The UAA College of Arts and Sciences 2024-25 Community Lecture Series, “Our Shared Journey: Reflections, Insights and Visions,” brings the world to Alaska and Alaska to the world, showcasing speakers with a broad and diverse range of expertise and a deep well of insight.

From retired NPR host Melissa Block and former congresswoman Liz Cheney to Alaska’s own Seth Kantner and Mr. Whitekeys, the series spotlights the remarkable contributions of dignitaries, scholars, artists and culture bearers to gain a better understanding of our state, nation and the world around us.

Save the dates and celebrate knowledge, inspire curiosity and strengthen the bonds that make our community unique. Tickets and subscription packages are on sale now.

Schedule of speakers

On Air: A Life at NPR with Melissa Block (retired NPR host)

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Discovery Theater

For decades, NPR’s Melissa Block was a familiar presence in listeners’ homes, cars and earbuds. As a correspondent and longtime host of All Things Considered, she traveled around the country and the world, bringing stories of triumph, tragedy and much-needed humor. She joins us in Anchorage to unspool memorable moments from a lifetime of reporting, and to press the case for supporting robust journalism.

Melissa Block tickets

Caribou and the Arctic on Uncertain Ground with Seth Kantner (author/photographer) and Paddy Sullivan (UAA scientist)

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | UAA Fine Arts Building, Recital Hall

Join author/photographer Seth Kantner and UAA ecologist Paddy Sullivan as they share their unique perspectives, stories and photographs of dramatic changes they have observed while living and working in Northwest Alaska. Topics include living with caribou, decline of the Western Arctic Herd, sea ice retreat, changes in climate, thawing permafrost, proliferation of trees and shrubs, stream degradation and other related issues.

Seth Kantner and Paddy Sullivan tickets

The Voyage of The Alaska Union — Adventure, Danger, Scurvy, Romance with Mr. Whitekeys (performer/entrepreneur/historian)

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. | UAA Fine Arts Building, Recital Hall

Mr. Whitekeys will speak about his new Alaska gold rush book, The Voyage of The Alaska Union in which he reveals a true tale of Alaska history that has never before been told. Lavishly illustrated with 100 of Charles Harris's photographs, the book relies on century-old diaries, letters, manuscripts and newspaper accounts that tell the story in the words of the men who were there on the Koyukuk in 1898. It's the story of tough men who survived with what they had. It may be 70 below, you may have forgotten to pack your tent on a hundred-mile trek, but if you had doughnuts, everything was just fine.

Mr. Whitekeys tickets

Tina: Resilience, Artistry and Fame with Broadway Alaska - Tina (cast/crew member) and College of Arts and Sciences professors

Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. | UAA Fine Arts Building, Recital Hall

UAA faculty and Broadway Alaska meet to discuss the story, the person and the production, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Get ready for an in-depth conversation about the woman and the artist, as we explore her triumphant life and artistic legacy as the Queen of Rock and Roll.

Tina tickets

Defending Democracy: A Conversation with Liz Cheney (former congresswoman and author)

Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. | Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Atwood Concert Hall

 Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who represented Wyoming from 2017-2023, is at the fulcrum in our political divide. Displaying courage, discipline and integrity in the wake of a national crisis, Cheney’s actions during her last term in Congress laid bare her commitment to country and democracy over politics — and they pose new questions about the future of the American two-party system. Hear Cheney tell the stories of how she arrived at her personal convictions, her remarkable career in Congress and the road that lies ahead. Her insight into policy, principled leadership and the future of bipartisanship is unparalleled.

Liz Cheney tickets

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