Attendees of the 91破解版鈥檚 2025-26 Speaker Series can explore how technology intersects with society and shapes our decisions. (Credit Getty Images)
From the promise and potential peril of artificial intelligence to the hidden costs of social media overload, the 91破解版鈥檚 Hobby School of Public Affairs is launching a new lecture series that explores how technology and digital innovation influences our everyday lives.
Presented by the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership, the 鈥淩ebooting Our Relationship with Tech鈥� lecture series begins Sept. 18 and welcomes Houston community members, as well as students, staff and faculty.
鈥淭his tech series highlights how and in what ways our increased use of technology intersects with and affects our lives on a daily basis,鈥� said Brandon M. Williams, director of the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center and an instructional assistant professor in the Hobby School. 鈥淭hat includes everything from individual mental health to our social interactions to our very democracy.鈥�
Four free lectures will feature nationally recognized speakers discussing topics ranging from the pitfalls of phones and social media to how artificial intelligence search tools can reinforce oppression. Each event includes a lecture followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
鈥淗ow to Break Up with Your Phone鈥� with Catherine Price, best-selling author and journalist
- Sept. 18, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Student Center South Theater, 4455 University Drive, Ste. 103 and 203, Houston
鈥淚nside Texas鈥� Internet Privacy Laws鈥� with Tyler Bridegan, director of privacy and tech enforcement for the Texas Attorney General鈥檚 office
- Sept. 29, noon-1 p.m.
- John M. O'Quinn Law Building, 4170 Martin Luther King Blvd., Room 210, Houston
鈥淎I and Our Future: How AI and Search Engine Algorithms Reinforce Oppression鈥� with Safiya Umoja Noble, best-selling author and social scientist
- Oct. 16, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Rockwell Pavilion at M.D. Anderson Library, 4333 University Drive, Houston
鈥淎ntisocial Media: How Social Media Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy鈥� with Siva Vaidhyanathan, cultural historian and media scholar
- Feb. 5, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Rockwell Pavilion at M.D. Anderson Library, 4333 University Drive, Houston
Attendees are encouraged to register for events by visiting the Hobby School鈥檚 website; seating is limited for the Bridegan event on Sept. 29. For those unable to attend, recordings for some lectures will be available on the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center鈥檚 website after the events.
In addition to hosting lectures, the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center also has awarded over $150,000 since its establishment in 2020 to faculty for research grants as well as more than 30 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. The annual Speaker Series furthers the center鈥檚 mission of promoting leadership and ethics both on the campus and within the Houston community.
鈥淭he aim of the series is both to help people be better informed about these topics and these issues, but then also to take action, when possible,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淣ow, whether that means throwing your phone away, I don't know. But often, action follows awareness. You can't take action before you're aware.鈥