President's Speaker Series
The President's Speaker Series welcomes distinguished scholars and thought leaders
representing diverse points of view to examine topics and issues facing our communities
and the world today. Driven by a desire to connect deeply with our community and inspire
meaningful dialogue in the pursuit of truth, the series provides opportunities to
cultivate an engaged and impassioned collective through civil discourse.
Recent Event
President’s Speaker Series: A Conversation with
Rick Caruso (JD ’83) and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt
Thursday, October 31, 2024
In the latest installment of the President’s Speaker Series, the University welcomed business innovator and civic leader Rick Caruso and governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma who represented both sides of the political spectrum in a discussion about the key issues surrounding the upcoming November election. Read more about the conversation.
About the Speakers
Rick Caruso (JD ’83) | Founder and Executive Chairman, Caruso®
A renowned business innovator, dedicated civic leader, and philanthropist, Rick J. Caruso is the founder and executive chairman of Caruso®, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States. Under Caruso’s leadership, the company has achieved a world-class portfolio that continues to expand and includes internationally renowned and award-winning retail, residential, and mixed-use properties, including its newest addition, Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California. Caruso’s flagship property, the Grove, was ranked number two on Fortune’s list of the 10 highest sales-generating shopping centers in the country.
Early in his career, Caruso served as the youngest commissioner in the city’s history when mayor Tom Bradley appointed him commissioner for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Following his success in that role, Caruso was selected as president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, where he led the effort to overhaul the Los Angeles Police Department and recruited William Bratton as chief of police. Together they reduced the city’s crime rate to the lowest levels in 50 years.
Among the many nonprofit organizations that he and his wife, Tina, support through the Caruso Family Foundation, Caruso is actively involved with Operation Progress, Para Los Niños, St. Lawrence of Brindisi School, and Verbum Dei High School, all focused on the historically underserved area of Watts, Los Angeles. In 2019 Caruso announced a $50 million commitment to the Pepperdine School of Law, which was renamed the Rick J. Caruso School of Law in recognition of the historic gift, to expand educational access to exceptional, historically underserved student populations and fuel several initiatives to strengthen the School of Law’s academic programming.
Caruso is deeply involved with numerous organizations and higher education institutions, including the University of Southern California, Loyola High School, St. John’s Hospital, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation. In April of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caruso became part of both a federal- and state-level task force, providing expertise on reopening the economy safely.
Caruso holds a bachelor of science with honors from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and a juris doctor as a Margaret Martin Brock Scholar from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.
Kevin Stitt | Governor of Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt is leading Oklahoma with a vision to become top 10 in job growth, infrastructure, education, and more.
With only $1,000 and a computer, Governor Stitt founded Gateway in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2000, which he grew into a nationwide mortgage company operating in 42 states and servicing more than $20 billion in residential mortgages. In 2018 he led Gateway through a merger and established Gateway First Bank, which today is one of Oklahoma’s 10 largest banks by assets with over $2 billion in assets, 166 mortgage centers across the US, and more than 1,600 employees.
Oklahomans spoke in record numbers that they wanted Governor Stitt to use his business acumen to transform the state. In 2018 he received more votes than any gubernatorial candidate in state history in his first bid for elected office of any kind.
Governor Stitt has taken a groundbreaking approach to his administration by appointing the most female cabinet secretaries in state history and tapping expert advisors from the private sector, including the first chief operating officer in state history. He is committed to delivering taxpayers more for their money, and his fiscally conservative leadership helped the state build its largest savings account in history, which proved to be prophetic in the face of an oil and gas downturn.
Governor Stitt is a fourth-generation Oklahoman and a graduate of Oklahoma State University. He and his wife, Sarah, have been married for 25 years and have six children.
Past Events
A Conversation with Palmer Luckey
American inventor, innovator, and entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, discussed his story, how the technology industry should ethically participate in the defense sector, ethical applications of AI in defense, and more.
A Conversation with Liz Truss
Liz Truss, the 56th prime minister of the United Kingdom and current member of Parliament, discussed her latest book, Ten Years to Save the West. A proponent of limited government and individual freedom, Truss discussed her opinions on why socialism remains popular, the clear and present danger of the ever-expanding “administrative state,” why the West should not ignore the threat of an aggressive China.
