Speaker and Visitor Program
A key component of the Patterson School experience is our rich speaker and visitors program. Policymakers, professors, corporate officials, and political activists are brought to campus not just to speak, but to actually meet our students. Most guest speakers make two presentations: a major session open to the public and another (frequently off the record) small event with just Patterson School students. Indeed, those experts participating in the annual Fall Conference normally do no open-to-the-public events. Finally, all visitors dine during their visits with a small Patterson School group (six to eight people - primarily students), ensuring close personal contact and increased networking possibilities.
In addition to Patterson School events, many guest speakers to the University of Kentucky and this area make major presentations on political and international themes. Last year's roster included former Indian President Abdul Kalam on economic development, former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev on strained U.S.-Russian relations, former Democratic presidential nominee Senator George McGovern comparing Viet Nam and Iraq, former Secretary of State and CJCS Colin Powell, Mary Robinson, previously the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and three journalists: Washington Post CEO Donald Graham, CNN international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, and Sky News Commentator Jamie Rubin. In 2006-2007, these included former Vice President Walter Mondale and Senator Dee Huddleston (on intelligence reform), Nick Clooney (on efforts to assist the Darfur region of Sudan, with his son George), and Ashley Judd (on her work as a "Goodwill Global Ambassador" for YouthAids).
Finally, the Patterson School's close relationships with the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship, the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, and the Kentucky World Trade Center provide students with additional opportunities for professional engagement and growth.
2008 Vince Davis Lecture: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2007-2008 Speakers/Visitors
Dave Baker, Anchor and reporter, WKYT-TV (CBS affiliate) Lexington.Karol Boubreaux, "African Development: Rwanda," Mercatus Center, George Mason University.
Ian Bremmer, President, Eurasia Group, author of The J-Curve.
David Byrne, "Peace Accords of Northern Ireland," former E.U. Commissioner and Irish Attorney General.
Sarah Devlin, Foreign Service Officer, American Embassy Manila.
Nicholas Forte, Economist, CIA.
Hashim Gafarov, Caucasus Research Fellow - Azerbaijan, World Security Institute.
Henry Gaffney, Director of Strategy and Concepts, Center for Naval Analyses.
Eugene Gholz, Professor at LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.
Louis Jacobson, Editor, CongressNow.
Donald Jensen, Research Director, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.
Jeremy Jones, Author, Negotiating Changes.
Adna Karamehic, Program Associate, Open Society Institute (Soros).
Stuart Kaufman, Professor of Political Science, University of Delaware.
Daniel Kazmer, Economist, CIA.
Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress.
Steve LeVine, journalist (Wall Street Journal) and author of The Oil and the Glory.
Michael Metrinko, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, U.S. Army War College (former American FSO and Iranian hostage).
John Mueller, Woody Hayes Professor of Political Science, Ohio State University.
Arman Musinyan, Caucasus Research Fellow - Armenia, World Security Institute.
Oddo Oghale, Peace Corps Country Director, Fiji.
William R. Polk, author, Violent Politics.
Robert Pringle, Intelligence Analyst (Ret.), CIA.
Paul Simpson, Big Ass Fans, Inc.
George Staples, Ambassador and former Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service, "Transformational Diplomacy."
Joseph Varuolo, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S, Air Force, Office of Defense Cooperation, U.S. Embassy Moscow.
Marco Vicenzino, Director, Global Strategy Project.
Mary Warlick, Senior Director for Russia, National Security Council, "U.S. Russia Relations: New Challenges, New Realities."
Richard Wynne, Boeing (Commercial Aircraft), "Boeing: Challenges and Opportunities in Global Aerospace."
Charles Ziegler, Chair and Professor of Political Science, University of Louisville.
2006-2007 Speakers/Visitors
Josh Ackerman, Lexmark International, "Traveling and Managing Accounts Overseas."
Daniel Bon, Director General (Ret.), Policy Planning, Canadian Department of Defense.
John J. Boyd, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, "Service in Iraq."
Joseph DeTrani, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Mission Director for North Korea.
Robert L. Gallucci, Dean, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, "The Evolving Threat to the National Security: Hard Choices Ahead."
William Helkie, Senior Advisor, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy.
Steve Heyneman, Professor of International Education Policy, Peabody Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University. "Foreign Aid and Education."
Michele Hendrix, Senior Economist, U.S. Government.
Brady Kiesling, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and author of Diplomacy Lessons: Realism for an Unloved Superpower, Reshaping America's Threat Environment.
Patrick Kennedy, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management, Washington, DC.
Yoshiki Kobayaski, Political Officer, Embassy of Japan to the United States , "Overview of the Intelligence Community in Japan."
Bruce Laingen, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer; President of the American Academy of Diplomacy.
Scott Lemieux, Professor of Political Science, Hunter College, "Executive Power and the War on Terror."
Albert Mauroni, Senior Policy Analyst, Northrop Grumman Information Technologies.
Thomas McCluskey, Director of Human Resources, Central Intelligence Agency.
Nelson Messone, Political Advisor, Conseiller du Secretaire General, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Paris.
Dmitry Pozhidaev, UN Department of Civil Administration, "Views of the United Nations: A View from Kosovo."
Edward O'Donnell, Ambassador and Special Envoy to the Organization of American States, Washington, DC. "Pillars of U.S. Policy toward Latin America."
Robert Pringle, Intelligence Analyst, CIA (Ret.).
Tom Ruby, Lieutenant Colonel, Vice Dean for Operations, Air Command and Staff College, United States Air University.
Joseph Ruth, Foreign Service Officer, Employee Recruitment, U.S. Department of State.
Kailash Satyarthi, Human Rights Activist, Dehli, India, "Child Labor and the Quadrangular Paradigm."
Sergy Sevastyanov, Director, International Studies Center, Vladivostok State University, " Russia and Putin after 2008."
Danny R. Smith, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. "Criminal Justice in Kentucky and Relationships with Domestic and International Intelligence."
Robert Smolik, U.S. Foreign Service Officer, "U.S. State Department and Foreign Service Employment."
Amul R. Thapar, U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Kentucky.
Kathleen Trask, Development Economist, "Development: A View from the Field-Africa to Afghanistan."
Angela Van Berkel, UN Information Office in Washington, DC, "Views of the United Nations: A View from Washington."
Jennifer Viau, Press Relations Specialist, U.S. Department of State.
Scott Wallsten, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute and Senior Fellow, AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies Institute.
Alecia Webb-Edgington, Director, Kentucky Homeland Security.
Tarik Yousef, Professor of Economics, Georgetown University and Dean, Dubai School of Government.