Office of the Provost

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Research and Innovation Office, University of Minnesota. Dr. Osterholm will lead the “The Big One Is Still Coming: Lessons We Should Have Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic” talk on Friday, December 5, 2025, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in Seidler Hall, Room 114. More about the speaker: Dr. Osterholm is Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, a professor in the Technological Leadership Institute, College of Science and Engineering, and an adjunct professor in the Medical School, all at the University of Minnesota. In November 2020, Dr. Osterholm was appointed to President-elect Joe Biden's 13-member Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board. From June 2018 through May 2019, he served as a Science Envoy for Health Security on behalf of the US Department of State. He is also on the Board of Regents at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling 2017 book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, in which he not only details the most pressing infectious disease threats of our day but lays out a nine-point strategy on how to address them, with preventing a global flu pandemic at the top of the list. Link to his comprehensive bio.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting FGCU President Aysegul Timur, Ph.D. Dr. Timur will lead “FGCU – Your University” talk on Thursday, January 15, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Dr. Timur was selected to become Florida Gulf Coast University’s fifth president on May 4, 2023. Her presidency was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on June 22, 2023. In her most recent role, Timur served as Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategy and Program Innovation at FGCU, where she has worked since 2019. Dr. Timur received her Ph.D. in Business Administration, majoring in Economics, from the University of South Florida, and both her MBA and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Istanbul. Her achievements have been widely recognized, earning accolades such as being listed in Naples Illustrated’s Top 100 in 2024 and receiving the Leadership Legacy Award from Leadership Collier Foundation in 2023. Before joining the university, she held a variety of faculty and executive leadership positions in higher education, including full professor of economics and Dean of the Johnson School of Business at Hodges University.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Brian Fonseca, Ph. D., Director of the Jack Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the Executive Director of Cybersecurity@FIU at Florida International University. Dr. Fonseca will lead the discussion “Securing the Digital Future: Threat Landscape, AI Workforce, Cyberhygiene, and Geopolitics,” on Thursday, January 29, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106. More about the speaker: Dr. Fonseca is Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University’s (FIU) Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. He is the founding Executive Director of Cybersecurity@FIU, FIU’s university-wide interdisciplinary emerging preeminent program. Brian also serves as a Cybersecurity Policy Fellow and International Security Fellow at the D.C.-based think tank New America. His analysis has been featured in local, national, and international media and he serves as the on-air political analyst for South Florida’s WSVN-Fox News. Brian has testified before the U.S. Congress in 2019 and 2021. His recent publications include two edited volumes titled Culture and National Security in the Americas (Lexington Books, 2017) with Eduardo A. Gamarra and Democracy and Security in Latin America (Routledge, 2021) with Orlando Perez and Gabriel Marcella, and he is co-author of The New US Security Agenda: Trends and Emerging Threats (Palgrave, 2017) with Jonathan Rosen. Brian’s technical expertise and publications focus largely on U.S. and Latin American governance, national security, and foreign policies, with particular focus on Venezuela, China, Russia, and cyberspace. Brian joined FIU after serving as the Senior Research Manager for Socio-Cultural Analysis at United States Southern Command’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center South (JIOC-S). Brian holds degrees in International Business and International Relations from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and attended Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and National Defense University in Washington D.C. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the United States Marine Corps and facilitated the training of foreign military forces in both hostile theaters and during peacetime operations.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Dr. Steve Knott, Emeritus Professor of History, US Naval War College. Dr. Knott will lead the "Conspirator-In-Chief: Conspiracy Theories and the American Presidency" seminar on Thursday, February 12, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Stephen Knott, Ph.D., recently retired as a Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College in Newport, RI. Prior to accepting his position at the Naval War College, Knott was Co-Chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. He is the author or co-author of eleven books dealing with the American presidency, the early republic, and American foreign policy. His most recent book, Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy, was published in October, 2022.