Join Dr. Annette Vee from the University of Pittsburgh for a fascinating exploration of the historical roots of AI-generated writing. This public talk, open to all, will take place on March 17 in Schewel – Sydnor Performance Hall. While AI tools like ChatGPT have recently brought automated writing into the spotlight, the quest to mechanize writing dates back centuries. From 18th-century androids to 19th-century spiritualism to 20th-century computer science, past attempts to automate writing have always reflected deeper ideas about intelligence and what it means to be human.

Join us for an inspiring lecture by internationally recognized peace activist, author, and priest, Rev. John Dear, as part of the Jennie Cutler Shumate Lecture Series. His talk, The Ministries of Peace and Nonviolence, will take place on March 25, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Snidow Chapel. Father Dear has spent decades advocating for nonviolence, counseling 9/11 survivors, leading Nobel Peace Prize winners to Iraq, and working with figures like Mother Teresa and Pope Francis. A Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author of over 40 books, he continues to champion justice and nonviolence worldwide. For more information, contact spirituallife@lynchburg.edu or call 434.544.8355.

Join us for the 2025 Turner Lecture featuring Stephen Kidd, executive director of the National Humanities Alliance, on March 27 at 7:30 PM in Hall Memorial Ballroom. With a distinguished career in public humanities, Kidd previously served as director of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, leading major exhibitions on global cultures, history, and social movements. He has also worked at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from George Washington University.