U.S. Diplomacy in the 21st Century: A Keynote and Q&A with Ambassador Eric Rubin
3 p.m. Feb. 8, 3911 Posvar Hall

Rubin is a career foreign service officer who currently serves as president of the American Foreign Service Association, which is the “union” for the U.S. Foreign Service. Prior to his current post, Rubin served as U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria. Throughout his career, he has served in Russia, Ukraine, Thailand and Honduras, and has held many positions in Washington. Carissa Slotterback, dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, will provide introductory remarks, and there will be time for Q&A after the keynote.

“Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate Crisis,” with Eve Darian Smith
12:30-2 p.m. Feb. 10, 4130 Posvar Hall

Join the Global Studies Center and Eve Darian-Smith for a lecture on her book followed by a discussion with attendees. Darian-Smith serves as the chair of the Department of Global and International Studies and is a professor of global studies at the University of California, Irvine. In “Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate Crisis,” Darian-Smith contends that using fire as a symbolic and literal thread connecting different places around the world allows us to better understand the parallel and related trends of the growth of authoritarian politics and climate crises and their interconnected global consequences. Copies of her book will be available for purchase at the event.

She also will present an educators’ workshop on “Approaches to Global Studies Pedagogies” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 11 in Posvar Hall and a student-center discussion on “Confronting the Climate Crisis: Student Organizing Amidst Rising Antidemocracy” from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 13 at 510 William Pitt Union.