Gallatin Launches Lecture Series
In keeping with its academic mission, which is firmly rooted in the idea that knowledge and understanding grow through conversation and collaboration, the Gallatin School is pleased to present the Albert Gallatin Lectures at NYU. The series, which had its inaugural presentation this winter, will bring a variety of notable figures from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, and academia to the University to discuss contemporary issues with students, faculty, alumni, and members of the wider community.
The Lectures were made possible through the support of an anonymous donor. “I am very excited about this new initiative in Gallatin’s programming,” stated Ali Mirsepassi, Gallatin’s interim dean. “We strongly encourage dialogue and inquiry in all of our courses and through our faculty advising system, but the lecture series will give us an opportunity to extend our intellectual conversations to the larger Gallatin and NYU communities. I am so thankful that we received such a generous donation to launch this endeavor.”
The first lecture in the series took place on February 2, 2006, and featured New Yorker film critic and author David Denby, whose topic, “Do Movies Have a Future?” proved to be quite provocative. Denby spoke about Hollywood’s tendency to create blockbuster action movies directed towards a diminishing audience of 12 to 25-year-old males, and also offered insights into how the film industry might create more lower-budget, emotionally-driven films (such as the recently lauded Brokeback Mountain and Capote) and regain audiences. Denby spoke before a standing-room-only crowd at NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life, and attendees later mentioned that they appreciated not only his thoughts on the business side of the film industry, but also his candid and witty demeanor.
Gallatin is planning for future installments of the series, and is seeking speakers who will address the diverse interests of its student and alumni communities.
Gallatin Lecture Series NYU Today article