Emory’s Carol Anderson, renowned human rights scholar and bestselling author, discusses the future of voting rights. Drawing on Mark Twain’s words, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” Anderson reveals how patterns of voter suppression from the past echo today. By coming together as a community, she says, we can create “a new rhythm and a new rhyme.” Only when every vote counts can we have a strong, just democracy. 

David Frank, the Christopher Brett Wolf Chair in Hematology and Medical Oncology, shares his insights on the Future of Cancer. Discover how his desire for helping others has shaped his path to becoming a renowned physician-scientist. In this inspirational talk, Frank explores new therapies emerging from his laboratory, his unique approach to compassionate patient care, and how he equips students to treat patients while also teaching them about the disease.

Ken Keen, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and director of Goizueta Business School’s Master’s in Business for Veterans program, discusses the evolving nature of leadership. He highlights how veterans, through their service, have honed skills like emotional intelligence, empathy, and adaptability. Keen believes future leaders can build trust and respect by fostering these traits, and paving the way for a brighter tomorrow.

Judaism represents a culture and a civilization. With 4,000 years of history, Jews have always thought about cultural transmission, keeping the language, customs, and values alive. Miriam Udel, associate professor and director of the Tam Institute of Jewish Studies, examines how the ideas that have connected generations with the past can also find a way into the future.

American History Professor Joe Crespino believes President Jimmy Carter should be remembered as someone who made human rights the chief priority of his foreign policy, as well as for the optimism, honesty, and hopefulness that he brought to American politics. Crespino reflects on what we can learn from the Carter era to help shape the future of politics.

Despite technology and automation, many workers feel busier than ever. Goizueta Business School Professor Marina Cooley looks at how leaders can make systemic changes—like four-day work weeks, flexible schedules, and childcare stipends—that replace busyness with balance. And how walking a turtle can remind us to slow down.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the effectiveness of targeted therapies like mRNA vaccines. And Emory helped lead the way on COVID-19 therapeutic research, discovering and launching molnupiravir—an effective drug to treat the virus. How can nanotechnology in medicine like those used during the pandemic be used to treat other diseases like heart disease and cancer? Emory expert James Dahlman explores exciting innovations in health, including gene editing, barcoded nanoparticles, and more.

Andrea Hershatter, senior associate dean at Goizueta Business School, believes that with each technological advancement comes opportunities for new businesses. Entrepreneurs who see through the chaos can leverage technology in new and exciting ways. But it also takes an entrepreneur who leads with empathy to solve some of the biggest societal problems.

As a veteran journalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Peabody Award podcaster, Hank Klibanoff has experienced firsthand the ever-changing landscape of news media. He believes that media is at a precipice. As Americans’ attitudes toward news media are more divided than ever, can media return to being the mediators of information and seekers of truth?

Cat Dymond’s journey as a nurse-midwife began when she was a sophomore at Harvard. Her mother had passed away, and she wanted to honor her memory. Dymond began her first career in social services, shifted to reproductive health, served as a pro bono doula for more than 20 years, raised two sons, and eventually came to the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Through Emory’s innovation lab, The Hatchery, she received a grant to develop a mobile midwifery service to reach underserved communities. In this deeply personal talk, Cat describes her life’s work and how she’s reimagining what nursing can be.

During a school field trip to a science museum, Dakshitha Anandakumar saw an exhibit on sensory perception that sparked her curiosity about how we perceive the world around us. As a graduate student in the biomedical engineering program at Georgia Tech and Emory University, she explores how the brain processes sound and understands speech. In this talk, Anandakumar shares exciting research that could lead to improved assessments and therapies for people with communication disorders like autism.

As a chemistry professor at Emory University, Jen Heemstra is passionate about conducting research. But she believes her most important work is mentoring other researchers—her students. In this talk, Heemstra shares how a breakthrough discovery by a student in her lab could help improve the detection and diagnosis of cancer. It’s just one example of student flourishing at Emory that is shaping the future.

Pushkar Shinde, a Woodruff Scholar and student-athlete at Emory University, is on a double mission: to discover truth and to heal others. Through his interdisciplinary studies and attending the Emory Tibetan Mind/Body Sciences Summer Abroad Program, he learned that his quests are interconnected. In this talk, Shinde describes how his Emory experience led him to the intersection of mind and matter and his vision to empower people to live healthier lives.

What makes students flourish at academic institutions, in their careers, and throughout their lives? Ravi Bellamkonda, provost at Emory University, describes how Emory is transforming the undergraduate experience and his vision for student flourishing that will shape not only what students achieve but who they become.