. In this role, Latcham contributed to historic victories that enabled President Trump to quickly and decisively secure the Republican nomination. During President Trump’s first term, Latcham served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Political Director. In this role, Latcham managed President Trump’s political and official engagements across the nation and regularly worked with national and state political parties, cabinet members, members of congress, state constitutional officers, and other key industries and organizations to strategically advance the administration’s political and policy priorities. From 2014-2016, Latcham was political director for the Republican Party of Iowa and was part of a small team responsible for the successful planning and execution of the record-setting 2016 Iowa Republican Caucuses. Alex Latcham holds a B.A. in Political Science from Drake University.

Jonathan Martin is the politics bureau chief and senior political columnist at POLITICO, where he writes a reported column on the inside conversation and big-picture trends shaping politics. Prior to starting his column in 2022, Martin was the national political correspondent for The New York Times, serving as the publication’s top political reporter for nearly a decade. He is the co-author of The New York Times bestseller “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future,” which gave readers in-the-room access to the extraordinary events of the 2020 election and its aftermath. Martin regularly provides on-air political analysis for ABC, NBC and CBS. He and his wife, Betsy, live in Washington and New Orleans.

Molly Murphy is a top pollster and campaign strategist who has worked on some of the most consequential campaigns in recent history. Molly has experience with hundreds of statewide, congressional, and local races, helping elect Democrats in Republican and swing districts and making it possible for Democrats to prevail in competitive primaries. In addition to her work with candidates, Molly serves as one of the lead pollsters for the Harris-Walz campaign, is a lead advisor to the DCCC, closely supports the DSCC and DGA, and has extensive research experience for progressive issue organizations.

Chuck Todd is the Chief Political Analyst for NBC News, leading all aspects of the news division’s political coverage and analysis. Exclusively represented by the Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau, he offers a comprehensive picture of the current political landscape, making him one of the most sought-after voices in American political coverage. Throughout his career at NBC News, Todd served as the revered Meet the Press Moderator, Chief White House Correspondent, and Host of The Daily Rundown, NBC News Now, Meet the Press NOW, and Meet the Press Daily. He also co-moderated the two most-watched Democratic presidential debates in NBC’s history. Along with teaching a graduate-level political communications course at Johns Hopkins University, Todd contributes to publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic Monthly, where he is a contributing editor. He is also the author of “The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House” and co-author of “How Barack Obama Won.” Todd has been recognized by an array of organizations and publications, including GQ, George Magazine, and Washingtonian.

World Leaders in Wartime: Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony
2024-12-04 15:00 - 16:15
Popularly known as “the Strong” for his formidable physical vigor and power, Augustus II came to power in Saxony in 1694 and won the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth three years later. He then proceeded to conduct military operations against the Turks that resulted in the Treaty of Karlowitz before forming alliances with the rulers of Russia and Denmark with an eye on checking Swedish ambitions and advancing his own. The Great Northern War, however, went poorly for Augustus, as his armies suffered defeat and he lost his throne for three years before taking advantage of Russian victories to return to power. This talk will describe the fascinating life and career of Augustus II and his efforts to deal with the complex political, military, and diplomatic environment in which he exercised leadership.
Ethan S. Rafuse received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and since 2004 has been a member of the faculty at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, where he is a professor of military history. In 2018-19, he was the Charles Boal Ewing Distinguished Visiting Professor at the U.S. Military Academy.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

The 2024 Post Election Conference: Kansas Panel
2024-11-20 16:00 - 17:15
Join Dole Fellow Jonathan Shorman as he moderates the Kansas Panel of the 2024 Post Election Conference. Shorman will lead a panel that will provide an overview of elections throughout Kansas this year, including the race to become the next representative of the Kansas 2nd Congressional District, and political realignment that has led eastern Kansas into becoming one of the nation’s leading battlegrounds.

About the Post Election Conference
Held biennially after midterm and general elections, the Dole Institute’s Post Election Conference brings journalists, practitioners, and experts together to analyze campaigns and election results in Kansas and throughout the country.

Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star’s lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a decade covering politics in both states, including previously at The Wichita Eagle. He was part of a team of Eagle reporters who won the 2019 George Polk Award for political reporting.

Eric Pahls is a Vice President at Big Dog Strategies, managing election campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels. Most recently, he assisted in the campaign of Representative-elect Derek Schmidt (R-KS). Pahls is also an alum of the University of Kansas and the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board.

Cole Robinson is a Prairie Village native and ’06 graduate of the University of Kansas. After playing poker professionally and trading financial markets through his 20s and early 30s, he moved on to politics starting in 2016, as campaign manager for Johnson County Chairman Mike Kelly and Lenexa Mayor Julie Sayers. Currently, Cole serves as the Executive Director of the Johnson County Democratic Party.

