Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black, and Martha Nussbaum, one of the world's leading political philosophers, will speak at Eckerd College as part of this spring's Presidential Events Series. All events are free and open to the public. 

Kerman, whose best-selling memoir was turned into the award-winning Neftlix series of the same name, will discuss her work as a prison reform activist on Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at Fox Hall. Kerman serves on the board of the Women's Prison Association and has testified before the U.S. Senate on solitary confinement of women prisoners. 

Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at The University of Chicago Law School, has been called "one of the most remarkable and luminous minds of our time." She will discuss "Anger and Revolutionary Justice" on Monday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Fox Hall.  Nussbaum argues in support of the revolutionary movements of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela that were based on a commitment to justice through peace, not anger.

The Presidential Events Series is designed to enhance the intellectual, religious and cultural life of the College community by bringing well-known scholars, artists, scientists and distinguished individuals to the campus. This year's series, titled "Between Worlds: Immigration, Identity and Globalization," is intended to focus attention on the evolving immigrant experience in the U.S.  Read more. Schedule

The 17th Annual Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival, which runs Feb. 20-28, presents compelling and important films to raise awareness and promote discussion of matters relating to nature, place and the environment. Each screening is free and open to the public and includes an introduction and discussion by the filmmakers or scholars. The aim is to engage the audience in a lively dialogue about the environmental perspectives contained in the documentary, animated, experimental and feature films. The festival is organized by Catherine Griggs, program coordinator and associate professor of American Studies, and by Nathan Andersen, associate professor of philosophy. Check out the newly redesigned festival website, where you can get complete details about each film.

Hank Green graduated from Eckerd with a biochemistry degree in 2002 and went on to become an entrepreneur, musician and an internet video sensation. He's so popular he was chosen as one of three YouTube stars to interview President Obama on Jan.22. Hank, along with his brother and best-selling author John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars") launched the VlogBrothers channel in 2007. He asked the president if his State of the Union proposals were politically feasible, whether drone strikes have been misused and about the legalization of marijuana. Click on the image above to watch the 13-minute interview and here to watch his own video about what it was like to interview the president.

Members of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) spent more than a year restoring the 23-foot long "Don Brown" to sea-going condition. A formal launch ceremony was held in Frenchman Creek next to campus on Thursday, Jan. 22. The Tampa Bay Times, which covered the launch, reported that the electric boat was the brainchild of the late Don Brown, a former ASPEC member, in 1996 and was built by members over 10 years.  ASPEC is a community of life-long learners who meet socially and gather to discuss myriad topics of interest.