Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn will be joined by former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry for the spring 2016 Charter Lecture at UGA.
Their discussion, “Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe in an Age of Terrorism,” is free and open to the public and will be held April 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.
“Sen. Nunn and Secretary Perry have dedicated their lives to public service, and we are pleased to have them join us as distinguished Charter Lecturers,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Their topic is timely and one of great importance to our society. We are looking forward to a provocative and engaging discussion.”
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the School of Public and International Affairs. Perry will be participating via videoconference from Stanford University, where he is a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Students from Georgia Tech will be participating in the discussion, as well, with UGA Meigs and Regents Professor Loch Johnson moderating questions submitted via the Twitter hashtag #UGACharter16.
“The SPIA faculty, students and staff are deeply honored that Sen. Nunn and Secretary Perry will deliver the Charter Lecture on April 26,” said SPIA Dean Stefanie Lindquist. “Sen. Nunn and Secretary Perry have contributed enormously to our national security and defense, and we look forward to their unique insights into these areas so critical to our students’ and our nation’s future.”
Nunn is co-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to prevent the use and spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and he served as a U.S. senator from Georgia from 1972 to 1996. Perry is an emeritus NTI board member who served as secretary of defense from 1994 to 1997.
“Safeguarding and sustaining our world is a Signature Research Theme at the University of Georgia, and Sen. Nunn and Dr. Perry are among the most prominent thought leaders on the critical issue of global nuclear security,” said Provost Pamela Whitten. “Their Charter Lecture will undoubtedly enrich the university’s extraordinary learning environment.”