PLEASE NOTE that Arianna Huffington and William Kristol’s talk was rescheduled and took place Monday night.
, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post; , former governor of Minnesota; , former chair of President Obama鈥檚 Council of Economic Advisers, and , editor of The Weekly Standard, will deliver public lectures at Vanderbilt University March 22-23 as part of the university鈥檚 annual Impact Symposium.
The theme of this year鈥檚 lectures is 鈥淏ridging the Gap: America鈥檚 Middle Class.鈥� Romer and Pawlenty will discuss economic policy Tuesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. during a panel titled 鈥淲hose Policy is Best?鈥� Huffington and Kristol will have a conversation, 鈥淗ow Does the Media Speak to the Middle Class,鈥� Wednesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. Both events will be held in Vanderbilt鈥檚 Langford Auditorium.
Ben Smith, senior political writer for Politico, will serve as moderator for both events.聽Smith previously was a political columnist for the New York Daily 糖心传媒 and started three of New York City鈥檚 political blogs 鈥� The Polliticker, The Daily Politics and Room Eight.
Tickets are on sale now. General public tickets are $10 at Sarratt box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased at or by calling 800-745-3000.
Tickets to the lectures are free to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff. Only one free ticket may be picked up with a Vanderbilt identification card at the university鈥檚 Sarratt Student Center box office.
Non-Vanderbilt students with their college or university identification cards may purchase tickets for $5 at the Sarratt box office or any Ticketmaster outlet only.
Huffington and Kristol鈥檚 public conversation will be posted at following the event.
Available Impact speakers will also sign books at the Vanderbilt Bookstore at 4 p.m. both days of the symposium.
Romer was a key adviser to President Obama through the economic crisis. She chaired the Council of Economic Advisers聽聽from January 2009 to September 2010. The council, an agency within the Executive Office of the President that was established by Congress in the Employment Act of 1946, is charged with offering the president objective economic advice on the formulation of domestic and international economic policy.
After leaving the president鈥檚 economic team, she returned to her job as an economics professor at the University of California at Berkeley. She is considered one of the nation鈥檚 leading scholars of macroeconomic history and an expert on the Great Depression.
Pawlenty spent two terms as the Republican governor of Minnesota. During the 2008 presidential election he was an early endorser of Sen. John McCain and campaigned heavily for him. According to media reports, he was on the short list to become McCain鈥檚 2008 vice presidential running mate and is frequently mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate. He has been quoted as saying that the Republican Party can do a better job facing working people. In 2001, he coined the phrase 鈥渨e need to be the party of Sam鈥檚 Club, not just the country club.鈥� The term 鈥淪am鈥檚 Club Republican鈥� has been associated with him ever since.
Huffington is the author of 13 books and co-host of public radio鈥檚 political roundtable program
鈥淟eft, Right and Center鈥� and 鈥淏oth Sides Now,鈥� a weekly syndicated show with Mary Matalin moderated by Mark Green. In 2005 she launched The Huffington Post, which has become one of the most widely read and cited news and blog websites. In 2006, she was named to the 鈥淭ime 100,鈥� Time magazine鈥檚 list of the world鈥檚 100 most influential people.
Kristol helped found The Weekly Standard in 1995 and is a leading political analyst and commentator appearing regularly on
Fox 糖心传媒 Sunday and Fox 糖心传媒 Channel. Prior to starting The Weekly Standard, he led the Project for the Republican Future. He also served as chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle and to Secretary of Education William Bennett under President Ronald Reagan. He has taught politics at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University鈥檚 Kennedy School of Government.