UATX Podcast

Mark Oppenheimer on apartheid, censorship, and the weaponization of the law. Mark Oppenheimer is a practicing advocate and member of the Johannesburg Bar. He has appeared in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court in a series of cases that seek to determine the boundaries of freedom of expression. Mark has authored submissions to Parliament on the Hate Speech Bill and to the UN Co...

Joseph Loconte on J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the battle against the spirit of their age. Author, educator, and filmmaker Joseph Loconte is the director of the Rivendell Center in New York City and serves as a presidential scholar at New College of Florida and as the C.S. Lewis Scholar for Public Life at Grove City College. He also serves as a senior fellow at Sagamore Institute and at the Tri...

UATX Professor of Religion and Philosophy J.J. Kimche on the Talmud and why it matters. An Englishman by upbringing and an intellectual historian by training, J.J. Kimche's work explores the intersections of European philosophy, Jewish thought, and the evolving trajectory of religious ideas in the modern West. Recorded: June 1, 2026 at UATX. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Faceboo...

This event was hosted by the Austin Union. UATX students founded the Austin Union to promote respectful debate and rigorous thinking. Bryan Caplan is a Visiting Professor at UATX. He is a professor of economics and senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University. Caplan is also the bestselling author of Open Borders and The Myth of the Rational Voter. Garett Jones is a profe...

In this talk, Charles Fain Lehman—senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and senior editor of City Journal—explains why so much crime goes undetected, what it actually takes to restore public order, and why the “Karens” objecting to antisocial behavior are onto something. Recorded: May 19, 2026 at UATX. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠

Rep. Elise Stefanik on her new book, term limits, and whether she'd recommend Harvard to her son. Congresswoman Stefanik has proudly represented New York’s 21st Congressional District for six terms and currently serves as Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership. At the time of her first election, Rep. Stefanik made history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. For over a decade, sh...

Rob Henderson on his life story, luxury beliefs, and why all family structures aren't created equal. Rob Henderson is the bestselling author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, which was recently optioned for a major motion picture. Henderson grew up in foster homes in Los Angeles and in the rural town of Red Bluff, California. Once described as “self-made” by The N...

Niall Ferguson in discussion with UATX undergraduates Emerson Lau, Faith Brown, and Merrick Meardon. Sir Niall Ferguson is a co-founder of UATX. He is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. Niall is the author of sixteen books, including Doom: The Politics of...

Watch Ben Shapiro’s keynote address at the University of Austin (UATX). Featuring: Ben Shapiro, Niall Ferguson, Joe Lonsdale, and UATX President Carlos Carvalho. Includes live student Q&A. Recorded: Sunday, April 26. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠

Judge Roy K. Altman on his new book, "Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law." On April 4, 2019, Judge Altman was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. At 36, he became the youngest federal district court judge in the country—and the youngest federal judge ever appointed in the Southern District of Florida. Judge A...

Jim Meigs on monkeys, Nietzsche, and populism. Jim Meigs is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist for The Wall Street Journal’s Free Expression newsletter. He spent ten years as editor-in-chief of Popular Mechanics, then the country’s largest-circulation science and technology magazine. His work has appeared in the New York Post, Commentary, City Journal, and Slate, among othe...

Vib Altekar on maritime superiority and the future of national security. As co-founder and CTO at Saronic Technologies, Vibhav (Vib) Altekar is a perception engineer with expertise in the field of autonomous systems and maritime technology. He has spent a large part of his career in industry driving advancements in U.S. Department of War technology. As one of the earliest engineers at Anduril, Vib...

Andy Aymeloglu, Matt Long, and Mike Shafer on Palantir's early days, forward-deployed engineering, and how to save the West. Andy Aymeloglu was Director of Engineering at Palantir Technologies from 2005 to 2015, growing it from a fledgling company to an 1800-person company with offices across the globe; he has since served as VP of Engineering at Hexagon Bio, Alcor member, and Founding Partner...

Yeonmi Park on sex trafficking, starvation, and the freedoms you can't take for granted. Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector and human rights activist. She escaped the brutal Kim dictatorship as a teenager only to fall victim to sex trafficking in China, before fleeing to South Korea by walking across the Gobi Desert. Now an American citizen, Park is the author of the international bestsell...

Dr. Catherine Pakaluk on the political, economic, and social effects of the birth dearth. Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is an American economist and social philosopher at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She completed her doctoral work in economics at Harvard University under Nobel laureate Oliver Hart. A mother of eight, she collaborates closely, personally and professionally, with...

Peter Savodnik on how to oppose the vulgar, the illiberals, the grifters, the frauds, and the partisans. Peter Savodnik is a senior editor at The Free Press. Previously, he wrote for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine, as well as publications in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, south Asia and across the United States. His book, The Interloper: Lee Harvey Oswald Ins...

Harvey C. Mansfield on disruption, manly women, and the original (Puritan) Harvard. For over six decades, Professor Mansfield shaped the study of political philosophy from his post at Harvard, where he completed his undergraduate education, earned his PhD, and spent his entire 60-year teaching career. His chair in political philosophy, generously funded by the Alder Tree Charity Foundation, now fi...

Tyler Cowen on the new life of the mind -- and the rise of managerial empires. Cowen is an economist, bestselling author, podcast host, and Free Press columnist. He is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University, the chairman and faculty director of the Mercatus Center, and the founder of Emergent Ventures. This lecture occurred on January 8, 2026 at the University of Austi...

President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education Lawrence W. Reed on the triumphs, decay, and destruction of Ancient Rome. This lecture occurred on October 28, 2025 at the University of Austin. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

Texas Supreme Court Justice Evan A. Young on "Originalism in Practice: Lessons from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas." This lecture was delivered on September 16, 2025. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

Professor Harvey C. Mansfield on Machiavelli, virtue, and why men are in crisis. For over six decades, Professor Mansfield shaped the study of political philosophy from his post at Harvard, where he completed his undergraduate education, earned his PhD, and spent his entire 60-year teaching career. His chair, generously funded by the Alder Tree Charity Foundation, now finds its home at UATX. This...

Senator Ted Cruz (R - TX) on God, the U.S. Constitution, and how to restore America. This lecture was delivered on October 25, 2025, at UATX Families and Founders Weekend. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

Jimmy John of Jimmy John's sandwiches and Aaron Webman on how to build a great American business that delivers delicious value "freaky fast." This discussion occurred on September 29, 2025. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

UATX Distinguished Fellow Liel Leibovitz on how to defeat the anti-American barbarians. This lecture was delivered on October 8, 2025. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠

Associate Provost Loren Rotner on Leo Strauss's 1959 lecture, the power of books, and how to live well. This lecture was delivered to all UATX freshmen during orientation on September 3, 2025. Apply Now⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ uaustin.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