The Caltech Y Student Activism Speaker Series (SASS) follows in the footsteps of past student-run series organized through the Caltech Y, including the Leaders of America Series (1955-1979) and the Distinguished Speaker Series (1990-1993). Like its predecessors, SASS originated from students desire to provide challenging and thought provoking exploration, and finding a home under the Y's umbrella of promoting engaged responsible citizenship. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Student Activism Speaker SERIES 

2020 Matt Barreto (UCLA) – Racial Gerrymandering & Racially Polarized Voting Webinar

 

2020 Dorine van der Wall and Oliver Rosenbauer (World Health Organization) – WHO and Global Policy Webinar

 

2020 Jonathan Katz (Caltech Professor) – Partisan Gerrymandering Science Policy Webinar

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2020 Bill Colglazier (former Advisor to Secretary of State & NAS Executive Officer) – Science Policy and Diplomacy

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2019 Sean McKenna – Housing Crisis in LA

 

2019 Reina Buenconsejo and Sarah Cohen (students) – Science Policy Opportunities for Students in DC

 

2019 Socialists of Caltech (club) – Rent Control

 

2019 Liam Dillon (LA Times Journalist) – Housing and Homelessness Crisis

 

2019 Scott Pace (Executive Secretary, national Space Council) – From Apollo to Artemis: Lunar Policy

 

2019 Francisco Donez (EPA) – Reducing Air Pollution from Heavy-Duty Diesel

 

2019 Emily Lakdawalla (Planetary Society) – Speaking Your Science

 

2019 Brigitte Roth Tran ( – Extreme Weather and Firm Return Dynamics

 

2019 Kate Chandler – Crash History of Drones

 

2019 Extinction Short Film w/ Iram Parveen Bilal (Director)

 

2019 Casey Dreier (Planetary Society Policy Director) – How to be a Space Advocate

 

2019 Brian Toon – Dinosaurs and Nuclear Wars

 

2019 No Mas Bebes Documentary w/ Renee Tajima-Pena - Director

 

2019 Asa Hopkins – A Pathway to Policy

 

2018 Christina Bellantoni

 

2018 President Tom Rosenbaum – Academics and the National Debate

 

2018 CA Propositions Overview – League of Women Voters

 

2018 Jamie Tijerina -

 

2018 Merchants of Doubt Documentary w/ Eric Conway (JPL Historian)

 

2018 Adam Winkler – We the Corporations – UCLA Law Prof

 

2018 Carl McPherson – College and Inequality

 

2018 Regina Dugan – Tech Policy Discussion – Former VP Facebook and Google; Former Director of DARPA

 

2018 Company Town Documentary with Producers

 

2018 Sam Wang – Fixing Democracy with Statistics, Science and Law – Princeton Prof

 

2018 Simon Wong & Boeing Shih – FBI Cyber Security

 

2018 Tracey Van Houten – JPL Scientist and former Political Candidate

 

2018 Gary Tyler – Exonerated from Death Row – with CCD

 

2018 Amber Cantorna – Coming Out from a "Focus on the Family" Family – with CCD

 

2018 Melina Abdullah – Black Lives Matter – with CCD

 

2017 Citizen's Climate Lobby: Dan Brotman, Glendale CC Econ Prof; Peter Kamus, JPL Climate Scientist; Carol

Kravetz, Prod. Coord; Austin Minnich, CIT ME Prof

 

2017 Erin Hartman – Understanding Uncertainty in Polling – UCLA Prof, formerly ran polling and analytics - Obama for America

 

2017 Michael Dello-Iacovo – Effective Altruism – former CEO of EA Australia

 

2017 Hamed Qawasmeh – Feasibility of the Two State Solution

 

2017 Victor Reis – Nuclear Policy – former Sr. Adv, DOE; former Dir, DARPA; former Ass. Dir, National Security and Space - OSTP

 

2017 Citizens Climate Lobby Panel

 

2017 Carl Pabo – Helping Democracy Think – Visiting Professor The World in 2050

 

2017 Robb Willer –Political Communication in a Polarized World – Stanford University

 

2017 Ron Lin – Scientists Talking with the Media - LA Times

 

2017 Robert Hanrahan – Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship

 

2017 David Wright – Domestic Nuclear Weapons Policy - Union of Concerned Scientists

 

2017 Michael Nacht – Nuclear Weapons Policy on a Global Stage - Berkeley

 

2017 Jennifer Mustos: Trafficking and Technology – with Feminist Club

 

