The Sussman Lecture Series is dedicated to studying issues that define our public life and engaging students and citizens in constructive dialogue regarding these issues.
The Sussman Lecture Series was established by the late Richard Sussman (AS’51), in memory of his late wife Lila.
Upcoming Lectures
Sept. 8, 2026: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Brian Goldstone
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of There Is No Place for Us: Working Homeless in America Brian Goldstone will speak to Iowans on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the fall Sussman Lecture offered by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University in partnership with Anawim Housing.
Goldstone’s presentation will highlight how the working poor have been pushed out of affordable housing in Atlanta and the risk that the rest of our nation’s capital cities face as well.
Brian Goldstone is a journalist, anthropologist, and the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, an “exceptional feat of reporting” (The New York Times) which exposes the dramatic rise of the “working homeless” in cities across America.
Registration for the Sussman Lecture featuring Brian Goldstone will open in July.
Past Sussman Lectures
Photojournalist and educator KC McGinnis joined us for the 2026 Sussman Lecture. McGinnis’ work has been published by leading national outlets and takes him across Iowa and the country to document the complex relationship between people and the environment. In his talk, “Social by Nature: Environmental Photojournalism for a More Hopeful Future,” McGinnis explored the stories behind his compelling images—from industrial agriculture and family farms to environmental justice movements and communities shaped by the land.
Drawing from years of field reporting, McGinnis examined how environmental narratives emerge through everyday lives, cultural traditions, and the natural places people depend on. His work offers an honest yet hopeful lens on the challenges and possibilities that define the future of our shared environment.
“Students Are Humans First” with Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab
February 20, 2025
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab joined us for the Spring 2025 Sussman Lecture to discuss the challenges students face in meeting their basic needs while earning a college education. She explored this topic in her award-winning book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream. The book documents the failures of policymakers and higher education institutions to make college affordable. Her scientific studies identifying and addressing college students’ basic needs for food, housing, childcare, transportation, and health supports sparked the internationally-known #RealCollege movement and inspired federal and state data collection and legislation, as well as countless privately-funded programs.
“Pain and Politics in the Heart of America” with Dr. Jennifer Silva
March 6, 2024
Dr. Jennifer Silva joined us for the Spring 2024 Sussman Lecture to discuss the economic, social, and cultural challenges currently facing America’s working class and how those challenges have impacted the ability of the working class to achieve the American Dream. Dr. Silva has written two books surrounding these topics, Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty and We’re Still Here: Pain and Politics in the Heart of America.
“Dignity: The Foundation of a New Patriotism” with Tim Shriver
November 2, 2023
Americans may be more divided than ever, but some say our disagreements aren’t causing the division, but what we do when we disagree. Tim Shriver joined us for the Fall 2023 Sussman Lecture to discuss “The Dignity Index”, which was developed by his nonprofit UNITE, and to share how it can be applied to solve the country’s toxic political and cultural divides. Shriver also explained why dignity is the key to easing divisions, preventing violence, and solving problems.
Address: 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
Phone: (515) 271-3623
Email: harkininstitute@drake.edu
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