Lectures & Presentations

'Breaking Bad' star Giancarlo Esposito to visit CU Boulder Nov. 4

Greg B Swenson — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:50:16 +0000

'Breaking Bad' star Giancarlo Esposito to visit CU Boulder Nov. 4 Greg B Swenson Thu, 10/09/2025 - 13:50

Emmy-nominated actor, director and producer Giancarlo Esposito will speak at CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, a guest of the student-run Distinguished Speakers Board. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Tickets for "An Evening with Giancarlo Esposito" are $2 for students, $8 for CU faculty and staff, and $15 for the general public. Doors open at 6 p.m. Additional handling fees may apply.

Known for his transformative performances across television, film and stage, Esposito has captivated audiences for more than four decades. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the calculating drug kingpin Gus Fring in AMC’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, a role that earned him multiple Emmy and Critics’ Choice nominations. His versatility extends to acclaimed turns in The Mandalorian, The Boys, Kaleidoscope and Dear White People, as well as his collaborations with director Spike Lee in Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X.

Esposito’s range also reaches into the world of video games — he brought to life the ruthless dictator Antón Castillo in Far Cry 6 through voice and motion capture, and has lent his voice to other titles including Payday 2 and Destiny.

Outside of his acting and director work, Esposito lends his support to various charitable organizations that support the arts and education, including the Waterkeeper Alliance, Kids for Peace and World Merit USA. His philosophy of storytelling as a tool for empathy and transformation guides both his on-screen work and his efforts as founder of Quiet Hand Productions, which develops “conscious content” films designed to uplift and inspire audiences.

Why did the Distinguished Speakers Board choose Giancarlo Esposito to speak at CU?

The board chose Giancarlo Esposito because of his ability to spark meaningful dialogue around creativity, identity and purpose — topics that feel especially relevant to CU Boulder’s campus community. His body of work invites audiences to think critically about morality, power and the roles we play in shaping our world.

Esposito’s career has defied convention: from stage to screen, from art-house cinema to major franchises, he has navigated Hollywood while staying grounded in empathy and authenticity. "We see his story as a powerful example of perseverance and reinvention — one that encourages students to embrace their individuality and pursue their passions with intention," said Cooper Baldwin, chairman of the Distinguished Speakers Board.

More than a performer, Esposito is a storyteller who uses his platform to examine what connects us as people. By bringing him to campus, the Distinguished Speakers Board hopes to open a conversation about character, spirituality, shifting identity and the impact of creative expression in times of change.

What about his work and story will connect with CU students?

Esposito’s conversation will span themes of identity, breaking boundaries through storytelling, creative leadership, human connection and the importance of tenacity. His reflections on navigating Hollywood, directing with purpose and balancing creativity with conscience will offer lessons relevant far beyond the arts.

"For students exploring their own identities and ambitions, Esposito's story underscores the importance of authenticity and perseverance in the face of doubt. His presence on campus promises to be both energizing and reflective. An invitation to consider how character, integrity and creativity shape not only art, but the impact one leaves on the world," Baldwin remarked.

�� the Distinguished Speakers Board

The Distinguished Speakers Board’s mission is to cultivate a diversity of thought in the student body and the surrounding community by bringing speakers who engage and challenge society through their actions and ideas. Ultimately, DSB strives to create a more thoughtful and aware campus and community.

The board, composed entirely of CU Boulder students, works to connect the campus with global voices across culture, politics, science, the arts and more. Past speakers have included Anderson Cooper, Trevor Noah, Garry Kasparov, Hank Green, Chloe Kim and Jennette McCurdy. Each event provides students, faculty, staff and the Boulder community the chance to engage in conversations that expand perspectives and inspire action.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: An Evening With Giancarlo Esposito
When: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Where: Macky Auditorium

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $2 for students, $8 for faculty/staff and $15 for the general public.

Get Your Tickets

Emmy-nominated actor, director and producer Giancarlo Esposito will speak at CU Boulder's Macky Auditorium, a guest of the student-run Distinguished Speakers Board. Buy your tickets online.

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You're invited to the Colorado Sustainability Challenge finals Oct. 12

Elizabeth Lock — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:49:24 +0000

You're invited to the Colorado Sustainability Challenge finals Oct. 12 Elizabeth Lock Thu, 10/09/2025 - 11:49

RSVP now and head to the UMC on Sunday, where top teams will pitch their solutions for the chance to win a share of $25,000 in prize funding—and the opportunity to create real, lasting change.

