Speakers Bureau Spotlight

Content by HAA, Engagement by Clubs, SIGs, and Contacts


The Speakers Bureau Spotlight series is part of the HAA Speakers Bureau program, a Harvard tradition of connecting alumni communities with faculty speakers. Spotlight programs will take place periodically throughout the year and are open to all Clubs, SIGs, and Contacts.
 

The HAA will manage logistics with the faculty member, coordinate Zoom, and manage registration. Club, SIG, and Contact co-sponsors are responsible for marketing the event to their community. Organizations are encouraged to incorporate this event into their programming and use this as an opportunity to foster additional engagement.

Spotlight Schedule 2026-2027

  • Glenn Cohen

    November 2, 12:00 pm ET: 
    "AI in Medicine: Legal and Ethical Issues"  with I. Glenn Cohen JD '03

    Join the HAA Speakers Bureau on Monday, November 2 at 12:00 pm ET to learn from I. Glenn Cohen JD '03, Deputy Dean of the Faculty, James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, and Faculty Director of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics. Professor Cohen will share his lecture "AI in Medicine: Legal and Ethical Issues" with the alumni community.

    From radiology to embryology to pathology to day-to-day encounters with a patient, medical AI is rapidly becoming embedded in medical practice. How should the law regulate medical AI? What does ethical use of medical AI look like? What rights should clinicians demands when hospital systems implement medical AI? This lecture furthers that conversation, covering topics such as privacy, informed consent, bias, liability, and governance of medical AI. It also discusses direct-to-patient medical AI, such as chatbots, and how they represent overlapping but distinct challenges.
     
    I. Glenn Cohen JD '03 is the James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law and deputy dean at Harvard Law School. He is also the faculty director at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics. Professor Cohen holds a BA in bioethics (philosophy) and psychology from the University of Toronto and a JD from Harvard Law School. See his full biography.

  • January 27, 9:00 am ET: Julia Minson
    "How to Disagree Better"  with Julia Minson AB '99

    Join the HAA Speakers Bureau on Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 ET to learn from Julia Minson AB '99, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, with her lecture on her latest book, How to Disagree Better.

    Professor Minson is the founder of Disagreeing Better, LLC. — a behavioral science consulting firm that offers speaking and training on effective management of disagreement and conflict. As a decision scientist, Julia’s research interests include conflict management, negotiations, and judgment and decision making. Her main line of research addresses the “psychology of disagreement” – How do people engage with opinions, values, and judgments that conflict with their own? Full bio.

  • Spring 2027: To Be Confirmed

    The spring Speakers Bureau Spotlight will be announced later this academic year. For questions, please contact HAA_speakersbureau@harvard.edu. 

How Your Organization Can Participate

  1. Sign up to be added as a co-sponsor for the event. 
    We will list co-sponsoring organizations on the event webpage! Sign up deadlines will be communicated throughout the year. 

  2. Share the registration link with your community.

  3. As co-sponsors, Clubs, SIGs, and Contacts are responsible for sharing this event with their communities.
    The HAA will share this event on the Programs and Events page and in Harvard This Week, but will not send marketing emails. 

  4. Join us for what is sure to be an excellent event!

Options for Additional Engagement

This event is an excellent opportunity to host additional engagement opportunities for your community! Below are a few suggestions to enhance your event. 

  • Host a viewing party in person to enjoy the event together. Whether it is a conference room, living room, or local venue, gathering in person can enhance your connections. 

  • Socialize before or after the event in a separate Zoom meeting. Connect over the spotlight topic, or use the time to network and catch up with your fellow alumni.

  • Share additional articles and readings on the topic with your community.  View the linked biography of the speaker for ideas on additional reading materials. 

Please note that additional engagement activities surrounding the Speaker Spotlight are the responsibility of the organization; the HAA is unavailable to assist with logistics.