World-Renowned Speakers for 15 Days in January

The Calvin University 2023 January Series roster is now set. A NASA scientist, New York Times best-selling authors, a former speechwriter for three U.S. presidents, and the holder of the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! are among an eclectic lineup who will discuss some of today’s most important and timely issues.

The January Series’ 36th edition begins on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. The free lecture series runs 15-straight weekdays through Friday, Jan. 27, on the campus of Calvin University. 

A few of the notable names joining the series in 2023:

• Ken Jennings is a former Utah software engineer who rose to fame in 2004 when he spent six months as a contestant on Jeopardy! His 75-game winning streak and $2.52 million in winnings still stand as Jeopardy! records. His talk posits why in an age of hyperspecialization it is important to be a generalist.
• Kate Bowler, a New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and professor at Duke University, studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether we’re capable of change. On her popular podcast, Everything Happens, Bowler speaks with people like Malcolm Gladwell, Matthew McConaughey, and Anne Lamott about wisdom and truth they’ve uncovered during difficult circumstances.
• Mónica Guzmán, a bridge builder, journalist, and entrepreneur who enjoys great conversations sparked by curious questions, is a senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels, the nation’s largest cross-partisan grassroots organization working to depolarize America. She also hosts a live interview series at Crosscut and is a cofounder of the award-winning Seattle newsletter The Evergrey.
  
• Peter Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and a contributing editor for The Atlantic. He served in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations, including service as deputy director of speechwriting and later as director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives for President George W. Bush.

View full lineup of speakers/topics

Michael Wildschut, in his inaugural year as director of the January Series, said he has seen a theme organically develop for this year’s series that centers on thinking about how we can best care for, engage with, and connect with one another.

“We’ll learn from Ken Jennings about how having a wider range of knowledge can provide us a greater opportunity to connect with other people,” said Wildschut. “We’ll hear from Monica Guzman about how being curious can play a key role in building bridges during divided times. And we will hear from Amy Kenny, a leading scholar on disability, about how faith communities can cultivate a culture of welcome for people of all abilities.”

Each year, the January Series welcomes a worldwide audience. In 2022, between in-person, remote, and on-demand virtual viewing, the series reached a record 100,000-plus viewers in 50 states and 52 countries spanning six continents.

“The number of people who are joining us speaks to both the quality of the programming we offer and the accessibility of these talks,” said Wildschut. “When we learn more about the world and discover more about ourselves, we will hopefully become a richer version of ourselves and in doing so be better equipped to make this world a better place for all.”

The January Series runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday at the Covenant Fine Arts Center on the campus of Calvin University. In 2023, viewers who cannot attend in person will be able to watch and listen online to the 15 presentations both live and until midnight (PST) on the day of each presentation at calvin.edu/january.

Dozens of remote webcast locations in North America – and one in Europe – will also stream the series live. Find an updated list of viewing locations on the January Series website.