There are no upcoming events.
DLS Complementary Events
When other campus groups host events related to a Distinguished Lecture Series event, we will post them below.
There are no upcoming events.
What is the Distinguished Lecture Series
The Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) began in 1990, originating from our campus community’s expressed interest in national topics and current events.
The DLS invites two speakers annually for an evening lecture, question and answer session, and a book signing. Our guest list from the past includes Henry Cisneros, Gloria Steinem, Nikki Giovanni, Harry Wu, George Takei, the Guerilla Girls, Richard Leakey, Alice Walker, Art Spiegelman, Henry Louis Gates, Michael Pollan, Roxane Gay, Samin Nosrat, and many more.
The series strives to bring in a diverse range of speakers to achieve the following:
- To introduce the campus community to the excellence of world-class speakers who bring powerful new ideas to the campus community.
- To complement the educational process and enhance the educational experience of the UWM student.
- To feature speakers who benefit and are of interest to students.
Previous Speakers
- Jane Goodall
- Maya Angelou
- Toni Morrison
- Anna Deavere Smith
- Alice Walker
- Dr. Cornel West
- David Malouf
- Sherman Alexie
- Dr. Richard Leakey
- Nina Totenberg
- Eric Schlosser
- Walter Mosley
- Alma Guillermoprieto
- Edward James Olmos
- bell hooks
- John Waters
- Angela Davis
- Tony Kushner
- Naomi Wolf
- Art Spiegelman
- Barry Scheck
- David Wild
- Nikki Giovanni
- Robert Kennedy Jr.
- Dr.Henry Louis Gates
- Amy Goodman
- Julie Chavez Rodriguez
- John Bul Dau
- Ed Begley Jr.
- Adrienne Rich
- Frank Warren
- Danny Glover
- Saul Williams
- Jonathan Kozol
- Ira Glass
- Edwidge Danticat
- Juan Williams
- Michael Pollan
- Terry McMillan
- Morgan Spurlock
- Jerry Greenfield
- Firoozeh Dumas
- Aaron McGruder
- Jose Antonio Vargas
- Bill Nye
- Sherman Alexie
- Aisha Tyler
- David Simon
- LeVar Burton
- Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
- Raoul Peck
- Carly Fiorina
- Roxanne Gay
- Diane Guerrero
- Samin Nosrat
- Pete Souza
- Xiuhtezcal Martinez
- Ibram X Kendi
- Aly Raisman
- Paul Ryan
- George Takei
- Mae Jemison
- Jessamyn Stanley
- Hank Green
- Ada Limón
- Tommy G. Thompson
Suggest a Speaker
The Distinguished Lecture Series speaker selection process is a collaborative effort designed to ensure that our events reflect student interests and bring timely, relevant topics to campus. Our process involves four key steps: idea generation, speaker research, campus partnership identification, student surveys, and final selection.
We are continuously seeking suggestions that we can continue to research and survey. Please submit your ideas so we can consider them in our research and selection process.