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Myron Gutmann and the Midlife Mortality Project Oct. 6

Megan Maneval — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:44:27 +0000

Myron Gutmann and the Midlife Mortality Project Oct. 6 Megan Maneval Thu, 10/02/2025 - 07:44

This talk, part of the Institute of Behavioral Science Speaker Series, will explore how "deaths of despair," including those linked to substance use, suicide and related causes, have shifted across both geography and time in the U.S. since the 1990s.

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Faculty presentation: Alternate Format on Oct. 14

Megan Maneval — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:57:03 +0000

Faculty presentation: Alternate Format on Oct. 14 Megan Maneval Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:57

Join Disability Services in Access+ for this faculty-centered presentation on Alternate Format. The group will discuss the general process for students requesting alternate format, what some common types of alternate format may include and how to best prepare your course materials.

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Author of 'The New Jim Crow,' to speak at CU Boulder Nov. 5

Megan Maneval — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:00:23 +0000

Author of 'The New Jim Crow,' to speak at CU Boulder Nov. 5 Megan Maneval Mon, 09/29/2025 - 11:00

Best-selling author and civil rights advocate Michelle Alexander will speak at CU Boulder at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The event will take place at the UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom and tickets are available now.

Tickets will be $2 for students, $5 for faculty and staff, and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available for purchase online. The event is sponsored by CU Boulder’s student-run Cultural Events Board (CEB). Ticket prices don't include processing fees.

Perhaps best known for her 2010 bestseller The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Alexander's career spans law, academia, advocacy and journalism. She has served as a civil rights lawyer, taught law at Stanford and Ohio State, and continues to write on issues of justice as an opinion columnist for The New York Times.

More from the Cultural Events Board on Alexander:

Why did the board choose Michelle Alexander to speak at CU?

We selected Michelle Alexander because she stands at the intersection of civil liberties and media literacy. These are two themes that CEB felt the CU community would benefit from learning more about.

Her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, explores systemic racism in the American prison system, national conversations on systemic racism, criminal justice reform and the continuing impact of racial inequality. As a civil rights lawyer, legal scholar, advocate and writer, Alexander speaks directly to the challenges of due process, the criminalization of activism and the biases embedded in legal and media systems.

Alexander has the ability to connect pressing cultural and legal issues with the lived experiences of marginalized groups. Her work critically examines the ways media and policy shape the collective understanding of civil liberties. We believe her insights will challenge and inspire CU students to think deeply about equity, solidarity and truth in our society.

What about her work and career will connect with and intrigue CU students?

Her insights will resonate with CU students who are navigating questions about systemic inequality, misinformation and the role of media in shaping public understanding. CU students will benefit from her perspective on how narratives—whether legal, political, or digital—can reinforce oppression or foster solidarity.

�� the Cultural Events Board

The Cultural Events Board is composed of student leaders and aims to broaden cultural knowledge by supporting the voices of underrepresented and misrepresented groups on campus, thereby promoting student engagement with their platforms. The Cultural Events Board encourages opportunities for interaction among students resulting in respect, appreciation and understanding for cultural differences.

Past CEB speakers have included award-winning singer, dancer and actress Rita Moreno; South African-born comedian and commentator Trevor Noah; comedian and commentator Hasan Minhaj; former Ohio Governor John Kasich; Olympic gymnast and author Aly Raisman; Academy Award-winner Viola Davis; acclaimed actress, author and activist Diane Guerrero.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: An Evening With Michelle Alexander
When: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Where: UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $2 for students, $5 for faculty/staff and $10 for the general public.

Get Your Tickets

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Lily Gladstone to keynote campus Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Oct. 13

Megan Maneval — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:40:10 +0000

Lily Gladstone to keynote campus Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Oct. 13 Megan Maneval Tue, 09/23/2025 - 07:40

Actress and advocate Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet and Nez Perce Tribal Nations) will be coming to CU Boulder to keynote the annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on Monday, Oct. 13.

Gladstone is best known for her starring role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, which earned her the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture and the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Leading Role. She is also the first Native American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Gladstone’s keynote address will be centered around the theme "Stepping Forward, Rooted Deep: Honoring Indigenous Legacies and Envisioning Global Futures." Following the keynote, she will join a moderated discussion led by Angelica Lawson (Northern Arapaho Nation of Wyoming), assistant professor of cinema studies and ethnic studies.

