Distinguished Speaker Series
Dynamic events. Fascinating people. Captivating stories.
Three compelling speakers from National Geographic Live are sponsored by the George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series.
The George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series challenges students to
examine key issues facing our society and apply the tools of their liberal arts curriculum
as they search for truth and enlightenment.
In 1998, Class of 1925 alumnus George A. McCammon established the George E. McCammon
Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series at McKendree with an endowed gift in honor of
his father, Dr. George E. McCammon. Dr. McCammon served as a Methodist minister for
18 years before he became president of McKendree College in 1919.
Like his father, Mr. McCammon believed that significant learning is not limited to
the classroom. With this gift to McKendree in his father’s honor, he created a forum
for the exchange of ideas that occurs outside the classroom.
Kobie Boykins, NASA Engineer: Exploring Mars
Friday, September 14, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
A dynamic young engineer at NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kobie Boykins is on the front line of Mars exploration. As supervisor of the mobility and remote
sensing teams for the rover Curiosity, he has monitored headline-making studies, including
proof of the former presence of water on Mars, indicating that the planet could have
supported life. Boykins will recount the challenges and triumphs of the Mars exploration
rover missions, sharing remarkable images and discoveries that continue to come to
us from the Red Planet.
Boykins designed the solar arrays that power the Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and
Opportunity. Landing on Mars on January 25, 2004, Opportunity was designed to survive
a mission lasting approximately 90 days. Remarkably, the rover continues to traverse
the surface of Mars to this day, sending back valuable scientific data. Boykins also
was responsible for the design of actuators on Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory,
which landed safely on Mars in 2012.
Generously Supported by the George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series
Steve Winter, Wildlife Photographer: On the Trail of Big Cats
Wednesday, October 17, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Wildlife photographer Steve Winter has spent more than 20 years leading photographic expeditions to remote locations
around the world on a mission to save big cats.
Winter’s father gave him his first camera at age seven—and there was no turning back.
He eventually graduated from the Academy of Art and the University of San Francisco,
and became a photojournalist for Black Star Photo Agency. He has produced stories
for GEO, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Natural History, Audubon, BusinessWeek and Scientific American, and published more than 30 articles and two books with National Geographic. He is best known for his photography and conservation efforts involving jaguars,
cougars, leopards, snow leopards, and—the most critically endangered of all—tigers.
His dedication to the protection of these iconic animals has made Winter a cornerstone
of the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative, a long-term commitment to stop poaching,
preserve habitats, and support education to halt extinction. In 2013, National Geographic published his photography book, Tigers Forever: Saving the World’s Most Endangered Cat. He lectures globally on photography and conservation issues and has appeared on
CBS Nightly News, 60 Minutes, NPR, BBC, and CNN.
Generously Supported by the George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series
$20 adult, $18 senior, $10 student/child, McKendree University students FREE
Dr. Kara Cooney, Egyptologist: When Women Ruled the World
Wednesday, January 23, 2019, @ 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney, professor of Egyptology, examines a time in ancient history when women ruled the
world. Often neglected in the history books, these women were exceptions to the rule,
political pawns in a patriarchal society, yet their power and influence is undeniable.
Cleopatra used her sexuality—and her money—to build alliances with warlords of the
Roman Empire. Neferusobek was the first woman to take definitively the title of king.
Nefertiti is known more for her beauty than for bringing a fractured Egypt together.
What can we learn from how they ruled?
Cooney is a professor of Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft
production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world, she received her Ph.D.
in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of “Tutankhamunan
and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Generously Supported by the George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series
$20 adult, $18 senior, $10 student/child, McKendree University students FREE
the idea lab
Tuesday, March 19, 2019, @ 7:30 p.m.
After a successful debut in 2016, the idea lab returns with five more fascinating, informative talks on one memorable night! Speakers will be announced in 2019; keep checking for more details.
$5 general admission seating, McKendree University faculty/staff/students FREE
