The Thought Leadership Series at Lesley University

Sponsored by the Strauch-Mosse Visting Artist Lecture Series

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker, Pulitzer Prize–winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author, and a partner in Pastimes Productions. Goodwin is often called upon by the news media, late-night TV hosts, and hundreds of companies, educational institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits to share her vast knowledge of leadership and provide historical context for currentday events, especially as our democracy is challenged, international wars rage, and we continue to struggle in a divided and polarized country. Goodwin has written nine books, and in 2020, Goodwin executive produced her first documentary miniseries, Washington for the History Channel, through her independent production company, Pastimes Productions Inc. Miniseries on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt followed. Pastimes just executive produced an eight-part docuseries, Kevin Costner’s The West for the History Channel which was released this past May. Doris will be discussing her most recent projects, as well as how history continues to aid in our understanding of today’s world.

Sponsored by the CLASS Reads program at Lesley

Nick Sousanis is an Eisner-winning comics author and an associate professor at San Francisco State University, where he started and runs an interdisciplinary Comics Studies program. He is the author of Unflattening, originally his doctoral dissertation, which he wrote and drew entirely in comics form. Published by Harvard University Press in 2015, Unflattening received the 2016 American Publishers Association Humanities award for Scholarly Excellence and the 2016 Lynd Ward prize for Best Graphic Novel. Sousanis’s comics have appeared in Nature, The Boston Globe, Columbia Magazine, MIT Technology Review, and more. Nick will be discussing his book Unflattening which was selected for all incoming undergraduate students as part of the CLASS Reads program. He will also highlight his work to make graphic novels more inclusive, as well as how they are being used in healthcare.

Preston has held leadership roles in the arts and media for over 20 years. Since 2020, Preston has been consulting with Tribeca Productions, Netflix, the Connecticut Arts Foundation, and others, and currently serves as Ars Nova’s Interim Executive Director. At Ars Nova, he partners with Jason Eagan and leads the organization’s strategy and business operations and consults on fundraising. For 16 years, Preston led the nation’s premiere theater development company, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center as CEO/Producer. Under Preston’s leadership, the O’Neill doubled its campus and tripled its budget, with especially strong earned revenue growth. During his tenure, the O’Neill launched some of the most important voices in American culture, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy O. Harris, Dominique Morisseau, Lindsey Ferrentino, and Colman Domingo. His leadership has been recognized President Obama with the National Medal of Arts and a Tony Award. Preston will be here to discuss Ginger Twinsies, his first lead-producing project that is currently running in New York.

Sponsored by the Evelyn Finnegan ’48 Lecture Series and the Finnegan Family

Andrea Wang is an acclaimed author of picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture book Watercress was awarded the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a New England Book Award and a Boston Globe—Horn Book Honor, among others. She is also the author of Luli and the Language of Tea, The Many Meanings of Meilan, Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando, and The Nian Monster. These books have each received starred reviews, awards, and honors, as well as appearing on multiple state library book lists. Andrea received her MFA in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley in 2011. 

Caldecott medalist Jason Chin is the author and illustrator of many acclaimed books, including Grand Canyon, Redwoods and Your Place in the Universe. He received the 2022 Caldecott Medal for Watercress by Andrea Wang and a Caldecott Honor, Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus award for Grand Canyon. While researching his books, he’s gone swimming with sharks, explored lava fields and camped with scorpions at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Jason loves making art, learning about science and getting outside to hike, bike, ski and explore. Andrea and Jason will be here to discuss both the writing and illustration process for their book Watercress, as well as its anticipated sequel due out next year.