What the Future Holds for Californians: A Conversation with Tani Cantil-Sakauye
Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the president and chief executive officer of the Public Policy Institute of California and former chief justice of California, discussed her passion for access to justice, her experiences as a woman of color in a leadership position, and the importance of civil discourse to sound statewide public policy.
Washington and the Crisis in the Middle East: A Conversation with David Schenker
David Schenker, the Taube Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics, discussed Washington and the Crisis in the Middle East. Read about Schenker's conversation.
The Future of American Democracy: A Conversation with Richard Haass
Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and senior counselor at Centerview Partners, explored “The Future of American Democracy.” Read more about Haass' conversation.
Event recording is unavailable.
Challenges and Opportunities of Faith-Based Higher Education Institutions:
A Conversation with Rabbi Ari Berman
Rabbi Ari Berman, the fifth president of Yeshiva University in New York City, discussed his perspectives on the challenges and opportunities faced by faith-based institutions of higher education. Read about Berman's conversation
The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It: A Conversation with Jon Clifton
Jon Clifton, chief executive officer of Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm with a mission to help organizations create thriving workplaces, explored themes from his 2022 Wall Street Journal best-selling book, Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It.
The State of Freedom Around the World: A Conversation with Michael J. Abramowitz
In the first installment of the 2023 President’s Speaker Series, Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, a nonpartisan voice dedicated to supporting democracy, explored the growing threats to democracy across the world and the consecutive decline in global freedom over the last 16 years. Joining Abramowitz for the discussion was Kiron Skinner, Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, and president Jim Gash.
Free Speech and the Academy: A Conversation with Jonathan Haidt
Jonathan Haidt, professor of ethical leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business and author of New York Times best-seller The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, led a discussion on the topic of free speech in the academy at the last installment of the President’s Speaker Series 2022.
The Impact of Faith on Human Flourishing and the Common Good: A Conversation with Byron Johnson
Byron Johnson, Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University, led the second installment of the President’s Speaker Series with a discussion on the impact of faith on human flourishing and the potential for religion to facilitate and contribute to the common good of all humanity.
The Dream King: How the Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. Is Being Fulfilled to Heal Racism in America
The first installment of the 2022 President’s Speaker Series welcomed Will Ford III and Matt Lockett for a powerful exploration of their book The Dream King: How the Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. Is Being Fulfilled to Heal Racism in America. The coauthors discussed the history of the civil rights movement, the power of prayer, and offered insights about healing the racial divide across the nation.
Vaccines: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?
In light of the global and national focus on the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the President’s Speaker Series welcomed a panel of leading medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology experts who explored “Vaccines: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?” on March 29, 2021, via Zoom.
The engaging panel discussion featured Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, Stephen M. Hahn, former commissioner of food and drugs at the US Food and Drug Administration, and Jonathan B. Perlin, president of the Clinical Services Group and chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare, in conversation about the current state of the vaccines. Dee Anna Smith (’86), CEO of Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare, and chair of the Pepperdine Board of Regents, moderated the discussion.
The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection: "The Myth of Absence"
On February 24, 2021, the President's Speaker Series welcomed alumnus Bernard Kinsey (MBA '73), his wife, Shirley (MA '76), and their son, Khalil, who presented "The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection - 'The Myth of Absence.'" This event was part of Pepperdine's celebration of Black History Month that seeks to uplift Black voices, celebrate Black achievements, and serve as moments of reflection and remembrance of Black history in the United States.
Honesty and Courage, Humility and Hope: Robert George and Cornel West in Dialogue
On January 12, 2021, Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and Cornel West, professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, discussed the deep character required to engage thoughtfully and respectfully in vibrant conversations that explore diverse viewpoints for the inaugural lecture of the President's Speaker Series.
Suggest a Speaker or Topic
The Pepperdine community is invited to participate in developing a robust roster of speakers with diverse backgrounds and perspectives for the President's Speaker Series. Submit a speaker or topic for consideration by completing the suggestion form. All submissions will be considered and evaluated based on programming needs.