2016 Minimum Wage Panel: Larry Wilson, Daniel Flaming, Abel Ramirez, and Pablo Alvarado

 

16-17 Science Policy Lunch Series [Jonathan Katz, France Cordova, Rush Holt]

 

2016 Miles Corwin – (Author: And Still We Rise) - on Educational Access

 

2016 Morgan Kousser – Supreme Court and the 2016 Election

 

2016 David Baltimore – Ethics of Genetic Engineering – with SEPAC

 

2016 Mike Nelson & Kathleen Doherty – (Science Advisor; US Ambassador to Cyprus) National & International Politics and Power

 

2015 David Cruz (USC Law Prof) – Civic Rights, Civic Equality, and Religious Liberty

 

2015 Space Entrepreneurship Panel (Rob Hoyt, Michael Rubel, Chris Vorhees; Sergio Pellegrino Moderator) w/KISS

 

2015 Scott Pace (GW Space Policy Institute) Lecture and Lunch w/ KISS

 

2015 Hank Jones (former Black Panther) – Lunch

 

2015 Alex Joel (US Civil Liberties Protection Officer) - Lunch

 

2015 Betty Medsger (Journalist), John and Bonnie Raines (burglars)

 

2015 Wendy Kohlhase (bio medical ethicist – Ebola Ethics) - Lunch

 

2014 Alex Joel (US Civil Liberties Protection Officer) - Lunch

 

2014 Kim Shriner (Tanzania Project – Huntington Hospital) – Lunch w/ CMA

 

2014 Wendy Kolhase (bio medical ethicist – Huntington Hospital) – Lunch w/PMA

 

2014 Susan Herman (ACLU President)

 

2013 Boots Riley (musician and activist)

 

2013 Jaimala and Hitesh Gupta (Indian NGO's) – w/OASIS

 

2013 Gerald Kominski (UCLA Health Policy Research)

 

2013 Elizabeth Calvin (Human Rights Watch – juvenile justice and foster care systems)

 

2012 Rich O'Toole (JPL Legislative Affairs)

 

2012 Jared Rivera (Latino Labor and Voting Activist) w/ CCD

 

2012 Suzie Baldwin (MD, Human Trafficking)

 

2012 Tavis Smiley (Broadcaster, Author)

 

2011 Jeremy Scahill (Journalist – Afghanistan)

 

2011 Shukry Cattan (International Rescue Committee - Refugees)

 

2011 The Yes Men (Impersonators, Activists)

 

2011 Jim Fruchterman (Benetech) w/ Caltech Entrepreneur Club

 

2011 Steve Koonin (Under Secretary for Science) w/ CMA

 

2011 Hidden Documentary - Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) w/Amnesty

 

2010 Ira Leifer (NASA Gulf Oil Spill Response) w/ CMA

 

2010 Alexis Madrigal (Journalist – Clean Tech History) w/ESW

 

2011 Science Policy Lunch Series [Nate Lewis, Hall Daily]

 

2010 Matt Gonzalez (Civil Rights Attorney, Green Poltician)

 

2010 Jeremy Scahil (Journalist - Blackwater)

 

2010 Kalaya'an Mendoza (Amnesty International)

 

2010 C.I.C.L.E (Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange)

 

2010 Karim Sadjadpour (Carnegie Endowment - Series on Iran)

 

2010 Abbas Millani (Stamford Professor – Series on Iran)

 

2009 Gary Blasi (UCLA Professor – Homelessness)

 

2009 Roger Cohen (NY Times Foreign Editor – Series on Iran)

 

2009 Sakura Kone (Common Ground – New Orleans)

 

2009 Jackson Katz (Violence Against Women Prevention)

 

2009 Friends of the LA River (Hike)

 

2009 Emily Pilloton (Project H Design )

 

2009 Jim Fruchterman (Benetech)

 

2008 Sam Childers (Angels of East Africa)

 

2008 Andy Bales (LA Rescue Mission)

 

2008 Morgan Simon (Responsible Endowments Coalition)

 

2008 Chris Mooney & Matthew Nesbit (Framing Science)

 

2008 Paul Polak (Out of Poverty – When Traditional Ways Fail)

 

2008 Sufyan Omeish & Abdallah Omeish (Occupation 101)

 

2008 Nelson, Foster, Paradise and Kennedy(JPL vs. HSPD12 )

 

2008 Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar (Made In LA)

 

2007 Kevin Sites (War Journalist – Author)

 

2007 Chris Mooney (Science Journalist - Author)

 

2007 Reagan Demas (International Justice Mission)

 

