Jon Meacham
October 2, 2018
Presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and contributor to Time and The New York Times Book
Review, Jon Meacham is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. A regular guest on “Morning
Joe,” he is known as a skilled raconteur with a depth of knowledge about politics, religion, and current affairs.
He understands how issues and events impact our lives and why historical context matters. Meacham’s most
recent presidential biography, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,”
debuted at #1 on The New York Times’ Best Sellers list in November of 2015. Meacham received the Pulitzer
Prize for “American Lion,” his bestselling 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson. As a contributing editor to Time,
he writes for the magazine’s Ideas section.
Adam Steltzner
November 6, 2018
From aspiring rock star going nowhere fast to a history-making Ph.D. rocket scientist, Adam Steltzner is
recognized as one of NASA’s leading and most unique innovators. For nearly a decade, he has led and
inspired the breakthrough team that invented the ingenious “sky crane” landing system that so spectacularly
landed the Mars rover “Curiosity” on the Martian surface in 2012. Next, Steltzner will lead NASA’s Mars 2020
Project that will gather core samples of Mars for scientific discovery. In his book “The Right Kind of Crazy: A
True Story of Teamwork, Leadership and High Stakes Innovation,” Steltzner brings to life unique strategies and
perspectives on breaking through the seemingly impossible.
Francine Segan
December 4, 2018
One of America’s foremost experts on Italian cuisine, Francine Segan is an engaging public speaker, author,
and TV personality. She is a noted food historian and a James Beard nominated author of six books including
“Dolci: Italy’s Sweets” and “Pasta Modern.” Segan is the host of NYC’s popular weekly TV series “Americans Who
Love Italy” and appears on many other TV shows, including the “Today” show and “Early Show.” She has been
featured on numerous specials for PBS, Food Network, History, Sundance, and Discovery channels. Having
collaborated with many regions of Italy to promote Italian food, culture, and wine in the States, Segan is the
American spokesperson for several distingu ished Italian companies. She has also been a food judge for the
Fancy Food Show, Bacardi Cocktail competition and the International Pesto competition.
Lara Logan
February 5, 2019
Bold, award-winning reporting has earned Lara Logan a prominent spot among the world’s best foreign
correspondents. She was named CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent in February 2006, and Chief Foreign
Affairs Correspondent in 2008, all while contributing to “60 Minutes.” In 2012, Logan was named a full-time
correspondent for the newsmagazine. Her recent reports for “60 Minutes” include the operation to take
back Mosul from ISIS, a story of little-known victims of the Holocaust, and another story on the similarities
between ISIS genocide tactics and those of Hitler’s Final Solution. Her work has taken her from the front lines
of the Ebola crisis to the forests of central Africa, where she did a story on veterinarians treating endangered
mountain gorillas in the wild, to Hollywood, where she recently profiled one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most prolific
photographers.
David Eagleman
March 5, 2019
David Eagleman is a daring young scientist who provides a new understanding of our brains and our selves.
As a speaker, this Guggenheim Fellow and New York Times bestselling author is energizing, edifying, and
able to connect scientific discovery to any field. He deals with everything from how the brain rewires itself to
why science and art must learn from each other. In his spectacular PBS series “The Brain,” he provides viewers
with a deeper understanding of themselves, the unseen world of decisions, and modern neuroscience. His
influential neuroscience books include the New York Times bestseller “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain,”
and “Wednesday is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia.”
MT. LEBANON
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SUMMER 2018
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