CIIS Public Programs

In this episode, diversity and inclusion specialist Denise Boston has a conversation with author and academic DaMaris B. Hill that spans poetry, history, and current events to illuminate the lives of extraordinary women, and examines the impact they have had on our society today.

Join Stanford’s social media expert, Jeff Hancock, and Director of the Trust Project, Sally Lehrman, as they examine the erosion of truth online, how our psychological and social dynamics impact our culture, and what we can do to rebuild our collective grasp on the truth.

In this episode, psychotherapist and CIIS professor Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold has a conversation with social anthropologist and researcher Beatriz Labate about the risks and benefits of the globalization of ayahuasca through the lens of her research on new and traditional uses of psychoactive substances.

Professor and activist Jennifer Wells talks with author and community organizer Trebbe Johnson about her lifelong dedication to finding and making beauty in the Earth’s broken places.

In this episode, therapist Ivy Tiegel talks with cartoonist Rachel Lindsay about Rx, her graphic memoir, and her experiences working as an artist with bipolar disorder.

In this conversation with psychologist Jyoti Rao, poet Jessica Semaan discusses her latest work, Child of the Moon, and how creating poetry has helped her heal from her traumatic childhood during the Lebanese Civil War.

Journalist Ed Morales is joined by CIIS Professor Antonio Ramirez for this conversation on the American Latinx experience and the powerful cultural impact of this frequently overlooked community.

Author Irshad Manji talks with KQED journalist Kat Snow to discuss her experiences as a refugee from Africa, a Muslim immigrant to the US, and her Moral Courage project.

In this episode, author Stephen Jenkinson and CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs explore what it means to live, and die well.

Psychedelic therapist Daniel McQueen and CIIS’s Natalie Metz explore the potential for healing and personal transformation through the intentional use of cannabis and psychedelics.

Technologist and digital media scholar An Xiao Mina and curator Dorothy R. Santos explore the long, winding road from innocuous cat memes to the central practice for civic engagement that memes have become today.

Author Damon Young is joined in conversation by artist A-lan Holt from Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts to discuss the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be black in America.

Author Lynne Twist is joined in conversation by CIIS Provost Liz Beaven to discuss the power money wields over our lives and how we can empower ourselves to re-conceptualize it.

Astrologer and psychic medium Jessica Lanyadoo is joined in conversation by CIIS student and local actor Madeline H.D. Brown to discuss self-compassion, astrology, and why you should never look at your crush’s chart.

In this episode, addiction expert Gabor Mate is joined in conversation by CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to discuss his groundbreaking work on trauma and the mind/body connection.

Krista Tippett, author and creator of the On Being podcast, is joined in conversation by author Laurel Braitman to explore the art and mystery of living.

CIIS Professor and psychologist Nicolle Zapien discusses her recent research into cases of infidelity, and how we can reframe the way we think about infidelity and sexuality in our relationships.

In this episode, book critic David Ulin and author Matthew Zapruder discuss how reading can function as an act of engaged citizenship and resistance.

Author and psychoanalyst, Pilar Jennings is joined by CIIS’s Sergio Rodriguez-Castillo for a conversation about the intersection of Buddhism and psychology.

Author Jabari Asim and CIIS’s Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Denise Boston in conversation about his new book. It's about a different side of American history - one that doesn't depend on a narrative steeped in oppression, but rather reveals African American voices telling their own stories.

Artificial intelligence research scientist Julie Carpenter, and human sexuality researcher Brianna Booth explore the future of human-robot sexual interaction, considering the subject from both robot and human perspectives

Author and teacher Oren Jay Sofer in conversation with CIIS’s Terese Gjernes about mindful and nonviolent communication skills.

Chef Nik Sharma talks with CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to share the stories and recipes that have shaped his life and work. This conversation was part of The Haresh & Joan Shah Lecture & Performance Series.

Author Huda Al-Marashi talks with CIIS Professor Daniela Koenig about the process of navigating love and expectations while straddling two cultures.

Author Adrienne Mayor is joined by CIIS Professor Carolyn Cooke to explore how some of today's most advanced innovations in robotics and artificial intelligence were foreshadowed in ancient myth.