Lisa Rodriguez became news director at KCUR in 2020, after holding many other roles at the station: newscaster, city hall reporter and talk show producer. Born in Santiago, Chile, Lisa was named Editor of the Year by the Public Media Journalists’ Association in 2023.

The Counselors: Should the Draft Be Reinstated?
2024-11-14 18:30 - 20:00
Join us for the next edition of The Counselors—an engaging program featuring debates on contemporary topics. This fall, Dole Institute Visiting Fellows and attorneys Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray will debate whether or not the military draft should be reinstated in the United States with the assistance of expert witnesses.
This program will be moderated by Abbie Clements, a member of the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board and a Student Events Assistant. She studies political science, strategic communications, and history.

Affirming Side
Pedro Irigonegaray is an attorney and partner at Irigonegaray, Turney, & Revenaugh. A trial lawyer since 1973, Pedro is a former President of The Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, a Fellow in The American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow in The International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Dr. William M. Raymond, Jr., is an assistant professor in the Department of Command and Leadership at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served in the U.S. Army for 30 years in a wide variety of field artillery and educational assignments, leading diverse and high-performing teams and organizations. He has more than 22 years’ experience teaching students and developing curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels during active duty (at the United States Military Academy (USMA) and CGSC) and civilian service (at Benedictine College and CGSC). He has a BS in Engineering from USMA, an MMAS from CGSC, and an MA and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Roosevelt Barfield, brings a wealth of experience in strategy, operations, budget, training, management, and leadership having served as a Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an Army Veteran with 32 years of service. A veteran of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General (retired) Barfield served as a Military Legislative Assistant to the U.S. Senate and held progressive levels of command responsibility with the military. Dr. Barfield holds a Doctorate of Business Administration from Walden University, a Master’s of Science Degree in Management from Central Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Kansas, and is a 2013 Dole Fellow.

Negating Side
Ed Duckers is partner at Stoel Rives LLP and the head of the firm’s Litigation Practice in California and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He is a past chair of Stoel Rives’ Food and Agribusiness Industry Team.
Steve Leonard serves as the Assistant Area Director for Management and Entrepreneurship in the KU School of Business. Prior to joining the faculty in 2015, he spent nearly thirty years in uniform as a U.S. Army leader, where he served as a senior military strategist and war planner. A career writer and speaker, he is the author and co-editor of several books, including Power Up (Casemate, 2023), To Boldly Go (Casemate, 2021), and the upcoming Professionals Talk Logistics (Howgate, 2025).
Debra Sheffer is a Professor of History at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. She holds a PhD in Military History from the University of Kansas. She was a 2007 Fellow at the West Point Summer Seminar in Military History. Her published works include The Buffalo Soldiers, “Lincoln’s Wartime Diplomacy and the Emancipation Proclamation” in The Routledge Handbook of Military and Diplomatic History: The Colonial Period to 1877, “The Convergence” in A Companion to Custer and the Little Big Horn Campaign, and “African American Soldiers: The Struggle for Equality through Service in the Civil War and the Great War” in Wars Civil and Great: American Experience in the Civil War and World War I. Her current research explores the cultural constructs of death and honor in the Civil War.

Congress in the 21st Century
2024-11-13 16:00 - 17:15
In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute will welcome Democratic and Republican former members of Congress for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series. This program will explore the critical period following elections, examining how outcomes shape policy, governance, and community engagement. The discussion will focus on the national results of the 2024 election and explore their implications for the upcoming congressional session.
This series is supported by the Edward F. Reilly Endowed Fund, which supports public programming at the Dole Institute that explores the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. This fund has been made possible by a generous gift from Edward F. Reilly, Jr.

Cheri Bustos of Illinois has never lost an election – two for City Council and five for Congress. She just left office last year after service for a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives. For most of that time, she served in the Democratic House leadership. Her previous professional experience includes almost two decades as a journalist followed by a Vice President of Corporate Communications at a multi-billion-dollar, multi-state health system. She now is a partner and co-chair at Mercury Public Affairs.
Luke Messer served three terms in the U.S. House representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. During his service, he was elected by his colleagues to serve in House Leadership as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and President of the Republican freshman class. He also served on the House Committees on Financial Services; Education and the Workforce; Budget; and Foreign Affairs. Today, Luke is Chair of the nonprofit Indiana Business Health Collaborative and a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP and Bose Public Affairs Group with offices in Indianapolis and Washington DC.

The Association of the Former Members of Congress (FMC) is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan group founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of more than 800 Former U.S. Senators and Representatives working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policymaking and deepening the public’s understanding of our democratic system.