"I am excited to see the community connect with the theme of this year’s Indigenous Peoples Day keynote” said David Humphrey, associate vice chancellor for leadership support and programming. “The theme honors the historical presence and contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples at CU Boulder and in the region, while casting a visionary, intergenerational call to action. It is a celebration of survival, cultural continuity and collective care amidst systemic challenges—from local enrollment shifts to global environmental (in)justice."

The event is free and open to all CU Boulder students, staff, faculty and community members. For accommodation requests, please email Rennea Rojo-Martinez Donovan.

Sponsored by the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS), the Center for Cultural Connections and Community (The Center) and the Office of Leadership Support and Programming.

If you go

Who: Students, faculty, staff
What: CU Boulder Indigenous Peoples Day 2025
When: Oct. 13, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Where: UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom

More campus events

Oct. 13: Mamá: A Mother and Son Tsotsil Journey—Film Moments & Conversation With the Director

Oct. 14: Panel discussions

"Earth and Extraction: Environmental Justice from a Native Lens"
"Reimagining Care: Indigenous Health and Housing Crisis"

Campus resources

"Killers of the Flower Moon" and Indigenous representation in film

Campus Land Acknowledgment

University Libraries Research Guide

In the community

Oct. 3: áyA Con, Colorado's Indigenous Comic and Art Festival

Oct. 12: Breaking Barriers to Native Education For All at Dairy Arts Center

Oct. 16: Defiance in Native Arts & Representation at Museum of Boulder

Oct. 18: Native American Culture & History Day at High Plains Environmental Center

Lily Gladstone is best known for her starring role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. Her performance earned her the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture.

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Demystifying the transfer portal, supporting student-athletes—a talk Sept. 24

Megan Maneval — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:58:22 +0000

Demystifying the transfer portal, supporting student-athletes—a talk Sept. 24 Megan Maneval Fri, 09/19/2025 - 10:58

An upcoming installment of the campus-athletic conversation series will include a presentation from CU Athletics' Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program representatives followed by discussion and Q&A.

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Flash talks: Hear the latest on social science research Sept. 22

Megan Maneval — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:20:25 +0000

Flash talks: Hear the latest on social science research Sept. 22 Megan Maneval Thu, 09/18/2025 - 14:20

The Institute of Behavioral Science Flash Talks are a great way to learn about a wide variety of research. Each speaker represents a research program at IBS and has few minutes to highlight a behavioral or social science project.

The Institute of Behavioral Science Flash Talks are a great way to learn about a wide variety of research. Each speaker represents a research program at IBS and has a few minutes to highlight a behavioral or social science project.

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Free public talks at the BioFrontiers Institute return

Megan Maneval — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:48:37 +0000

Free public talks at the BioFrontiers Institute return Megan Maneval Thu, 09/11/2025 - 09:48

The BioFrontiers Institute is hosting free monthly talks for the public this fall—no jargon, just scientific issues that impact the community. Learn about how the brain encodes love, how microbes could fight childhood diabetes, how 3D printing is shaping medicine and more.

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Renowned German-Jewish scholar to speak at CU Boulder Sept. 2

Elizabeth Lock — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:47:33 +0000

Renowned German-Jewish scholar to speak at CU Boulder Sept. 2 Elizabeth Lock Fri, 08/29/2025 - 11:47

Michael Brenner, an American University distinguished professor of history, will present "When Democracy Died in Darkness: German-Jewish Responses to Hitler's Rise."

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Lectures & Presentations

'Breaking Bad' star Giancarlo Esposito to visit CU Boulder Nov. 4

Why did the Distinguished Speakers Board choose Giancarlo Esposito to speak at CU?

What about his work and story will connect with CU students?

�� the Distinguished Speakers Board

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Why did the board choose Michelle Alexander to speak at CU?

What about her work and career will connect with and intrigue CU students?

�� the Cultural Events Board

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Lectures & Presentations

'Breaking Bad' star Giancarlo Esposito to visit CU Boulder Nov. 4

Why did the Distinguished Speakers Board choose Giancarlo Esposito to speak at CU?

What about his work and story will connect with CU students?

�������� the Distinguished Speakers Board

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You're invited to the Colorado Sustainability Challenge finals Oct. 12

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Myron Gutmann and the Midlife Mortality Project Oct. 6

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Author of 'The New Jim Crow,' to speak at CU Boulder Nov. 5

Why did the board choose Michelle Alexander to speak at CU?

What about her work and career will connect with and intrigue CU students?

�������� the Cultural Events Board

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Lily Gladstone to keynote campus Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Oct. 13

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�� the Distinguished Speakers Board

�� the Cultural Events Board