Seth Halpern and Brett Hurt in conversation at JAMen on January 25, 2023. Credit: Alachua Haskins 

By Jay Rubin

The Jewish Austin Men (JAMen) Dinner and Speakers Forum moves into the home stretch with the final two outstanding Season 6 programs on tap in March and May. 

Pano Kanelos, President of The University of Austin (UATX), will address the topic of “Reimagining Higher Education” on Wednesday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Shalom Austin JCC. 

While many top colleges and universities have abandoned traditional liberal values in our current hyper-politicized culture, UATX, a nonprofit start-up, is dedicated to building a new liberal arts university committed to freedom of inquiry, freedom of conscience, and civil discourse. Its founders and supporters include entrepreneur Joe Lonsdale, journalist Bari Weiss and historian Niall Ferguson. 

From 2017-2021, Dr. Kanelos served as President of St John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland which is known for its distinctive Great Books liberal arts curriculum. An ardent Shakespeare fan and scholar, he previously served as Dean of the Honors College at Valparaiso University, professor of theater at Loyola University Chicago, professor of English at the University of San Diego and a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Dr. Kanelos holds a PhD from the University of Chicago, an MA from Boston University and a BA from Northwestern University. 

Author, entrepreneur and futurist Byron Reese will become the first JAMen speaker invited back for a return engagement. People still talk about his tour de force presentation in 2017 and his book, The Fourth Age, highlighting the new technologies creating transformational social change. In his latest book Stories, Dice and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future and Shape It, Reese explores the history of human adaptability and ingenuity. Join us for his not to be missed insights at our final Season 6 program on Wednesday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Shalom Austin JCC. 

JAMen also featured two outstanding programs in January and February. Entrepreneur, Investor and Founder of data.world and Bazaarvoice Brett Hurt joined WP Engine Senior VP and General Manager Seth Halpern in conversation about “The Future of the Data and Tech Industry in Challenging Times” on January 25. 

On February 15, Bennett Greenspan shared insights into “The DNA of the Jewish People” from the vantage point of a lifelong genealogy enthusiast and founder and CEO of Family Tree DNA. Family Tree DNA launched the Direct to Consumer genetics testing revolution more than two decades ago pioneering DNA testing for ancestry and genealogical purposes into the first successful commercial enterprise. 

Visit shalomaustin.org/JAMen for more information or to attend a JAMen event.