Schedule of Events
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Tuesday, Oct. 10
3 p.m. Wilson Hall — Room 103. Open to all members of the Vanderbilt Community
Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows Event with Jenn Carlson - Safer Catch? Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy
Jenn Carlson will lead a discussion on the shifting role of guns on college campuses. What responsibilities do educational institutions have to keep students safe from violence, and how far should they go to ensure safety? What are the options for college administrators in responding to the recent surge in campus shootings? Campuses have long been gun-free zones, but increasing numbers of colleges have moved to allow so-called “campus carry.” Do college students have the same Second Amendment rights as do citizens off-campus, or should campuses be gun-free? What are the relationships between physical security and pedagogy, constitutional rights, and higher education?
Dr. Carlson is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow and an NRA-certified gun instructor as well as an ethnographer of gun carriers, trainers, and advocates. She is the author of three books: Policing the Second Amendment; Citizen-Protectors; and Merchants of the Right. She has been published in The New York Times, Detroit News, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post and has appeared on NPR and PBS as an expert on guns in America.
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Wednesday, Oct. 11
6:30 p.m. The Wond'ry - open to all undergraduate students
Undergraduate Pre-Symposium Event for AI, Free Speech, and Human Rights
In association with the 2023 AI, Free Speech, and Human Rights Symposium, this event, split into two sessions, will chart the past, present and future of the ethical and societal implications of AI, as told by academic and industry experts and undergraduate students alike.
6:30-6:50 PM: Networking & Food
6:50-7:35 PM: Expert panel - “How did we get here and where are we going?” Esteemed experts from both industry and academia will delve into the evolution of AI and its relationships with their careers over the years. They will discuss the potential paths undergraduates can pursue, particularly in the realms of AI ethics and its broader impact on society.
7:35-7:45 PM: Break & Transition
7:45-8:30 PM: Student research panel - Presentations from undergraduate students: This segment will showcase research projects undertaken by former and current Vanderbilt undergraduates across disciplines. Their projects share interests in the societal and human rights implications of AI technologies.
Expert Panelists include:
• Dr. Jonn Kim, CEO of Geeks and Nerds (GaN) Corp., Vanderbilt ECE Ph.D. alum.
• Dr. Sarah Burriss, postdoctoral researcher in AI, Ethics, and Education at Vanderbilt
• Dr. Ole Molvig, assistant professor of physics, history and communication of science and technology, and founder of the Emergent Technology Lab at the Wond’ry.Student Panelists include:
• Eleanor Beers (BA'23), first-year Master of Data Science student at the Vanderbilt Data Science Institute.
• Sovann Chang (BS'22), second-year Master of Data Science student at the Vanderbilt Data Science Institute.
• Reed Cooper, fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering.
• Sophia Podolsky, fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Cinema and Media Arts. -
Thursday, Oct. 12-Friday, Oct. 13
Live stream will begin on the 12th at 9 a.m. Live streamed event - open to all members of the Vanderbilt community
Symposium on AI, Free Speech and Human Rights
The Future of Free Speech Project in conjunction with Vanderbilt University will host an event to explore the dynamic intersection of generative AI, free speech and human rights within the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence advancements. The symposium will bring together thought leaders, researchers, activists and industry professionals from around the world to discuss the implications of emerging AI technology for freedom of expression and access to information.
The conference will cover a wide range of themes and challenges related to AI governance and its implications and will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions and interactive elements, including the presentation of a cutting-edge beta version of a tool kit to counter hate speech and multimodal AI.
Register here to join the livestream.
The livestream will be available on the symposium website beginning at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12. Click here to view the full schedule.
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Friday, Oct. 13
3 p.m Student Life Center Ballroom - open to all Vanderbilt parents, grandparents and siblings
Family Weekend Conversation with the Chancellor
Join Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Provost C. Cybele Raver and other university leaders for a conversation about the university with opportunities to ask questions and gain a greater understanding of Vanderbilt's priorities, including the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative.
Family Weekend is open to all Vanderbilt parents, grandparents and siblings.
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Monday, Oct. 16
5:30 p.m Vanderbilt's Rothschild College - Black Box Theater - 2401 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
A Conversation Hosted by Dialogue Vanderbilt: Bret Stephens in Discussion with Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law
Hosted by Vanderbilt Chancellor Diermeier, Bret Stephens, a well-known journalist, editor and columnist will join Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, for a discussion centered around the value of free expression, open debate and civil discourse through the lens of some of the most pressing issues we face today.
Stephens has been an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a senior contributor to NBC News since 2017. Since 2021, he has been the inaugural editor-in-chief of SAPIR: A Journal of Jewish Conversations.
Stephens was previously a foreign affairs columnist and deputy editorial page editor at The Wall Street Journal, overseeing the editorial pages of its European and Asian editions. At the Wall Street Journal, Stephens won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2013.
From 2002 to 2004, he was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.
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Tuesday, Oct. 17
12:30 p.m. Central Library, Room 200 - open to all members of the Vanderbilt community
Unity Project Lunch and Learn
The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is working to expand the dialogue of learning outside the classroom and onto the lunch table with our ongoing series. The Free Speech Week Lunch and Learn will explore First Amendment issues right here in Tennessee with the director of the Tennessee ACLU.