The Nichols Community Inquiry Series offers lifelong learning opportunities for alumni and friends by hosting events that bring the Hanover College community together with faculty. It is made possible by the generous support of Mark Nichols '74 and Cheri Griffith Nichols '74. 

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

Check back later for an update on the October 24, 2026, event.  This will be held during Homecoming.
Visit connect.hanover.edu for a list of upcoming events.

PREVIOUS SPEAKERS SERIES

  • October 18, 2025 – 60th Anniversary of Shakespeare in England
    The 60th Anniversary Celebration of Hanover College’s Shakespeare in England Program brought together more than 85 alumni, faculty, and friends at the Duggan Library during Homecoming Weekend. The event highlighted six decades of transformative study abroad experiences and the program’s enduring impact on generations of Hanover students.

    The panel featured an engaging lineup of speakers, including Dr. Jon Smith, Dr. Dee Goertz, Associate Professor Gabe Vanover, and Dr. Tom Evans, each sharing memorable stories and insights from their time leading and teaching within the program. Joining live from England, Cait Fanin Peel ’01 added an international perspective, reflecting on how the experience continues to shape her life abroad.

    Dr. Uschi Appelt
     A look at 25 years of Hanover's semester-long study abroad Program. 
  • Dr. Rachel Davidson
    Dr. Rachel Davidson, Associate Professor of Communication at Hanover College, will discuss some of her research projects identifying a problematic "good/bad" mother dichotomy commonplace in popular culture. In her discussion of two contemporary texts, BoJack Horseman (2014-2020) and 20th Century Women (2016), she asks us to reimagine mothering beyond "good" or "bad," demonstrating why analyzing popular culture matters in general and why binary thinking about motherhood is problematic in particular. 
  • Dr. Tom Evans
    Dr. Evans joined a theater reunion gathering during Homecoming Weekend 2023. See speech here.
  • Dr. Barb Garvey
    Hear from Dr. Garvey on "Do Only Our Rivers Run Free?" followed by a reception and optional Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site tour.
  • Dr. Lake Lambert
    It was a powerful day of reflection, inspiration, and community at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY, as we honored the legacies of two transformative figures: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali. 
  • Dr. Darin Rubino
    How to Make Timber Talk
  • Dr. Robin Ryle
    Have you ever wondered why most cheerleaders are girls? It didn't used to be that way. Up until the early twentieth century, all cheerleaders were boys. And why do some athletes, like Caster Semenya, have to prove they're women while there's no testing for men? Are men better athletes than women? How do we make room for transgender and nonbinary athletes in our current sports world? Explore these questions with Dr. Robyn Ryle, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Hanover College.
  • Dr. Stan Totten
    Reflections on a Life of Learning and Legacy at Hanover College.

       

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