All Purdue Online DegreesCelebrating our 66th Season!
Since 1953, the Purdue University Northwest Sinai Forum has provided exceptional, affordable programming on important issues of the day in a town hall setting for the residents of Northwest Indiana. Our legacy and mission is bringing world-renowned scholars, leaders, dignitaries, artists and personalities to audiences in order to inspire, educate, enlighten and entertain. The 66th Season builds on that grand tradition!
From Homeless to Harvard
Liz Murray
October 6, 2019, 4 p.m. CT
Liz Murray’s life is a triumph over adversity and a stunning example of the importance of dreaming big. Murray was raised in the Bronx by two loving but drug-addicted parents. She grew up in poverty, often without enough food, chronically absent from school and most of all, struggling to connect her education to a viable future. By age 15, Murray’s mom had died and she was homeless. Determined to take charge of her life, Murray finished high school in just two years and was awarded a full scholarship to Harvard University, all while camping out in New York City parks and subway stations. Today, Murray is a passionate advocate for underserved youth. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Arthur Project, a mentoring program that works intensively with at-risk youth.read more ... From Homeless to HarvardPerspectives on Justice and Civil Liberties
Alan Dershowitz
October 27, 2019, 4 p.m. CT
Professor Alan M. Dershowitz is a Brooklyn native who has been called “the nation’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer” and one of its “most distinguished defenders of individual rights.” A prominent scholar on US Constitutional and criminal law, Dershowitz has also been called the “winningest” criminal lawyer in modern history, and has argued hundreds of appeals in courts throughout the nation. As a speaker, he challenges audiences with his thought-provoking perspectives on today’s foremost social, legal and ethical issues. Dershowitz joined the Harvard Law School faculty at age 25 – the youngest in the school’s history – and became an emeritus professor after 50 years of teaching. read more ... Perspectives on Justice and Civil Liberties208 Seconds: A Lifetime of Lessons
Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, III
November 10, 2019, 4 p.m. CT
One of the most captivating American heroes of our time, and now an ardent advocate for the safety of everyone who flies, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger’s preparation and leadership enabled him to safely guide US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency water landing in New York City’s frigid Hudson River – an inspirational and iconic moment in modern history. His incredible personal story is captured in Sully, a major motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger. Captain Sullenberger will share his lifetime of experience which prepared him to handle the unprecedented crisis presented by the “Miracle on the Hudson.”read more ... 208 Seconds: A Lifetime of LessonsAn Afternoon with Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
December 1, 2019, 4 p.m. CT
Gloria Steinem remains an iconic and inspiring voice, and one of the most visible symbols of the women’s movement. Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer. She travels in the US and other countries as an organizer and lecturer and is a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality. Steinem produces and hosts “WOMAN with Gloria Steinem,” a TV series on VICELAND that explores human rights and violence against women around the world. Her next book “THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE, BUT FIRST IT WILL PISS YOU OFF,” is out October 29, 2019.read more ... An Afternoon with Gloria SteinemPast Speakers
Geopolitics: Risk, Reward and Balance
General John F. Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps (RET)
September 8, 2019, 4 p.m. CT
In a world where dictators are falling and rising, governments posture for a greater impact on the global stage, and information is the critical currency, who will emerge and where will opportunities exist? A 4-Star General, US Secretary of Homeland Security and former White House Chief of Staff, few people are as qualified as General Kelly to provide firsthand insight into the evolving geopolitical landscape around the world. From the UN to the Pentagon, from the South China Sea to Washington, DC, General Kelly discusses the trends, risks and potential rewards amid the hot spots around the globe.read more ... Geopolitics: Risk, Reward and BalanceThis year’s PNW Sinai Forum season will host five speakers from September through December, leading off with General John Kelly.