Tribute to Veterans Gala
2024-11-10
Join us in celebrating our Veterans and their families on Sunday, November 10, 2024. The program will include a Salute to Veterans from the University of Kansas ROTC and music from the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra.
Reservations are required. Admission is free, however, space is limited. To make a reservation, please call the Dole Institute of Politics at (785) 864-4900.

World Leaders in Wartime: Abraham Lincoln
2024-11-06 15:00 - 16:15
Abraham Lincoln, often characterized as one of America’s preeminent war leaders, was a master politician who intuitively understood the political consequences of any decision. Yet on matters of strategy, arguably the most important responsibility of a wartime president, Lincoln deferred to his military commanders rather than exercise his authority as commander-in-chief. His strategy of deference nearly proved to be a strategy for defeat.
Harry S. Laver is a professor of military history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, who specializes in the American Civil War and World War II Europe. He is the author of A General Who Will Fight: The Leadership of Ulysses S. Grant (2013). His current book projects include Grant and His Generals: A Study of Military Command, and Ike and Tedder: A Study of Allied Command.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Congress in the 21st Century
2024-10-30 16:00 - 17:15
In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute will welcome Democratic and Republican former members of Congress for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series. Join us for an engaging program with two former members of Congress as they share insider insights from the campaign trail. The Fellows will cover key elements of successful congressional campaigns, including funding strategies, marketing techniques, and how to engage diverse voter demographics.
This series is supported by the Edward F. Reilly Endowed Fund, which supports public programming at the Dole Institute that explores the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. This fund has been made possible by a generous gift from Edward F. Reilly, Jr.

Cheri Bustos of Illinois has never lost an election – two for City Council and five for Congress. She just left office last year after service for a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives. For most of that time, she served in the Democratic House leadership. Her previous professional experience includes almost two decades as a journalist followed by a Vice President of Corporate Communications at a multi-billion-dollar, multi-state health system. She now is a partner and co-chair at Mercury Public Affairs.
Luke Messer served three terms in the U.S. House representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. During his service, he was elected by his colleagues to serve in House Leadership as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and President of the Republican freshman class. He also served on the House Committees on Financial Services; Education and the Workforce; Budget; and Foreign Affairs. Today, Luke is Chair of the nonprofit Indiana Business Health Collaborative and a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP and Bose Public Affairs Group with offices in Indianapolis and Washington DC.

The Association of the Former Members of Congress (FMC) is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan group founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of more than 800 Former U.S. Senators and Representatives working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policymaking and deepening the public’s understanding of our democratic system.

KUCCO Annual Trunk or Treat
2024-10-29 17:30 - 19:30
Join KU Center for Community Outreach and the Dole Institute of Politics for our annual Trunk or Treat! Located in the parking lot of the Dole Institute of Politics, all are welcome to join us for games, activities, and candy. Come in your best costume for a scary good time!

How to Make Congress Work for the American People
2024-10-29 10:00 - 11:15
Public frustration with Congress has been the status quo since the institution’s very first days. Many point to constant gridlock and high levels of partisanship as the main problems that have led to Congress’s recent decrepitude. While partisanship and gridlock does impact Congress’s ability to be a responsive and representative body, an often underdiscussed problem is that of the institution’s internal capacity. What resources does Congress need to effectively, efficiently, and transparently meet the needs of the American people? What incentives drive member behavior and how can the day-to-day workflow of the institution be altered to drive more bipartisan policymaking?

This program is presented in partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Michael Thorning serves as the Director of Structural Democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Prior to BPC, Thorning worked for Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall where he focused on campaign finance and election reform, Senate rules and congressional reform, and judiciary, civil rights, and civil liberties issues. Thorning has been a fellow of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University and is a member of the guest faculty of the University of New Mexico. Thorning earned his B.A. in political science with honors from the University of New Mexico and served as a Fred R. Harris Congressional Intern.
J.D. Rackey is the Senior Policy Analyst for Structural Democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. His research focuses on the politics and procedures of the U.S. Congress with an emphasis on congressional capacity and modernization. Rackey previously served as professional staff with the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and he’s a frequent adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University. Rackey earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Oklahoma and is a former American Political Science Association Public Service Fellow.

Sandra Day O'Connor
2024-10-24 19:00 - 20:30
The Dole Institute of Politics will award the 2024 Dole Leadership Prize to Sandra Day O’Connor, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and founder of the nonprofit educational organization iCivics, at a public program on October 24 at 7 p.m. It is the first time the Institute has honored a recipient posthumously.
Scott O’Connor, the late justice’s eldest son, and Louise Dubé, Chief Executive Officer of iCivics, will accept the award and join Dole Institute Director Audrey Coleman for a conversation on the late justice’s life and legacy.
The program is free and open to the public—no reservations or tickets are required to attend. The program will also be live streamed on this page of the Institute’s website and on our YouTube Channel.

