Brandeis Alumni, Family and Friends
Alumni College
Upcoming Programs: October 24-25, 2025
Join us for a series of interactive sessions during Alumni Weekend this fall featuring distinguished alumni and faculty, who will explore an exciting array of historic and contemporary topics. Programs are open to all alumni, parents, friends, Brandeis National Committee members, and BOLLI - Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Registration will open in June 2025 — please save the date! We look forward to you joining us for these upcoming events.
The Future of Higher Education

Faculty and senior academy leaders discuss the state of higher education and future opportunities and challenges from the latest U.S. policy developments impacting higher education institutions, to climate change and beyond.
Panelists:
Linda Bui, Associate Professor of Economics
Carol Fierke, PhD’84, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Charles Golden, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Anthropology
Jeffrey Lenowitz, Meyer and W. Walter Jaffe Associate Professor of Politics
Jeffrey Shoulson, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Professor of English
Harleen Singh, Senior Associate Provost for Academic and Strategic Initiatives, Director of the Women’s Studies Research Center, Associate Professor of Literature and
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Moderator: Joel Christensen ’01, MA ’01, Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Professor of Classical Studies
“Stuck": A Conversation with author and journalist, Yoni Appelbaum MA ’10 PhD’14

Join us for a dialogue with Yoni Appelbaum, MA’10, PhD’14, deputy executive editor at The Atlantic and author of “Stuck, How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity.” Meet the author and obtain a signed copy of the book following the program.
Speakers: Sarah Mayorga, Chair, Department of Sociology, and Neil Swidey, Professor of the Practice, Director of the Brandeis Journalism Program. Sponsored by the Journalism Program at Brandeis.
Justice, Law, and Oversight: Can Our Legal Institutions Withstand the Test?

A Conversation with Michael Horowitz ’84, Inspector General, Department of Justice Learn about the latest developments at the Department of Justice, including the rule of law, system of checks and balances, and civil rights protections in America today.
Moderators: Daniel Breen, Associate Professor of the Practice in Legal Studies. Rosalind Kabrhel, Chair, Legal Studies Program, Director, Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative (BEJI). Sponsored by the Lawyers Alumni Network.
Women Talk: Culture, Politics, and Change in Our Times

Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s “Morning Edition,” and Professor Harleen Singh will discuss the history of women’s participation in the public sphere, exploring how women have shaped and navigated public discourse over time. They will examine modes of expression focusing on the intersection of individual speech and collective identity in shaping the cultural and political landscape. Sponsored by the Brandeis Women’s Network and the Women's Studies Research Center (WSRC).
Speakers: Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s “Morning Edition”, Boston’s NPR affiliate. Dearing previously hosted “Radio Boston.” She began her career in journalism with a background in academia, nonprofits, and management consulting.
Harleen Singh, Senior Associate Provost for Academic and Strategic Initiatives, Director of the Women’s Studies Research Center, and Associate Professor of Literature and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis.
Inside the Arts & Entertainment Industry with Brandeis Alumni

Join us for a dialogue featuring Brandeis alumni who have made their mark in the world of arts and entertainment. This powerful panel will showcase inspirational actors, producers, and A&E professionals as they share their personal journeys — from Broadway stage to Hollywood soundstage — and discuss the latest trends in the industry. Sponsored by the Arts Alumni Affinity Network.
Panelists: Bonita Hamilton, MFA ’04, Actress, singer, speaker, voice-over artist. Lauded for her role as Shenzi the hyena in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “The Lion King.” Rosemary Rodriguez ’83 Director, “The Walking Dead”, “Elsbeth”, “Silver Skies.”
Moderator: Michelle Miller ’11, co-chair of the Arts Alumni Network.
In Defense of Partisanship: A Conversation with author and professor Julian Zelizer '91

Join us for a conversation with Julian Zelizer ‘91, author of “In Defense of Partisanship”, which reimagines partisanship in a divided nation. Zelizer will discuss his vision for a new era of party reforms to provide a path forward to restore responsible partisanship and shape the future of democracy.
Speakers: Julian E. Zelizer ’91, Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University, columnist for “Foreign Policy”. Zelizer, a CNN political analyst and NPR contributor, is the author and editor of 24 books on U.S. political history.
Zachary Albert, Assistant Professor of Politics
Lucy Goodhart, Lecturer, International Global Studies and Politics
Traditional Ink Drawing Workshop

Discover the timeless art of traditional ink drawing in this hands-on, introductory small-group workshop. Participants will explore drawing techniques in an intimate setting. Limited to 15 adult participants.
The workshop will be led by Professor Joseph Wardwell, Co-Chair, Fine Arts Department, Professor of Painting, and Founder, Brandeis in Siena program
Black Studies and Our Contemporary Moment: Commemorating AAAS’ 55th Anniversary

Current and former faculty of the African and African American Studies Department (AAAS) at Brandeis will engage in a wide-ranging discussion about Black intellectuals in the U.S. and South Africa at the turn of the century, African intellectuals at HBCUs, the promise and limits of algorithms and other technological measurements for an equitable public. This conversation will also address race and political culture in America today. The reception following the program will be sponsored by the Alumni of Color Network, in honor of Professor Chad Williams' extraordinary contributions to the AAAS Department and Brandeis University.
Speakers:
Amber Spry, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies
Panashe Chigumadzi, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies
Chad Williams, Tomorrow Foundation Chair of African American Intellectual History, Professor of African American History and Black Diaspora Studies at Boston University, former Department Chair of African and African American Studies at Brandeis
Moderator:
Faith Smith, Marta F. Kauffman Chair in African and African American Studies and Professor of English, Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies; and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies