CIIS Public Programs

This episode features Bay Area performers and writers including a BART train operator, a recent Pride Parade Grand Marshall, and more. Presented in collaboration with San Francisco’s Porchlight storytelling series and The Contemporary Jewish Museum, each storyteller explores their understanding of self and the fluidity of identity.

In this conversation, psychologist Christine Brooks talks with author and social critic Erica Williams Simon about how she got “story smart” to challenge the narratives about fear, work, identity, success, love, and life that we have all been taught.

Join Native American psychologist Leslie Gray for this conversation with don Jose Ruiz about his life and work traveling the world to share the teachings of his ancestors.

Join author Rob Reid in conversation with author and editor Annaka Harris as they examine the idea of consciousness—taking us through evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of this age-old mystery.

In this episode, diversity and inclusion specialist Denise Boston has a conversation with author and academic DaMaris B. Hill that spans poetry, history, and current events to illuminate the lives of extraordinary women, and examines the impact they have had on our society today.

Join Stanford’s social media expert, Jeff Hancock, and Director of the Trust Project, Sally Lehrman, as they examine the erosion of truth online, how our psychological and social dynamics impact our culture, and what we can do to rebuild our collective grasp on the truth.

In this episode, psychotherapist and CIIS professor Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold has a conversation with social anthropologist and researcher Beatriz Labate about the risks and benefits of the globalization of ayahuasca through the lens of her research on new and traditional uses of psychoactive substances.

Professor and activist Jennifer Wells talks with author and community organizer Trebbe Johnson about her lifelong dedication to finding and making beauty in the Earth’s broken places.

In this episode, therapist Ivy Tiegel talks with cartoonist Rachel Lindsay about Rx, her graphic memoir, and her experiences working as an artist with bipolar disorder.

In this conversation with psychologist Jyoti Rao, poet Jessica Semaan discusses her latest work, Child of the Moon, and how creating poetry has helped her heal from her traumatic childhood during the Lebanese Civil War.

Journalist Ed Morales is joined by CIIS Professor Antonio Ramirez for this conversation on the American Latinx experience and the powerful cultural impact of this frequently overlooked community.

Author Irshad Manji talks with KQED journalist Kat Snow to discuss her experiences as a refugee from Africa, a Muslim immigrant to the US, and her Moral Courage project.

In this episode, author Stephen Jenkinson and CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs explore what it means to live, and die well.

Psychedelic therapist Daniel McQueen and CIIS’s Natalie Metz explore the potential for healing and personal transformation through the intentional use of cannabis and psychedelics.

Technologist and digital media scholar An Xiao Mina and curator Dorothy R. Santos explore the long, winding road from innocuous cat memes to the central practice for civic engagement that memes have become today.

Author Damon Young is joined in conversation by artist A-lan Holt from Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts to discuss the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be black in America.

Author Lynne Twist is joined in conversation by CIIS Provost Liz Beaven to discuss the power money wields over our lives and how we can empower ourselves to re-conceptualize it.

Astrologer and psychic medium Jessica Lanyadoo is joined in conversation by CIIS student and local actor Madeline H.D. Brown to discuss self-compassion, astrology, and why you should never look at your crush’s chart.

In this episode, addiction expert Gabor Mate is joined in conversation by CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to discuss his groundbreaking work on trauma and the mind/body connection.

Krista Tippett, author and creator of the On Being podcast, is joined in conversation by author Laurel Braitman to explore the art and mystery of living.

CIIS Professor and psychologist Nicolle Zapien discusses her recent research into cases of infidelity, and how we can reframe the way we think about infidelity and sexuality in our relationships.

In this episode, book critic David Ulin and author Matthew Zapruder discuss how reading can function as an act of engaged citizenship and resistance.

Author and psychoanalyst, Pilar Jennings is joined by CIIS’s Sergio Rodriguez-Castillo for a conversation about the intersection of Buddhism and psychology.

Author Jabari Asim and CIIS’s Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Denise Boston in conversation about his new book. It's about a different side of American history - one that doesn't depend on a narrative steeped in oppression, but rather reveals African American voices telling their own stories.