About Sandra Day O’Connor
Justice O’Connor’s trailblazing career in public service began in San Mateo, California, where she served as a county attorney for free after declining a paid position as a legal secretary, largely due to biases against women in the profession at the time. Her hard work and dedication led her to being offered the position of deputy county attorney.
She settled in Arizona with her husband, John Jay O’Connor, and formed a private practice with another attorney. O’Connor later entered public service in the state, eventually serving in various positions throughout all three branches of the Arizona state government.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated O’Connor to fill a vacant position on the Supreme Court of the United States. Upon her confirmation, she became the first woman to serve on the high court and served on the bench for nearly a quarter of a century before announcing her retirement in 2006.
After leaving the bench, she founded iCivics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming civic education in childhood education through innovative, engaging games and resources. The organization now reaches some 9 million students annually, supporting more than 145,000 educators throughout the nation. In December 2023, she passed away at the age of 93.

About the Dole Leadership Prize
The Dole Leadership Prize is a bipartisan award presented to an individual or nonprofit whose public service leadership demonstrates the importance of and inspires others to be engaged in political and civic affairs. The award carries a $25,000 prize that is directed to the charity of the recipient’s choice.

The Battle for Congress
2024-10-23 16:00 - 17:15
As Democrats and Republicans compete for control of the House and Senate, a look at the themes driving races across the country and what to look for in November.

Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star’s lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a decade covering politics in both states, including previously at The Wichita Eagle. He was part of a team of Eagle reporters who won the 2019 George Polk Award for political reporting.
Natalie Andrews covers the Trump campaign for The Wall Street Journal. Before that she reported on the U.S. Congress, writing about House and Senate leaders and intraparty dynamics, as well as domestic policy and government spending legislation. She’s covered two presidential impeachments, the Democrats’ effort to win the House majority in the 2018 midterms, and the battle for Congress since. She joined the Journal in 2014 as a social media editor. Previously, Natalie worked at KSL News in Salt Lake City and for the San Diego Daily Transcript, a business daily. She grew up near Salt Lake City, Utah, where she fell in love with hiking and the outdoors.
Nathaniel Birkhead is an Associate Professor and Department Head of Kansas State University’s Department of Political Science and a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar. His research and teaching focuses on Congress and state legislatures, and the representational relationship between constituents and their elected officials.

The Growing Divide: Political Realignment in the Modern Era
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:15
As this year’s momentous election campaign nears its climax, it is illustrating anew how the Democratic and Republican parties are undergoing profound ideological and demographic changes. Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib will be joined by Karen Tumulty, an associate editor and columnist at The Washington Post, for an overview of the campaign and how it is reshaping the nation’s political landscape for years to come.

Jerry Seib has been a journalist with The Wall Street Journal for almost 45 years. He served as the Journal’s Executive Washington Editor and wrote the weekly “Capital Journal” column for 29 years. He also reported from the Middle East for the Journal in the mid-1980s, covered the White House, has moderated three presidential debates, and interviewed every president since Ronald Reagan.

Karen Tumulty is an associate editor and columnist for The Post. In her previous role as a national political correspondent for the newspaper, she received the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting. She joined The Post in 2010 from Time magazine, where she had held the same title. During her more than 15 years at Time, Tumulty wrote or co-wrote more than three dozen cover stories. She also held positions with Time as congressional correspondent and White House correspondent. Before joining Time in 1994, Tumulty spent 14 years at the Los Angeles Times, where she covered a wide variety of beats. During her time there, she reported on Congress, business, energy and economics from Los Angeles, New York and D.C. Tumulty is a native of San Antonio, where she began her career at the now-defunct San Antonio Light. Tumulty holds a bachelor of journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:15
As China’s influence grows around the world, skepticism in the United States grows in tandem with it. Evidence of this is seen throughout the Heartland of America, where anti-China legislation and rhetoric have grown over the years. Professor Jack Zhang of the KU Department of Political Science will be joined by Susan Thornton, Vice Chair of the U.S. Heartland China Association and a retired senior U.S. diplomat with decades of experience in Eurasia and East Asia, and Kyle Jaros, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, for a discussion on building a balanced approach for relations with China.

This program is presented in partnership with the United States Heartland China Association and the KU Department of Political Science.

