Honors Last Lecture
Initiated in 1976, the Honors Last Lecture has become an important tradition for the Utah State University community. Honors students nominate outstanding professors who have made an educational impact on them, in or outside of the classroom. Nominees should be established professors with an exceptional record of undergraduate teaching, scholarly research, and university service at USU. Each year, a committee of Honors students selects one Honors Outstanding Professor, whom they invite to deliver an imagined "Last Lecture," a talk that shares wisdom and insight with students and community members as if it were the professor's final chance to lecture at USU. The committee is looking for permanent, highly regarded faculty who bring their own research to life in the classroom and inspire students to ask questions and seek answers beyond the classroom.
2024 Honors Last Lecture – Dr. Laura Gelfand
Dr. Laura Gelfand 2024 Honors Outstanding Professor from the Art + Design in the Caine College of the Arts, delivered the 49th Annual Honors Last Lecture, "The Future is Unwritten: Be Passionate," on October 23 at 3:30pm in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.
Previous Honors Last Lectures:
48th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2023)
Dr. Colin Flint (Political Science), "Dare to Build Global Peace"
View a video recording of Dr. Colin Flint's Last Lecture.
47th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2022)
Dr. David Brown (Mathematics and Statistics), "Our Sixth Sense: Math"
View a video recording of Dr. Brown's Last Lecture.
46th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2021)
Dr. Timothy Chenette (Music), "Listening to Dissonance"
View a video recording of Dr. Chenette's Last Lecture.
45th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2020)
Dr. Seth Archer (History), "After the Vaccine: The United States Discovers Public Health"
View a video recording of Dr. Archer's Last Lecture.
44th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2019)
Dr. Jennifer Peeples (Communication Studies), "Picture Your Poison: An Environmental Story"
View a video recording of Dr. Peeples's Last Lecture.
43rd Annual Honors Last Lecture (2018)
Dr. Jeannie Johnson (Political Science), "America in the Mirror: Reflections & Blindspots"
View a video recording of Dr. Johnson's Last Lecture.
42nd Annual Honors Last Lecture (2017)
Dr. Brian McCuskey (English), "Alice vs. Sherlock: Who Knows Best?"
View a video recording of Dr. McCuskey's Last Lecture.
41st Annual Honors Last Lecture (2016)
Dr. Cathy Bullock (Journalism and Communication), "Rock the Vote: Putting the Communication Revolution to Work"
View a video recording of Dr. Bullock's Last Lecture.
40th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2015)
Dr. Fee Busby (Wildland Resources), "Make a Difference: It's Our Only Hope"
View a video recording of Dr. Busby's Last Lecture.
39th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2014)
Dr. Nat B. Frazer (Environment and Society), "Teaching Fast and Slow: What Have We Done for You Lately?"
View a video recording of Dr. Frazer's Last Lecture.
38th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2013)
Dr. Phebe Jensen (English), "I'll Drown My Book: Shakespeare's Last Lecture"
View a video recording of Dr. Jensen's Last Lecture.
37th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2012)
Dr. John C. Allen (Sociology), "The Role of Community in a Civil Society"
Listen to a podcast of Dr. Allen's Last Lecture.
36th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2011)
Dr. Joyce Kinkead (English), "Standing on Boo Radley's Porch: The Importance of Story"
Watch a video and read an article about Dr. Kinkead's Last Lecture.
35th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2010)
Dr. Charles Swenson (Engineering),"We Choose to Go to the Moon"
View a video recording of Dr. Swenson's Last Lecture.
34th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2009)
Dr. Ann Berghout Austin (Family, Consumer, and Human Development), "Children: My Least Common Denominator"
View a video recording of Dr. Austin's Last Lecture.
33rd Annual Honors Last Lecture (2008)
Dr. David Peak (Physics), "Complexity and the New Academy: They Put My Office Where?"
32nd Annual Honors Last Lecture (2007)
Dr. Patricia Gantt (English), "Waiting for the World to Change: Reflections of an Aging Hippie"
31st Annual Honors Last Lecture (2006)
Dr. Mark Damen (Theatre Arts/History), "'Look There! Look There!': What's the Past Imperative?"
30th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2005)
Dr. James P. Evans (Geology), "Utah 2050: Oil, Milk, and Water in a Land of Plenty (of People)"
29th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2004)
Dr. William L. Furlong (Political Science), "Academic Freedom & Political Correctness: Teaching Controversial Topics Constructively"
28th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2003)
Dr. Randy T. Simmons (Political Science), "The Tyranny of Good Intentions"
27th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2002)
Dr. Tom Peterson (Interior Design), "If It Speaks to You, Listen; If It is Mute, Move On"
26th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2001)
Dr. Craig W. Johnson (Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning), "A Tale of Two Communities: Managing the Ordeal of Change in the Intermountain West"
25th Annual Honors Last Lecture (2000)
Dr. Anne J. Anderson (Biology), "Research: Both Crystal Ball Gazing and Detective Skill"
24th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1999)
Dr. Carol O'Connor (History), "Freedom Crashed Down on Me"
23rd Annual Honors Last Lecture (1998)
Last Lecture was not held this year
22nd Annual Honors Last Lecture (1997)
Dr. Ken Brewer (English), "The Beautiful Changes: Poetry at the End of the Century"
21st Annual Honors Last Lecture (1996)
Dr. Norman Jones (History), "Evil and the History of Virtue"
20th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1995)
Dr. David Lancy (Anthropology), "Succor the Children"
19th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1994)
Dr. Joseph Morse (Chemistry), "Life is a Growth Curve...(?)! It's Chemistry!"
18th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1993)
Dr. Richard Sherlock (Philosophy), "The Three Journeys of Humankind"
17th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1992)
Dr. Chuck Johnson (Philosophy), "The Gong"
16th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1991)
Dr. Jim MacMahon (Biology), "What I Was Hired to Do Is Not Part of My Job"
15th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1990)
Dr. Larry Cannon (Math), "Who Grades the Graders?"
14th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1989)
Dr. Charles Lutz (Business Information Systems), "Education: The Last Odyssey"
13th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1988)
Dr. Howard Carlisle (Business Administration), "America's Leadership Crisis"
12th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1987)
Dr. Ross Allen (Secondary Education), "U.S. Education: Committing Hara-Kiri?"
View a PowerPoint of Dr. Allen's Last Lecture.
11th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1986)
Dr. Richard B. Powers (Psychology), "Alternatives to the Lecture"
10th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1985)
Dr. James J. Kennedy (Forest Resources), "Staying a Student of Trees and People as Your Hair Turns Gray"
9th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1984)
Dr. Kenneth C. Farrer (Secondary Education), "Beyond Basic Mastery to Something More"
8th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1983)
Dr. T.Y. Booth (English), "Humanism"
7th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1982)
Dr. W. Farrell Edwards (Physics), "To Honor the Individual"
6th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1981)
Dr. Warren Burton (Music), "Straight Shooters Always Win"
5th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1980)
Dr. J. Clair Batty (Mechanical Engineering), "On Agonies and Ecstasies of Academic Acclimation"
4th Annual Honors Last Lecture (1979)
Dr. M. Judd Harmon (Political Science), "A Few Options"
3rd Annual Honors Last Lecture (1978)
Dr. Irving Wassermann (Music), "Making Music and Musicians"
2nd Annual Honors Last Lecture (1977)
Dr. F. Ross Peterson (History), "No Exit: The Contemporary Search for Historical Reality"
1st Annual Honors Last Lecture (1976)
Dr. Garth Lee (Chemistry), "Ideas on Teaching"