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Syracuse University’s spring lecture series will feature a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a world-famous dancer, a deaf activist and an advocate for the arts, the university announced Monday. 

The lecture series, which will take place virtually through Zoom, will include author Viet Thanh Nguyen on Feb. 16,  Misty Copeland on Feb. 23, Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham on March 17 and Nyle DiMarco on March 23.

Nguyen is the author of the Pulitzer Prize- winning novel “The Sympathizer.” As a refugee from Vietnam, Nguyen’s writing has explored the impacts of the Vietnam War from the viewpoints of Vietnamese people. He is also a Macarthur Grant recipient, a cultural critic for the Los Angeles Times and an instructor at University of Southern California. Dana Spiotta, an associate professor of English, will interview Nguyen.

Copeland is the first Black principal dancer in the history of the long-running American Ballet Theatre, one of the preeminent ballet companies in the United States. Broadway and television actress Shanel Bailey will interview Copeland. 

Johnson-Cunningham is an agent for arts and culture and director of Museum Hue, an organization dedicated to advancing Black, Indigenous and other people of color in the cultural field. She is also a United Nations Human Rights fellow focusing on arts and culture, and she designed the first online map of BIPOC museums in the United States. Andrew Saluti, assistant professor of museum studies, will interview Johnson-Cunningham. 

Dimaro is a deaf activist and winner of both “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Next Top Model.” He is also an honorary spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids, founder of the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and a creative collaborator on The ASL App, an app designed by native deaf signers to teach users American Sign Language. Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator for SU’s Disability Cultural Center, will interview DiMarco. 

All lectures will start at 7:30 p.m. Those looking to attend must register in advance. 

Published on February 8, 2021 at 5:19 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu