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91��Ƶר�� College is honored to announce that renowned political scientist and professor Robert Putnam, Ph.D., will visit campus to deliver a lecture, titled “The Erosion of American Democracy and the Upswing,” on Monday, April 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Rosenstock Hall Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

This lecture is offered as part of the Hanson Lecture Series, which invites thought leaders from around the world to engage the 91��Ƶר�� College community and the public on issues that matter today. Previous lecturers include poet Nikki Giovanni, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams and author Brittney Cooper.

Putnam, a highly celebrated political scientist and professor emeritus at Harvard University, is one of America’s leading voices on social and civic issues. In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Putnam with the National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. Additionally, Putnam has received 16 honorary degrees from eight different countries. 

“To welcome Dr. Putnam to 91��Ƶר��'s campus is a wonderful honor as a political scientist. Grounded in the social sciences, Dr. Putnam has contributed to both intellectual discourse and action-oriented strategies around the issues of civil society, civil discourse, and the health of American democracy."  – Paige Eager, Ph.D., provost and professor of political science

Putnam has extensively researched the state of civic engagement and social cohesion in the U.S., authoring 15 books which have been translated into 20 different languages. His most recent work, entitled “The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again,” examines the historical forces that have shaped democracy in America, offering a compelling narrative of decline and hope.

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