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Ron Shapiro, Esq. Shapiro Negotiations Institute. NYT Best-Selling Author, Sports Agent, Civic Leader. Mr. Shapiro will lead "NICE: A Soft Approach to Tough Conversations” on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Expert Negotiator, Sports Agent, Attorney, Educator, New York Times Best-Selling Author, TV Host, and Civic Leader, Ron Shapiro has outlined his successful approach to constructive conversations and negotiation in the award-winning book, THE POWER OF NICE: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins – Especially You! (1998, 2015), as well as in three other books which have made the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Business Week Best Seller lists.   Committed to public and civic matters, Mr. Shapiro has chaired over 25 boards of charitable and civic organizations including Peace Players International, the Baltimore Jewish Community Relations Council, the Board of Advisors of four different Departments at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, and the University of Maryland Cancer Center Advisory Board. He has received honors, including The American Red Cross Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame; Baltimore Sun Business & Civic Hall of Fame; and, the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame Mel Allen Public Service Award. The Sports Business Journal has named him a member of its Champions and Pioneers of Sports.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández, Pegasus Professor of History at University of Central Florida. Dr. Martínez-Fernández will lead "The World Has Turned Upside Down and Is Not Likely to Turn Right Side Up Again" talk on Thursday, March 12, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández is a historian, university professor and professional speaker, whose fields of expertise include international affairs, Latin America, the Caribbean, education and Latino/Hispanic studies. He is Pegasus Professor of History at the University of Central Florida where he has taught since 2004. Between 2020 and 2023 he was a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Lima, Peru and San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Martínez-Fernández is recognized as one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the field of Caribbean history. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in History from the University of Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in History from Duke University. His publications include articles in Cuban Studies, Slavery and Abolition, Latin American Research Review, The Americas, Caribbean Studies; and the books When the World Turned Upside Down: Politics, Culture, and the Unimaginable Events of 2019-2022, Revolutionary Cuba: A History, widely acclaimed as the most comprehensive, balanced, and systematic study on the subject ever written and Key to the New World: A History of Early Colonial Cuba, winner of the 2018 Florida Book Awards’ Bronze Medal for General Nonfiction and 2018 International Latino Book Awards Gold Medal, History Category.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Sheri Cunningham, Head of AI Platform & Infrastructure Services at Google Cloud. Mrs. Cunningham will lead the “AI: Trends and Transformation” talk on Thursday, March 26, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Sheri Cunningham is a leading voice in the field of Artificial Intelligence, currently serving as Head of AI Platform & Infrastructure Services at Google Cloud. A seasoned technologist with a proven track record, Sheri is a certified Machine Learning Engineer, Cloud Architect, and Data Engineer, with a Six Sigma Green Belt highlighting her commitment to efficiency and quality. Her expertise spans Conversational AI, Contact Center AI, Generative AI, and MLOps, and was honed through years of experience at Google, AppNexus (acquired by AT&T), and the Federal Reserve Bank. Sheri’s passion for technology is complemented by her dedication to community service, involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and #IamRemarkable. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Computer Science from Princeton University, and an MBA from Yale School of Management. She is currently pursuing coursework from Harvard Extension School toward a Master’s in Data Science. Sheri resides in Naples full time with her husband Troy, 1 year old daughter Ava, and dog Rocco.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Patrick Mork, Startup CEO coach, motivational speaker, author of Step Back and Leap, three-time Chief Marketing Officer, and who led team that created Google Play. Mr. Mork will speak about “Becoming Unstoppable: 5 Pillars to Build Resilience in the Age of AI,” on Thursday, April 9, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Patrick Mork inspires audiences by redefining resilience and its effect on how organizations face the future. His global experience has led to speaking engagements at international meetings and clients including Walmart, Nestlé, Scotiabank, Falabella, and Unilever. He has lived in 11 countries and is fluent in four languages. His work is highlighted in his best-seller, Step Back and LEAP and is a product of his training as a certified Co-Active Coach and 20+ years of leadership at tech startups and global titans including PepsiCo and Google. He has studied and learned the need for culture change to drive innovation and growth. At one point in his career he spent nine months reevaluating his values and mapping a path forward. The experience helped him redefine his own understanding of resilience and what is needed in a workplace that supports people’s desire for meaning and purpose. Patrick was a Chief Marketing Officer for Google and VC-backed startups in Silicon Valley and Europe. He led the team that created Google Play and was inducted into the Pocket Gamer Hall of Fame for his contributions to the mobile gaming industry. To Patrick Mork, resilience is more than adapting to challenges — it demands energy fueled by purpose and values. Leaders who embrace purpose-driven resilience do not just survive turmoil, they flourish, innovate, and create environments where teams can reach their full potential.