#8 - Ethical Considerations at the End of Life (May 2023)

Death. It’s one of the only certainties, yet we rarely discuss it. Join a thoughtful conversation about the end of life. Our panelists will explore the ethical complexities of death. Medicine has the technology to prolong life, but is this always desirable? How important are advance care directives? What about physician-assisted death? What alternatives are available? Should heroic measures be offered to extend a painful existence? How much control do patients have in deciding on their end of life care? What does it mean to have a "good death"?

Lois Shepherd, J.D, is the Peter A. Wallenborn, Jr. and Dolly F. Wallenborn Professor of Biomedical Ethics at the University of Virginia, where she directs the programs in law and medicine at the Center for Health Humanities and Ethics.  She is also a Professor of Public Health Sciences and Professor of Law at the University of Virginia. 

Kathryn L. Tucker, J.D., has spent more than 30 years leading advocacy to protect and expand the rights of terminally ill patients. She is currently Director of Advocacy at the National Psychedelics Association, where her work focuses on opening access to psychedelic assisted therapy for relief of anxiety and depression in patients with advanced illness.

Dr. Robert J. Flaherty, MD  attended Albion College and graduated from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 1975. He completed Family Practice residency training at the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1978 and practiced Family Medicine in Bozeman, MT from 1978 to 2015. Dr. Flaherty is Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the WWAMI Medical Program at Montana State University. Although he has retired from clinical practice, Dr. Flaherty frequently helps individuals find information related to their medical conditions so they can better understand their condition and their treatment options. He also writes popular and professional medical articles, gives presentations about medical conditions affecting seniors and leads community discussion groups on End-of-Life topics. Dr. Flaherty lives in Bozeman with his wife Carol.

Moderator: Dr. Colette Kirchhoff MD, FAAFP is a Board Certified Family Physician and Hospice Palliative Physician. For 23 years she maintained an active practice in family medicine in Bozeman Montana. For 16 years she has served as medical director of Hospice, currently Eden Hospice. Dr. Kirchhoff is Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington and the FCM Director of WWAMI Medical School in Montana. She is the Co-Director of the University of Washington Planetary Health Workgroup. Dr. Kirchhoff has presented numerous lectures on death and dying, resilience and burnout, medical aid in dying, bias, mental health, and environmental health, not only at statewide conferences but also to hospice staff, the community, medical students, and colleagues. Dr. Kirchhoff lives in Bozeman with her husband Steve of 40 years. She has three children, and three grandchildren.

#7 - Is the American Dream Dead? (September 2022)

It’s long been the mythology of America that anyone--regardless of class, race or gender--can rise from rags to riches if they have a bit of natural talent and an inclination for hard work. But is this really true? Has it ever been? What is the American Dream?  Join us to discuss the shifting attitudes about the notions of meritocracy and privilege; and how our feelings about the American Dream can affect our behavior, politics, and even our overall sense of well-being.

 
Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsáalooke), is a Montana-based  scholar, educator, writer, and community advocate whose work focuses on the deep history and cultural heritage of the Indigenous people of the Northern Great Plains. 

Ariana Flores is an Equity Architect with the Equity Project, a leading equity, diversity and inclusion consulting firm

Dr. Jelani Mahiri *moderator* is a parent, university instructor, musician, photographer and designer.

Dr. Matthew Staiger is a Research Scientist at Opportunity Insights, a social science research lab based at Harvard University.

 

#6 -  How are you holding up? The pandemic's wide-ranging effects on mental health (May 2021)

We’re painfully aware of the health and economic effects of the pandemic, but what about the damage to our psyche? How has the need to socially distance affected our nation’s seniors, particularly those in care facilities?  How has a year or more of distanced learning impacted the emotional development and anxiety levels of children? The pandemic has underscored how fundamental social contact is in our lives. This period of separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, and uncertainty about the future has affected all of us in some way. Join our panel of experts as they discuss loneliness, anxiety, grief and resiliency in the era of COVID-19.

Christopher Coburn  *moderator* (he/him) is a Bozeman City Commissioner and also works as the system manager for community health improvement and partnerships with Bozeman Health.

Michael Foust is an Area Director for Western Montana Mental Health Center with over 20 years of mental health work experience.

Jodi Murray is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, working in private practice here in Bozeman.

Ingrid Ulrey is the Policy Director at Public Health – Seattle & King County, one of the largest metropolitan health department in the US.