With support from the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program, which is generously funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Jack Zhang is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas (KU) and director of the KU Trade War Lab. He is a Public Intellectuals Program fellow with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University in 2018-2019 and a Wilson China Fellow at the Wilson Center in 2021-2022. Dr. Zhang’s research explores the political economy of trade and conflict in East Asia. His newest projects investigate the determinants of U.S. foreign policy towards China, the politics of the U.S.-China Trade War, and the national security implications of economic interdependence with China.

Susan Thornton serves as Vice Chair of the U.S. Heartland China Association and is a retired senior U.S. diplomat with almost 30 years of experience with the U.S. State Department in Eurasia and East Asia. She is currently a senior fellow and research scholar at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale University Law School; director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy; and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Until July 2018, Thornton was acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State and led East Asia policymaking amid crises with North Korea, escalating trade tensions with China, and a fast-changing international environment. In previous State Department roles, she worked on U.S. policy toward China, Korea, and the former Soviet Union and served in leadership positions at U.S. embassies in Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, and China.
Thornton received her master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and her bachelor’s from Bowdoin College in economics and Russian. She serves on several non-profit boards and speaks Mandarin and Russian.

Kyle Jaros is an associate professor of global affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He is a faculty fellow of the Keough School’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies and the Pulte Institute for Global Development.
Jaros’s research explores the politics of urban and regional development, intergovernmental relations, and subnational foreign engagement with a focus on China. His first book, China’s Urban Champions: The Politics of Spatial Development, examines the policy logics and political factors driving uneven development in China’s provinces.
Before coming to Notre Dame, he was an associate professor in the political economy of China at the University of Oxford’s School of Global and Area Studies and held a China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School. Jaros earned a PhD and MA in political science from the Department of Government at Harvard University, and an AB in public and international affairs, and a certificate in Chinese language and culture from Princeton University. He also holds a graduate certificate in Chinese studies from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies.

The Ticket-Splitting Voter
2024-10-09 16:00 - 17:15
The United States remains politically polarized, but are some voters returning to ticket splitting? A look at whether voters are becoming more likely to support candidates from different parties and what that means for races across the country this November.

Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star’s lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a decade covering politics in both states, including previously at The Wichita Eagle. He was part of a team of Eagle reporters who won the 2019 George Polk Award for political reporting.
Dr. Russell Arben Fox is a professor of political science and the director of the History & Politics and the University Honors programs at Friends University, a small Christian liberal arts college in Wichita, KS, where he and his family have resided since 2006. Fox has published on a wide range of topics in political theory, world politics, and religion and politics, but since coming to Kansas has focused primarily on issues pertaining to urban and local democracy. He is a regular columnist with Insight Kansas, and frequently comments on state and municipal politics around Wichita and beyond.
Stephanie Sharp was first elected at 26, serving in the Kansas House of Representatives and on the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees. With over 20 years of Republican legislative and campaign experience, she created the VoteSharp.biz voter CRM for candidates to build and manage authentic voter relationships. She holds degrees from Southwestern College (Winfield, KS), a graduate degree in International Affairs from George Washington University, and is a frequent presenter on voter and policymaker engagement.

The Candidates and America's Role in the World
2024-10-03 19:00 - 20:15
With rising tensions in the Middle East, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and continuous challenges on the international stage by China and Russia, all eyes are focused on the candidates in this year’s elections, and how they view America’s role in the world. Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib will be joined by former Senator and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to discuss where the candidates stand on the issues that impact our standing on the world stage.

Jerry Seib has been a journalist with The Wall Street Journal for almost 45 years. He served as the Journal’s Executive Washington Editor and wrote the weekly “Capital Journal” column for 29 years. He also reported from the Middle East for the Journal in the mid-1980s, covered the White House, has moderated three presidential debates, and interviewed every president since Ronald Reagan.

Chuck Hagel was the 24th Secretary of Defense, serving from February 2013 to February 2015. He is the only Vietnam veteran and the first enlisted combat veteran to serve as Secretary of Defense. Hagel served two terms in the United States Senate (1997-2009) representing the state of Nebraska. While in the Senate, he chaired and served on numerous committees, including the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, and Banking Committee’s subcommittees. He also served as the Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Senate Climate Change Observer Group. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Hagel was president of McCarthy & Company, an investment banking firm in Omaha. He also served as Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration under President Ronald Reagan. Hagel is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and has two children with his wife, Lilibet.