2007 China Blue Documentary (Fair Trade)

 

2007 Kevin Sites (War Journalist – Author)

 

2006 Rev. George Regas (All Saints Church vs. IRS)

 

2006 Invisible Children Documentary (Sudan)

 

2006 Enrique Devalos & Rogelio Vencia

 

2006 Black Gold Documentary (Fair Trade)

 

2006 Jack Duvall (International Center on Non Violent Conflict)

 

2006 Nikki Giovanni (Author - Racism)

 

2005 Steve Barr (Green Dot Schools)

 

2005 Chris Mooney (Science Journalist - Author)

 

2005 Ralph Nader (Green Presidential Candidate)

 

2005 Peter Dreier (Fair Trade)

 

2005 Kurt Gottfried (Union of Concerned Scientists)

 

2005 Ka Hsaw Wa (Burmese Activist)

 

2004 Science Policy Forum [David Baltimore , Janet Hering, Vasavada, and David Goodstein

 

2004 Chuck Collins (United for a Fair Economy)

 

2004 Mike Farrell (Death Penalty Focus)

 

2004 Bernie Sanders (Independent US Congressman)

 

2003 Gerard Ungerman (Plan Columbia)

 

2003 Rahul Mahajan (Author)

 

2003 Peter Camejo (Green / Latino Candidate for Govenor)

 

2003 Tahmeena Faryl (RAWA)

 

2003 Theodore Postol (Missile Defense – MIT)

 

2003 Huwaida Arraf & Adam Shapiro (Int. Solidarity Movement)

 

2002 Scott Ritter (former UN Weapons Inspector – Iraq)

 

2002 Hunter Lovins (Rocky Mountain Institute)

 

2002 Tim Wise (Anti Racism Activist)

 

2001 Jose Ramos-Horta (Nobel Peace Prize – E. Timor)

 

2001 Michelle Mascarenhas

 

2001 Mike Dolan

 

2000 Amy Goodman (Radio Host - Democracy Now)

 

2000 Jody Williams

 

2000 Adam Werbach (Sierra Club)

 

1999 Dolores Huerta (United Farm Workers)

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The Distinguished Speaker Series

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1992-93 Judy Gorman

 

1992-93 Igor Nlimov 

 

1992-93 Paul Orfalea 

 

1992-93 Vladamir Kovalenko

 

1992-93 Nikki Giovanni 

 

1990 Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu

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The Leaders Of America Series

 

Paul McCready LOA 78-79

 

Harlan Ellison LOA 78-79

 

James Whittaker & Diane Roberts LOA 78-79

 

Stansfield Turner LOA 78-79

 

William F. Buckley, Jr. LOA 78-79

 

John Andelin LOA 77-78

 

Richard Wilcox LOA 77-78

 

Ivor Richard LOA 77-78

 

Edmund "Pat" Brown, Jr. LOA 77-78

 

Morris Udall LOA 76-77

 

Edward Teller LOA 76-77

 

Jess Marlow LOA 76-77

 

Joseph Rhodes, Jr. LIA 75-76

 

Jeremy Stone LIA 75-76

 

H. Guyford Stever LIA 75-76

 

James D. Watson LIA 75-76

 

Harrison Jack Schmitt LOA 73-74

 

Linus Pauling LOA 73-74

 

Shirley M. Hufstedler LOA 72-73

 

Julian Bond LOA 72-73

 

Arthur W. Golstan LOA 72-73

 

D.C. James LOA 70-71

 

Paul Goodman LOA 66-67

 

Rosemary Park LOA 66-67

 

Abraham Kaplan LOA 66-67

 

Saul Alinsky LOA 65-66

 

Ted Sorensen LOA 65-66

 

John Ciardi LOA 64-65

 

Simon Ramo LOA 64-65

 

Ralph Helstein LOA 63-64

 

Lukas Foss LOA 63-64

 

Roy Wilkins LOA 63-64

 

David Reisman LOA 62-63

 

Barry Goldwater LOA 62-63

 

Sidney Hook LOA 61-62

 

James A. Pike LOA 61-62

 

Margaret Mead LOA 60-61

 

Archibald Macleish LOA 60-61

 

Carl Rogers LOA 59-60

 

Norman Cousins LOA 59-60

 

James B. Conant LOA 58-59

 

Abraham Maslow LOA 58-59

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. LOA 1958

 

Ralph Bunch LOA 55-56

 

William O. Douglas LOA 55-56

 

Paul G. Hoffman LOA 55-56