 

#5 - Water in the West: Whose Right Is It? (October 2020)

Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting. You can’t do much with whiskey except drink it, but we need water to survive.

As populations boom in Western states, water managers are becoming increasingly concerned about water scarcity. They have historically managed increasing water demand by developing new sources of water supply, but sources of unclaimed water are now rare. Climate change is exacerbating the problem.

Bozeman could be facing a water shortage in the next 20 years. Water resources stakeholders are faced with balancing increasing demand with existing water rights, environmental quality and a complex regulatory environment.

Dr. Wyatt Cross is an Associate Professor of Ecology at Montana State University and Director of the Montana Water Center, a cross-university institute aimed at supporting research and education to secure Montana’s water future. 

Krista Lee Evans runs a Government Affairs Consulting business, Blake Creek Project Management, Inc. since 1999 where a majority of her business focuses on the protection of existing water rights.

Dr. P.J. Hill is Professor of Economics Emeritus at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois and a Senior Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Montana.

Todd Wilkinson *moderator*  is an American journalist and author proudly trained in the old-school tradition of asking tough questions and pressing for honest answers.

 

#4 - Who's Responsible for Affordable Housing (November 2019)

Affordable housing. Everyone talks about it, but why is it so hard to do anything about it? Subsidies? Developer incentives? Private-public partnerships? Ideas abound about how to create reasonable opportunities for those who can’t afford southwest Montana’s sky-high housing market. Still, comprehensive policies remain elusive. Join with our panelists in exploring the role the public sector should play and the challenges it faces in solving the affordable housing crisis.

Andrew Jakabovics is the Vice President of policy development at Enterprise Community Partners.

Phil Rotherham is the President of Rotherham Construction Inc.

Carmen McSpadden *moderator* is the Director of Montana State University’s Leadership Institute.

Dr. Corianne Payton Scally is a principal research associate in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute.

 

#3 - How Smart is Too Smart? Exploring the Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence (September 2019)

From Siri to robotic surgery, from media and music streaming to Google Maps, artificial intelligence (AI) has a significant impact on our lives. But, what are the implications of AI on human development and personal autonomy? What effect will AI have on jobs in the future? What ethical concerns must we address as AI systems are deployed? Join in on the discussion as our panel explores the benefits and drawbacks of AI and its rapidly evolving technology.

Les Craig is a partner, Next Frontier Capital. 

Joe Flood is a reporter, historian, founder & CEO of N2 Communications.

Jason Taylor is the Chief Technology Officer, Security Innovation.

Dr. Sarah Myers West is a Postdoctoral researcher, AI Now Institute, NYU.

 

#2 - The Economics of Immigration: Boon or Bust (April 2019)

DACA, migrant caravans, undocumented workers, merit-based immigration. Few issues are more divisive in the United States today than immigration reform. Even though key businesses and industries – some right here in Montana – depend upon an immigrant workforce to be successful, opponents of immigration hold that our economy suffers when legal and non-legal individuals make the United States their home. How does one cut through all the partisan “noise” to understand how immigration impacts our economic well-being? Is immigration a boon or a bust for our economy? What are the myths, and what are the facts? Listen to and consider various viewpoints and offer your questions to our panelists in a follow-up question and answer session.

George Borjas is the Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Nancy Chen is a Women’s Leadership Coach and Founder, Power To The Queen!

Andrew Greenfield is a managing partner of the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of Fragomen's Executive Committee, Fragomen.

Bridget Kevane is the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Letters & Science, Montana State University.

 

#1 - Fake News or Free Speech (October 2018)

"Fake news" has always been part of the communication landscape. The difference now is that we are inundated with social media that makes it possible to disseminate "fake news” quickly and easily. In the past "fake news" was used as propaganda to isolate individuals or groups of people, destabilize governments, and foment anarchy. "Fake news" may be inaccurate, dishonest, misleading, intentionally untrue, and even intended to damage the paradigm of factual information. But is it illegal? Is it protected by the First Amendment? Can "fake news" -- or suppressing it -- undermine our democratic way of life? This event is free, however, if you would please register above, we will have a better idea of what to expect.

Les AuCoin is a former journalist, professor of government, and nine-term U.S. congressman from Oregon.

Will Dobson is the Chief international editor at National Public Radio.

Dr. Jeff Reed is a technology executive.

Franke Wilmer *moderator* is a professor and Department Head of Political Science at MSU.