Campus Life

2023-24 Penn State Forum announces fall, spring speakers schedule

Jennifer Pharr Davis to kick off season with 'Trailblazer: Hard Earned Lessons from the Appalachian Trail and Beyond' on Sept. 15

The Penn State Forum Speaker Series announces its 2023-24 events, to include, from left to right, presenters Jennifer Pharr Davis, Patrick Evans and Lori Hepner, as well as Lisa Salters (not pictured). Credit: Provided. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Forum Speaker Series committee has announced the lineup of speakers for the coming year. The forum series is modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series and includes a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions.

The buffet-style luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in venues on the University Park campus. All events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public.

Tickets for the Penn State Forum are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch. To purchase tickets and register for a lecture, see the individual links below.

The 2023-24 speakers and lecture titles are:

Sept. 15 — Jennifer Pharr Davis

Jennifer Pharr Davis, long-distance hiker, author and entrepreneur, will present a lecture titled, “Trailblazer: Hard Earned Lessons from the Appalachian Trail and Beyond,” in Deans Hall of the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Purchase tickets and register for Davis' lecture here.

Oct. 23 — Patrick Evans

Patrick Evans, 1990 Penn State alumnus and special assistant for public affairs for the secretary of the Navy, will present a lecture titled, "Communicating a Culture of Belonging," in Deans Hall of the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Purchase tickets and register for Evans' lecture here.

Feb. 21, 2024 — Lori Hepner

Lori Hepner, 2023-24 Penn State Laureate and professor of arts at Penn State Greater Allegheny, will present a lecture titled, “Making the Invisible Visible,” in Deans Hall of the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Purchase tickets and register for Hepner's lecture here.

March 29, 2024 — Lisa Salters

Lisa Salters, 1988 Penn State alumna, Emmy-winning sports reporter and ESPN sideline reporter, will present a lecture (topic to be announced) in Presidents Hall of the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Purchase tickets and register for Salters' lecture here.

Forthcoming lecture topics will be added as they are available. More information about the series is available on the Penn State Forum Speakers website.

Last Updated December 11, 2023