The Last Lecture, given annually since 2009, offers the university community the opportunity to hear reflections on life's lessons and meaning from a current or retired IU Indianapolis colleague of exceptional merit. The featured speaker shares the wisdom he or she has gained through academic pursuits and life experiences; distilling a life of inquiry, reflection, and service into advice for successive generations.
The Last Lecturer receives an honorarium of $3,000, to be awarded at the event where the lecture is delivered.
The Last Lecture is sponsored by the IU Indianapolis Senior Academy, IU Indianapolis Office of Academic Affairs, and Indiana University Foundation.
Eligibility
All current and retired faculty, administrators, and staff members are eligible for nomination. The selection committee favors speakers with long experience in their fields and at IU Indianapolis, typically a retiree or someone approaching retirement. Candidates for the 2024 Last Lecture must be available to present their talk on Friday, November 8, 2024.
Criteria
The IU Indianapolis Last Lecture was inspired by Randy Pausch’s inspirational “Last Lecture” in 2007 at Carnegie-Mellon, which became an international internet sensation and subsequent best-selling book. The goal is to offer insights as if it were the speaker’s last lecture—insights that are reflective in nature, based on a lifetime accumulation of personal and professional experiences and wisdom. The Lecture is intended for a broad audience, not an audience of specialists.
Process
Anyone at IU Indianapolis may submit a nomination. Joint nominations are welcome. Nominations are made by completing the electronic nomination form and uploading the required documentation:
- A detailed nomination letter that provides the justifications for suggesting the nominee for this honor, including describing the nominee’s ability to convey insights and advice that speak to a broad audience beyond the nominee’s professional or academic specialization.
- A letter may be jointly written and signed by more than one nominator. In cases where a nominee’s contributions had a significant impact beyond their own school or other unit, jointly submitted letters are especially encouraged.
- The letter should confirm the nominee’s availability on the date of the lecture: November 8, 2024
- A resume or CV for the nominee
The nomination portal will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on February 23, 2024.
Selection
- A screening committee composed of members of the Senior Academy will review all nominations to confirm eligibility and to determine a list of finalists to go forward to a campus-wide Selection Committee. The finalists then will be asked to submit a brief synopsis of their proposed Last Lecture.
- The Selection Committee, representing diverse disciplines and schools, will review the finalists and make a determination about the Last Lecture Award.
Questions
For questions regarding eligibility and criteria for the Last Lecture Award, contact Jean Robertson, Chair of the Last Lecture Committee for the IU Indianapolis Senior Academy and Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus, Herron School of Art + Design, IU Indianapolis, at ude[dot]ui[at]treborej.