Artificial intelligence research scientist Julie Carpenter, and human sexuality researcher Brianna Booth explore the future of human-robot sexual interaction, considering the subject from both robot and human perspectives

Author and teacher Oren Jay Sofer in conversation with CIIS’s Terese Gjernes about mindful and nonviolent communication skills.

Chef Nik Sharma talks with CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to share the stories and recipes that have shaped his life and work. This conversation was part of The Haresh & Joan Shah Lecture & Performance Series.

Author Huda Al-Marashi talks with CIIS Professor Daniela Koenig about the process of navigating love and expectations while straddling two cultures.

Author Adrienne Mayor is joined by CIIS Professor Carolyn Cooke to explore how some of today's most advanced innovations in robotics and artificial intelligence were foreshadowed in ancient myth.

Clinical neuropsychologist Mario Martinez is joined by CIIS’s Natalie Metz to discuss his research on aging and longevity.

Improviser and writer Marlee Grace talks with Julia Plevin, the creator of Forest Bathing Club about Marlee’s book: How To Not Always Be Working.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of nine books, including the blockbuster Eat, Pray, Love, in conversation with author and illustrator Lisa Congdon, about creativity, magic, fear, and grief.

Author Steven Johnson and CIIS Professor Carolyn Cooke consider how to make decisions - drawings lessons from cognitive science, social psychology, military strategy, and great works of literature.

Philosopher John Kaag and author Mark Greif discuss Nietzsche's ideals and how they relate to the messy experience of living in the 21st century.

Award winning young author JM Holmes is joined in conversation by Stephanie Anne Johnson to discuss the inspiration for his debut collection of short stories.

Sharmila Sen, executive editor of Harvard University Press, discusses her recent book about growing up as an immigrant in America with CIIS Professor Jyoti Rao. This event was part of The Haresh & Joan Shah Lecture & Performance Series.

Writer and commentator Lindy West is joined in conversation by body positivity activist Jes Baker for a conversation on feminism, politics, and activism.

In this episode, mechanical engineer and author David Hu talks with Kat Snow from KQED Public Radio about how scientists are inspired by animals to develop cutting-edge technology.

Geologist and cosmochemist Natalie Starkey is joined in conversation by CIIS’s Joshua Fields to explore her work studying the composition and behavior of comets.

Journalist Vince Beiser is joined in conversation by CIIS Professor Jacob Sherman to explore the compelling true story of a hugely important and diminishing natural resource: sand.

Kathy Littles, the Dean of the School of Consciousness and Transformation at CIIS, explores how western museums have historically held power and authority in matters of race.

International labor lawyer, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, and Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley, Clair Brown, explore the positive and negative impacts of technology on the world of work. This conversation was a collaboration with the Kapor Center for Social Impact in Oakland.

Boots Riley, the writer and director of Sorry To Bother You, and lead singer of The Coup discusses creativity and activism with local writer Chinaka Hodge.

In this episode, poet and scholar Cameron Awkward-Rich discusses his work, which broke new ground in Trans, Queer, Black, and American poetry. He was joined in conversation by writer and curator James Fleming.

In this episode, psychologist and professor Alinne Barrera joins psychiatrist and UCSF Clinical Informatics fellow Steven Chan to explore how recent advances in technology and artificial intelligence are changing the way we seek and provide mental health care.

Stanford Professor and author Leah Weiss is joined in conversation by CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to explore practical, evidence-based strategies for using ancient wisdom traditions to improve your work.

In this episode, psychologist and author Stuart Ablon is joined in conversation by Nicolle Zapien, CIIS’s Dean of Professional Psychology and Health, to explore the science of how people change.

In this episode, Doug Vakoch, the President of Messaging Extra Terrestrial Intelligence - or METI, and CIIS professor, examines the social and cultural aspects of extraterrestrial contact.

Author and activist Julia Serano is joined by CIIS professor Zara Zimbardo for a conversation about how to make feminist and queer movements more inclusive.

Author and anthropologist David Graeber is joined by debt researcher Jason Wozniak for a conversation about the phenomena of meaningless jobs.