World Leaders in Wartime: Vladimir Putin
2024-10-02 15:00 - 16:15
On February 24, 2022 Russian military forces invaded Ukraine under orders from Russian President Valdimir Putin. This was the largest military operation in Europe since the end of the Second World War. This lecture will focus on Putin, his wartime leadership, and the status of the war in Ukraine.
Dr. Sean N. Kalic is a Cold War historian. He lectures and publishes widely on topics such as U.S. space policy, the Cold War, the post-Cold War security environment, and transnational terrorism. Prior to CGSC, he taught at Youngstown State University, Kansas State University, and Norwich University. He has presented lectures for the U.S. Naval War College’s Fleet Seminar Program, The Slovenian General Staff, The Slovenian Command and General Staff College, The U.S. Army’s Futures Command, as well as numerous international conferences. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Military History at the US Army Command and General Staff College where he has taught since 2004.
His significant publications include Combating a Modern Hydra: Al Qaeda and the Global War on Terrorism (2005); Thinking about War: Past, Present and Future (2011); US Presidents and the Militarization of Space, 1946-1967 (2012); The Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War: An Essential Reference (2017); and Spies: The U.S. And Russian Espionage from the Cold War to the 21st Century (2019). U.S. President During War Time: A History of Leadership (2023).
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

An Overview of the Kansas Election Landscape
2024-09-25 16:00 - 17:15
A deep dive into the factors driving this year’s elections in Kansas, at both the congressional and state legislative levels, and what the outcomes in November could mean for Kansas politics moving forward.

Jonathan Shorman is The Kansas City Star’s lead political reporter, covering Kansas and Missouri government. Shorman has spent more than a decade covering politics in both states, including previously at The Wichita Eagle. He was part of a team of Eagle reporters who won the 2019 George Polk Award for political reporting.

Dr. Alexandra Middlewood is the Political Science Department Chair at Wichita State University. Her areas of expertise include public opinion, political behavior, gun politics, and gender. She is a contributing columnist for Insight Kansas, a Policy Fellow at the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, contributes to the annual Kansas Speaks public opinion survey, and is the former President of the Great Plains Political Science Association. She earned her PhD in Political Science at KU in 2019.

Daniel Desrochers is the Star’s Washington correspondent. He covers Congress, the White House and federal courts with a focus on policy and politics important to Kansas and Missouri. He previously covered politics and government for the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

FALL 2024 | Beyond the Ballot: Understanding the 2024 Elections
2024-09-25
Join Dole Fellow Jonathan Shorman Wednesdays this fall as he highlights elections, campaigns, and more here in Kansas and throughout the nation. His series will culminate this November with the Kansas Panel of the 2024 Post Election Conference.
Learn more about Jonathan Shorman’s Discussion Groups series by visiting our website.

Congress in the 21st Century
2024-09-18 16:00 - 17:15
In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute will welcome Democratic and Republican former members of Congress for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series. This series’ fellows will highlight their careers in public service and bipartisanship, and work with members of the Student Advisory Board to develop programming on topics at the top of students’ minds.
This series is supported by the Edward F. Reilly Endowed Fund, which supports public programming at the Dole Institute that explores the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. This fund has been made possible by a generous gift from Edward F. Reilly, Jr.

Cheri Bustos of Illinois has never lost an election – two for City Council and five for Congress. She just left office last year after service for a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives. For most of that time, she served in the Democratic House leadership. Her previous professional experience includes almost two decades as a journalist followed by a Vice President of Corporate Communications at a multi-billion-dollar, multi-state health system. She now is a partner and co-chair at Mercury Public Affairs.
Luke Messer served three terms in the U.S. House representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. During his service, he was elected by his colleagues to serve in House Leadership as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and President of the Republican freshman class. He also served on the House Committees on Financial Services; Education and the Workforce; Budget; and Foreign Affairs. Today, Luke is Chair of the nonprofit Indiana Business Health Collaborative and a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP and Bose Public Affairs Group with offices in Indianapolis and Washington DC.

The Association of the Former Members of Congress (FMC) is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan group founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of more than 800 Former U.S. Senators and Representatives working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policymaking and deepening the public’s understanding of our democratic system.

FALL 2024 | Congress in the 21st Century
2024-09-18
In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute welcomed former members of Congress Luke Messer (R-IN) and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) for “Congress in the 21st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series highlighting their careers in public service and bipartisanship, and work with members of the Student Advisory Board to develop programming on topics at the top of students’ minds.
This series is supported by the Edward F. Reilly Endowed Fund, which supports public programming at the Dole Institute that explores the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. This fund has been made possible by a generous gift from Edward F. Reilly, Jr.
Learn more about Congressman Luke Messer (R-IN) and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) by visiting our website. You can stream their programs on each of their Dole Fellow profiles.

The Association of the Former Members of Congress (FMC) is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan group founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of more than 800 Former U.S. Senators and Representatives working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policymaking and deepening the public’s understanding of our democratic system.

