Oct. 7 update: Since issuing this news release, the university has expanded the Chancellor's Colloquium series to include a talk by Michael Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts and the 1988 Democratic nominee for president. Details below.

The UC Davis Chancellor’s Colloquium Distinguished Speakers Series launches its third year this fall with a lineup of lectures intended to spark engaging conversations about some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Free and open to the public, the 2011-12 series includes four speakers: Oct. 25, Nov. 30, Jan. 10 and Feb. 22. Each lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session and conclude with a reception.

To reserve a seat, please call (530) 754-2262.

2011-12 UC Davis Chancellor’s Colloquium Distinguished Speakers

Tuesday, Oct. 25 — Cathy Davidson, the Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English and John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke University. Nominated by President Obama to the National Council on the Humanities in December 2010, Davidson is co-founder of HASTAC (The Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Technology Advanced Collaboratory). The organization is a network of educators dedicated to new modes of learning for the digital age. 4 p.m., Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom.

Wednesday, Nov. 30 — Charles Vest, president emeritus and professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As president of MIT, Vest was active in science, technology and innovation policy; building partnerships among academia, government and industry; and championing the importance of open, global scientific communication, travel, and sharing of intellectual resources. 4 p.m., Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 — Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. Cicerone engages in research in atmospheric chemistry and climate change that has involved him in shaping science and environmental policy at the highest levels nationally and internationally. 4 p.m., Vanderhoef Studio Theatre.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 — Chuck Young, chancellor emeritus of UCLA, and a public policy professor in the UCLA School of Public Affairs. An internationally recognized leader in higher education, Young has been recognized for his commitment to public service as well as his efforts to improve elementary and secondary education. 4 p.m., UC Davis Conference Center.

Monday, Feb. 27 — Michael Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts and the 1988 Democratic nominee for president. Since leaving office, he has served as a visiting professor at many colleges and universities, including Harvard, Hawaii, Northeastern and UCLA. 4 p.m., Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

The UC Davis Chancellor’s Colloquium Distinguished Speakers Series, initiated in 2009 by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, has brought more than a dozen of the nation’s leading thinkers to campus to explore topics at the intersection of the world’s most critical issues.

Past lectures can be viewed online on the UCTV website, http://www.uctv.tv/UCDcolloquium/.