Topics: Administrative, Speakers
January 24, 2013
Major League Baseball executive Billy Beane and Kiva.org founder Jessica Jackley are two of the featured speakers coming to Ball State this spring.
Billy Beane, considered one of the most progressive and talented executives in Major League Baseball, is among the prominent speakers visiting Ball State University this spring.
Beane has molded the Oakland Athletics into a perennial postseason contender since assuming the general manager’s duties after the 1997 season. By striking parallels between baseball and business, Beane inspires audiences across industries with his unforgettable underdog story.
He was the subject of Michael Lewis' 2003 book, “Moneyball,” which was made into a 2011 film starring Brad Pitt.
Beane will provide his insights at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in Emens Auditorium. His appearance is part of Ball State’s Excellence in Leadership (EIL) Speaker Series. Mark Montieth, a former Indianapolis Star reporter currently with ESPN 1070 AM in Indianapolis, will serve as on-stage host for the event.
Other speakers visiting campus this spring include:
- Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons, who will discuss their lives in the years following a residence hall fire at Seton Hall University. “After the Fire” begins at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in Pruis Hall. Three freshmen died and 58 were injured in the incident, which later led to the conviction of two classmates who started the fire as a prank. The presentation is part of the EIL Speaker Series.
- The next installment of the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series will be with Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the writer/director/producer of "Miss Representation". The award-winning documentary exposes how mainstream media contributes to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in Pruis Hall. For more on the documentary, visit www.missrepresentation.org. The presentation is part of the EIL Speaker Series.
- Jessica Jackley will discuss how she founded Kiva.org, a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Her address, “Love, Money and Work: Social Entrepreneurship as a Career, ” begins at 7:30 p.m. March 18 in Pruis Hall. The presentation is part of the EIL Speaker Series.
- Zach Wahls, author of "My Two Moms," who will discuss “The Nature of Family and What It Means for the Millennial Generation” at 7:30 p.m. March 25 in Pruis Hall. In 2011, Wahls testified before the Iowa House of Representatives about his family and why he believes same-sex marriage, legal in Iowa since 2009, should remain protected by his state’s constitution. The sixth-generation Iowan then made appearances on MSNBC, CNN and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He most recently spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The presentation is part of the EIL Speaker Series.
The events are free and open to the public.
By Marc Ransford, Senior Communications Strategist