The Lie Detectives: An Evening with Sasha Issenberg
2024-09-04 19:00 - 20:15
As political campaigns around the world are ready for the busiest election year in human history, and few issues are as urgent for candidates and parties as how to handle the barrage of online disinformation. Veteran political reporter Sasha Issenberg visits the Dole Institute for a conversation on his new book, The Lie Detectives: In Search for a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age, which explores how the new online landscape has forced those who run campaigns to rethink everything they thought they knew about how to reach and move voters.

This program is presented in partnership with the Lawrence Public Library and the KU Honors Program.

Sasha Issenberg is a journalist and the author of four previous books, including The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns and, most recently, The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage. He is a correspondent for Monocle, and has written for New York, the New York Times Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Politico Magazine. He teaches in the UCLA Department of Political Science.

The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age is the story of the hitherto unknown political operatives who have been leading the political class as it grapples the problem of how to handle online disinformation—or use it to their own advantage—in a vexing challenge that unites campaigners worldwide.
The author will be available after the program for a book signing. You can purchase your copy ahead of time online, as limited copies will be available for sale at the program.

World Leaders in Wartime: Winston Churchill
2024-09-04 15:00 - 16:15
Winston S. Churchill served as a wartime leader in the twentieth century’s two global wars. His posts during the Great War included service as First Lord of the Admiralty, akin to our Secretary of the Navy and, as such, set British naval policy until his removal following the failure at Gallipoli in mid-1915. During the Second World War, Churchill served as the unwavering leader of the United Kingdom shepherding the country from near certain defeat in 1940 through the Allied victory over the Third Reich in Europe. Despite his failures during the First World War, Churchill’s stubbornly optimistic leadership was uniquely suited for the crises presented by the second global war.
COL (Ret) Dave Cotter is the Dean of Academics, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Chief Academic Officer of Army University, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was formerly the Director of the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School. Dr. Cotter is a retired military officer of 32 years’ experience including combat deployments in command of a battalion and, subsequently, a brigade.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

World Leaders in Wartime: George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion
2024-08-07 15:00 - 16:15
In 1794 the new American republic was beset by a host of “enemies,” foreign and domestic. For George Washington, the greatest of these came from the disgruntled citizens of the Appalachian west who sought to resist the federal government’s ability to collect taxes and codify its powers. The Whiskey Rebellion was the first true test of the nation and the presidency. In ensuring that the Constitution was the writ of the land, Washington also set many of the precedents that governed the use of military force domestically for the presidents that followed.
Dr. Richard S. Faulkner is a Professor of Military History and has taught at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) for over 21 years. He served 23 years in the U.S. Army and commanded a tank company in the 1st Armored Division during Operation Desert Storm. He is the author of The School of Hard Knocks: Combat Leadership in the American Expeditionary Forces (Texas A&M Press, 2012), which was the recipient of the Society for Military History’s 2013 Distinguished Book Award. His second book, Pershing’s Crusaders: The American Soldier in World War I (University Press of Kansas, 2017) received the World War I Association’s 2017 Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr. Prize for the best work of history in English on World War One, the Organization of American Historians’ 2017 Richard W. Leopold Prize, and the Army Historical Foundation’s 2017 Excellence in U.S. Army History Book Award.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Discover with Dole: Celebrating Independence Day
2024-06-28 - 2024-07-07
Join us for Discover with Dole as we celebrate Independence Day from June 28 to July 7! Our Museum & Galleries will feature family-friendly crafts and activities for all ages, including scavenger hunts, trivia, coloring, and much more! Plus, learn about the life and legacy of one of Kansas’ greatest sons, Robert J. Dole, and experience the beauty of the Dole Institute during the summer!
The Dole Institute’s Museum & Galleries will be open daily between June 28 – July 7 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., including special hours on July 1 and 4. All programs are free and open to the public. Learn more about the Institute’s Museum & Galleries and plan your visit by visiting our website.

Election Administrators / Election Designers
2024-06-18 - 2025-01-19
Elections don’t just happen. They’re designed and administered by over 10,000 local election offices throughout the United States. Ahead of the General Election, explore how election administrators design and execute an election in your community from the moment an election is scheduled to long after the final ballot has been cast.
This exhibit is presented through the Bolstering Elections Initiative from the Dole Institute and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. Learn more about the initiative here.

