Speakers Series of South Haven

Issues, Innovations & Ideas Shaping Our Lives

Previous Events Archive

2023
The World According to Xi: Should US Fear China’s Rise? Dr. Ann Chih Lin
Challenges to Democracy: The Growth of Autocracy in the World, Dr. Joel Toppen
American Health Care. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. A Call for a New Model. Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE

2022
How Technology Both Increases Polarization and Builds Bridges, Dr. Lisa Schirch
Game Changing Advances in Medicine, Medical Geneticist Dr. Caleb Bupp, MD
Best place to live in 2050? Michigan! Best-Selling Author Parag Khanna
The Roots of Russian – American Discord, Professor Dr. Jim Butterfield

2021
What Went Wrong in Afghanistan? Professor Dr. Joel Toppen
Michigan Business Recovery, Executive Editor Kelley Root
The Pandemic Economy and Beyond, Dr. Paul Isely | Rob Cleveland | Jim Hettinger
The Inside Story of the Virus and the Vaccine, Dr. H. Clifford Lane, M.D.

2020
We regret the 2020 Speakers Series presentations were canceled because of the COVID pandemic.

2019
Smart Thinking in a Post Truth Age, Psychologist David Myers
Top Trends Affecting Michigan, Governor Jennifer Granholm
The Great Lakes Water Wars Continue, Journalist Peter Anin
Affordable Housing: Obstacles and Solutions, Advocate Ryan Kilpatrick

2018
Reflections on Leadership and Perseverance, Mayor Dennis Archer
Michigan Mid-Term Election Issue, Journalist Phil Power
While Black People Slept, Professor Fred Johnson
Foreign Policy Challenges in 2018 and Beyond, Diplomat Jack Segal
A Road Map to Long Term Economic Recovery, Economist Marci Rossell McCarthy

2017
Bold Ideas for Better Schools, Educator Yvonne Caamal Canul
Mid East Issues, Professor Ebrahim Moosa
Immigration and Our Future, Entrepreneur Bing Goei
Making Michigan Work Even Better, Journalist Jack Lessenberry
Is College the Best Choice?, Educators Dr. Jean Norris and Michael Norris
The Supreme Court in the Crosshairs, Professor David Ryden

2016
Fake News 2016, Author A. Brad Schwartz
The Case for Sentencing and Prison Reform, Advocate Joe Haveman
Reconnecting with Nature in a Digital World, Educator Erik Mollenhauer
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?, Journalist Rick Albin, Dr. J.H. “Joe” Schwarz, Joan Bauer
Saving the Great Lakes: Water Quality Issues, EPA Senior Advisor Cameron Davis, Sr.

2015
Fighting Crime and Building Good Community Relations, U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles
The Case of Economic Optimism, Economist Marci Rossell McCarthy
Transformative Changes Ahead for Americans, Health Care Advocate Jamie Orlikoff
Water Tension and the Great Lakes Compact, Journalist Peter Annin

American Health Care. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. A Call for a New Model.

Randy Oostra
Randy Oostra

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE,
Retired President & CEO of Health System ProMedica

Dr. Oostra offered insights into efforts to reform the disparities of the health care provided in this country. He shared his perspective of how we can address these issues and bring about improvement.
 

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Watch the Video – American Health Care. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. A Call for a New Model. by Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE, Retired President & CEO of Health System ProMedica.

Video by Richard Brunvand

Challenges to Democracy: The Growth of Autocracy in the World

Dr. Joel Toppen

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Dr. Joel Toppen
Chair of Political Science Department, Hope College

Dr. Toppen explained that many democracies around the world have been declining into authoritarianism governments over the last several years. He defined the characteristics of once functioning democratic governments who have suffered the loss of free and open elections, the absence of freedom of the press and an independent judiciary.

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Watch the Video – Challenges to Democracy: The Growth of Autocracy in the World by Dr. Joel Toppen, Chair of Political Science Department, Hope College

Video by Richard Brunvand

The Speakers Series will pause until next Fall with presentations scheduled in September and October.

The World According to Xi. Should US Fear China’s Rise?

Dr. Ann Lin

Thursday, May 4th, 2023

by Dr. Ann Chih Lin
Director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan

Dr. Lin explained how the current Chinese leadership understands Chinese power and position on the global stage and how they tie these beliefs into an understanding of the privileged position that the United States has enjoyed in the world, and thus what they feel they are entitled – or hope to be entitled – to claim.

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Watch the Video – The World According to Xi. Should US Fear China’s Rise? by Dr. Ann Chih Lin Director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan

Video by Richard Brunvand

How Technology Both Increases Polarization and Builds Bridges in a Divided US Election Season

Lisa Schirch
Lisa Schirch

Thursday, October 20, 2022

by Dr. Lisa Schirch
Starmann Chair in Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Dr. Lisa Schirch provided a survey of the best and worst impacts of technology on polarization and social cohesion. Highlighting case studies and examples in the US within the context of a tense US election, she explained how the designs of some technology platforms like Facebook and Twitter seem to encourage polarization. She then explained some new tech platforms that can help build greater trust and care among Americans.

Lisa Schirch, PhD is Professor of the Practice of Peacebuilding and the Starmann Chair in Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. She also directs the Social Media, Technology, and Peacebuilding program for the Toda Peace Institute. A former Fulbright Fellow in East and West Africa, Schirch is the author of eleven books, including Social Media Impacts on Conflict and Democracy: The Tech-tonic Shift.

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Watch the Video – How Technology Both Increases Polarization and Builds Bridges in a Divided US Election Season by by Dr. Lisa Schirch, Starmann Chair in Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Video by Richard Brunvand

Game Changing Advances in Medicine

Dr. Caleb Bupp

Thursday September 29, 2022

Dr. Caleb Bupp, MD, Medical Geneticist

Dr. Caleb Bupp, MD is a pediatrics trained, board certified medical geneticist who practices at Beaumont Health-Spectrum Health and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. He shared his background and experience as he took us through the process of genetic sequencing, a subject that is having a significant impact on the quality of our lives today and will increasingly impact us in the future. He talked about the great advances in health care that have resulted from proactive versus reactive approaches, and how that change has improved the quality of life for many people. He also addressed the unintended moral, ethical, and legal challenges that have arisen from the use of this technology to preselect or modify physical characteristics of unborn children.

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Watch the Video – Game Changing Advances in Medicine by Dr. Caleb Bupp, MD, Medical Geneticist

Video by Richard Brunvand

Get ready, they’re coming to Michigan!

Parag Khanna
Parag Khanna

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Best-selling author Parag Khanna

Are you ready to move? Do you feel your welfare is at risk from political and economic crises, technology disruptions or climate change? Author and researcher Dr. Parag Khanna defended his claim that Michigan will be a top destination because of factors surrounding climate change, economies, and governments. According to his new book, “Move: The Forces Uprooting Us,” it appears the entire world will be coming to Michigan….. the best place to live on the entire planet by 2050.

Khanna is a leading global strategy advisor, world traveler, and best selling-author. He is Founder & Managing Partner of FutureMap, a data and scenario based strategic advisory firm. He was named one of Esquire’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,” and featured in WIRED magazine’s “Smart List.” He holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, and Bachelors and Masters degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He has traveled to nearly 150 countries and is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

Watch the Video – Best place to live in 2050? Michigan! by best-selling author Parag Khanna

Video by Richard Brunvand