Academic Speaker Series

The mission of the Academic Speaker Series is to promote the intellectual environment of the College and to facilitate discussion of important issues in the community.

Events take place in the Brooks M. O'Brien Auditorium/Lewis Academic Building, and are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

For more information, questions, or accessibility requests, please email Justine Gaskamp.

Spring 2025 Schedule

Headshot of E. Probylski with a blue tie and smiling

Building a Healthy Writing Practice

Wednesday, March 26, 5 p.m. ET 
Presented by E. Prybylski

Whether for fun or for professional publishing, writing can be tremendously rewarding. However, there’s a lot more to it than we learn in school! Discerning what is “proper” and what is healthy can be a full-time exercise, so Ellis is here to help. A professional in the publishing industry since 2008, Ellis is an AuDHD editor, author, publisher, and book coach. He can help you un-knot the tangle and enjoy your writing without the agony of worrying about what’s “right.” (Spoiler: There is no secret sauce!)

Headshot of Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie looking up and smiling

Empowerment through Self-Advocacy and Inclusive Education

Thursday, April 10, 5 p.m. ET
Presented by Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie, Ph.D. 

Sefakor is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a Lecturer in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Vermont. Her personal experience as a woman of color with a physical disability has shaped her journey as an international advocate for underrepresented people, especially those with disabilities around the globe. Her work as an international disability rights advocate, educator, researcher, and policy analyst for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD), has won many international awards including: the International Service Award from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)-USA, Ford Foundation International Fellowship award, and the International Alliance of Women (TIAW) award.