A special exhibit from the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

World Leaders in Wartime: Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong
2024-06-05 15:00 - 16:15
Dr. Babb will discuss the wartime leadership of Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) and Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong). Their political and military leadership in the Chinese Civil War, the War Against Japan, and during two crises in the Taiwan Strait encompassed an adversarial relationship that stretched for nearly 50 years. These two leaders not only sought victory on the battlefield, but more importantly, the right to rule a country with the world’s largest population and guide its return to major power influence.
Dr. Geoff Babb served as a US Army Military Intelligence Officer in Washington, DC and after completing education as a China Foreign Area Officer, was then assigned to Joint and Army Headquarters in Hawaii. He later was posted to the Command and General Staff College faculty at Fort Leavenworth. He earned a Masters in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and a Doctorate in History from the University of Kansas.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

World Leaders in Wartime: William McKinley
2024-05-01 15:00 - 16:15
At the turn of the 20th century, President William McKinley led the United States’ continued expansion abroad through war with Spain over Cuba and the Philippines. His expansion of American power and influence abroad through two subsequent wars attempted to continue shifting the global balance of power dominated for the last few centuries by European nations. This talk will examine his role as president during the age of imperialism on the eve of the First World War, and how the legacy of his actions reverberate throughout the 20th century.
Amanda M. Nagel received her Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. Her research centers on race, war, empire, Jim Crow, and citizenship in the United States between 1898 and 1926. She is currently revising a manuscript, “He thinks he is a soldier”: Race, Empire, and the United States, 1898-1926, for the University of Virginia Press, expected to appear in 2025. She recently published an essay titled “African American Soldiers in World War I” with Oxford University Press’s Research Encyclopedia of American History in February 2021. She also has authored a chapter titled, “The Integration of USMA in the Popular Press, 1870-1871,” in the forthcoming Race, Politics, and Reconstruction at Old West Point, with the University of Virginia Press in fall 2024. She is currently an Associate Professor of Military History at the Department of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

The Counselors
2024-04-23 18:30 - 20:00
Join us on April 23, 2024, for this year’s edition of The Counselors: “Resolved: Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court should be appointed for a single, fixed 18 year-term rather than a lifetime appointment.”
The Dole Institute has been proud to present The Counselors program, a cross between a mock trial and a debate, featuring attorneys Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray, for many years. Beginning in Spring 2022, Duckers and Irigonegaray mentored Dole Institute Student Advisory Board members to conduct research and cross-examine expert witnesses. This year, the Institute is continuing the tradition of student involvement in the program with the addition of two students from the Washburn University School of Law.
This program will be moderated by Braiden Bangalan, SAB member and Discussion Group Coordinator, majoring in global and international studies, political science, and data science.

This program is presented in partnership with the Washburn University School of Law

Affirming Side
Pedro Irigonegaray is an attorney and partner at Irigonegaray, Turney, & Revenaugh. A trial lawyer since 1973, Pedro is a former President of The Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, a Fellow in The American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow in The International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Michael Milov-Cordoba is a counsel in the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program, where he works on state and federal court reform to ensure that courts uphold democratic values and the rule of law. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Michael served as a law clerk to the Hon. Alvin W. Thompson of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Michael received his JD from NYU School of Law, a master’s degree in Political Science from Columbia University, and his bachelor’s degree in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought from Amherst College.
Lou Mulligan serves as dean at the UMKC Law School, following a long tenure as a member of the KU Law School faculty and service as KU’s vice provost for faculty affairs. He is also a prolific scholar, with his work regularly cited by the state and federal courts. Additionally, he continues to represent clients and serves the legal profession in organizations such as the Kansas Judicial Council-Civil Rules Committee and the Council on Criminal Justice.
Sarah Vargas, 2L at Washburn University School of Law
Matvey Tabakh, KU junior and SAB member majoring in accounting, on pre-law track
Riley Keiter, KU junior and SAB member majoring in Political Science and minoring in Law & Society

Negating Side
Ed Duckers is partner at Stoel Rives LLP and the head of the firm’s Litigation Practice in California and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He is a past chair of Stoel Rives’ Food and Agribusiness Industry Team.
Stephen McAllister is the E.S. & Tom W. Hampton Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas School of Law. Prior to joining the faculty in 1993, Stephen McAllister clerked for Justices Byron White and Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge Richard Posner at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also was in private practice in the Washington, D.C., office of the Los Angeles law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.
Shannon Grammel serves as counsel at Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP, where she represents both private- and public-sector clients at the trial and appellate levels. Prior to joining Lehotsky Keller Cohn, Ms. Grammel served as Deputy Solicitor General of Kansas. Before that, she was a member of the Supreme Court & Appellate group in Latham & Watkins LLP’s Washington D.C. office. Ms. Grammel clerked for Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She earned her law degree from Stanford Law School, where she was President of the Stanford Law Review.
Caitlin Riffer, 3L at Washburn University School of Law and former SAB member
Nathan Binshtok, KU freshman and SAB member majoring in economics, on a pre-law track
Jaspreet Kaur, KU freshman and SAB member majoring in communications
