Call & Character Campus Events 2025-26

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.

President's Leadership Forum
Oct. 2, 7-8 p.m., Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox; info and tickets at www.whitworth.edu/plf

Collins is one of the best-known scientists of the current era. Directing the National Institute of Health (NIH) for 12 years, he is known for his discoveries of disease genes, for leading the Human Genome Project, and for championing the harmony of science and faith. He is the author of The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust.

Kristen Kobes Du Mez, Ph.D.

"Live, Laugh, Love," Weyerhaeuser Speaker Series
Oct. 22, 4 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Whitworth University

Kobes Du Mez is a bestselling author and professor of history at Calvin University. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion and politics. She is the author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Her upcoming book is Live, Laugh, Love, a cultural study of white Christian womanhood.

Gregory Robson, Ph.D.

"AI, Virtue, and the Good Life"
Nov. 6, 4:30 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall, Whitworth University

Robson is an author who teaches and writes about ethics in business and technology, as well as philosophy. He currently instructs at University of Notre Dame and is working on True Prosperity and an updated edition of Technology Ethics. Robson's research focuses on the ethical questions surrounding our use of technology, maintaining social stability vs. pursuing social improvements, and pressing issues of free speech and productive online discourse.

Curt Thompson, M.D.

"The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope," Weyerhaeuser Speaker Series
Nov. 13, 4 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall, Whitworth University

As a psychiatrist and author of Anatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections Between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices that Can Transform Your Life and Relationships, Thompson's work demonstrates how insights from interpersonal neurobiology resonate with biblical truths about God and creation, validating the need for relationships as a key to a life of hope and fulfillment. He also produced the video series "Knowing and Being Known: The Transforming Power of Relationships."

Sabrina Little, Ph.D.

"Why Character Matters in Sports," Weyerhaeuser Speaker Series
March 5, 4 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall, Whitworth University

Little is a record-setting and former-professional runner who was part of five U.S. national teams. Today, she is an assistant professor at Ohio State University where she focuses on virtue ethics and moral psychology. She is the author of The Examined Run: Why Good People Make Better Runners.

Christine Emba

"Men are Lost: A Map Out of the Wilderness," Weyerhaeuser Speaker Series
April 8, 4 p.m., Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall, Whitworth University

Emba is a writer at The Atlantic magazine and the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, which "spells out the cultural, historical and psychological forces that have warped our idea of sex... [Emba] reveals how a consent-only view of sex has hijacked our ability to form authentic connections." Previously, Emba worked at The Washington Post, The New Criterion and The Economist.