Lecture Series

After this interactive session, you will leave with:

• Some quick, powerful stress-busting tools (no yoga mat required)
• Real talk about perfectionism, people-pleasing, and why “busy” isn’t a badge
• Simple daily actions that help you breathe easier, and laugh more, and
• Learn that stress might be inevitable—but staying stressed is optional.

About the Speaker:

Karen Meuwissen didn’t set out to become a stress management expert because she wanted to be more ‘zen’—she did it because her body gave her no choice. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just 23 years old, Karen found herself on a crash course in self-care, where stress wasn’t just a nuisance—it was a full-blown health hazard.

So, she did what any determined woman would do: she researched, experimented, and built a toolbox of simple, powerful techniques to help her feel more in control, more peaceful, and—yes—even happier. She now shares these tools with students, professionals, and organizations alike.

Karen is a Marketing and Management Instructor at ATCC. She is also a published author, certified Tony Robbins Life Coach, and a sought-after trainer for companies looking to support the well-being of their teams.

Many see American democracy at a crossroad. For some, democracy is threatened by the Trump presidency; while for others, the threats are deeper than that. Still for others, our democracy is as strong as ever. This talk examines the state of American democracy as we begin the 2026 election cycle.

About the Speaker:

David Schultz is Hamline University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies. He is also a professor of law at the University of St. Thomas and a professor at the Lithuanian Military Academy. A four-time Fulbright scholar, David is the author of more than 50 books and 200 articles on various aspects of American politics and law.

This presentation offers a broad look at the origins and impact of design, focusing on how design decisions, both past and present, shape everyday life. Rather than a survey of styles, the talk emphasizes design as a human practice that influences how we interact with the world around us.

About the Speaker:

Andrea White is a communication design educator and designer with a background in graphic and web design. Her work and teaching focus on how designed objects shape real, everyday experiences—often in ways we don’t notice. She is particularly interested in design history, systems thinking, and shaping experiences by and for educators through design.

In West Central Minnesota, grain bins and storage areas overflow and copious amounts of milk are sent out of the region for processing, while thousands of West Central Minnesota residents participate in emergency and supplemental food programs, which have lost significant (or perhaps all) federal funding in the past year. The presentation will provide an overview of a UMN Morris team’s recent food security assessment project in Traverse, Stevens, Douglas, Pope, and Grant Counties. As federal funding and programming become less dependable, local and state initiatives including bolstering local foods initiatives, and addressing food waste (about 1/3 of edible food is wasted in Minnesota) present opportunities for shoring up food insecurity.

About the Speaker:

Ed Brands grew up on a small farm in Northeast Iowa, joined the faculty at UMN Morris in 2011 and teaches courses (including Environmental Problems & Policy and Water Resources Policy) in Environmental Studies. Ed is passionate about engaging students and communities in interdisciplinary and collaborative projects that address contemporary challenges and opportunities we face in areas like water policy, food/agriculture, and sustainable building/infrastructure systems.

"I just can't have you in my life right now."

Those words can break a parent’s heart, but they don’t have to end the story. Even if you have not personally experienced estrangement, chances are that someone you know is walking through the pain and confusion it brings. Kathryn offers compassionate wisdom and grounded guidance as she gently addresses challenging topics—including how controlling parenting or rigid religious practices can contribute to family tension; how to cultivate empathy for your adult child while honoring your own feelings and needs; and an exploration of ambiguous loss—while inviting reflection, growth, and healthier ways of relating.

About the Speaker:

Kathryn Lichty, owner of One Hope Counseling, is a clinical social worker, author, and parent who has personally navigated the challenges of adult child estrangement. Drawing on her professional expertise and lived experience, Kathryn offers compassionate guidance to help parents process grief, gain understanding about their child’s perspective, set healthy boundaries, and cultivate hope, growth, and emotional restoration. Her work is shaped by her Christian faith while remaining respectful, inclusive, and grounded in shared values of empathy, dignity, and connection.

In Minnesota, we are underfunding, understaffing, and neglecting the most important thing law enforcement can do to prevent crime. Solving violent crimes sends a message that criminal behavior will not be tolerated which deters future offenses, provides a sense of justice for victims, reduces the urge to retaliate, and builds public trust in law enforcement agencies.

About the Speaker:

Will Cooley is a lecturer at the University of St. Thomas and the Policy Director of the Minnesota Justice Research Center. He has published in the Journal of Urban History, the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Labor History, The Oxford Handbook on Immigration and Ethnicity, the Journal of Social History, and Policing. His book, Moving Up, Moving Out: The Rise of the Black Middle Class in Chicago was released in 2018.

Join us for an inspiring and entertaining afternoon with Carlos Andrés Gómez—a Colombian American poet, speaker, actor, author, and educator from New York City. Carlos has performed and delivered keynotes across most U.S. states and in 28 countries. Through a dynamic blend of storytelling, audience engagement, and poetry, Carlos will foster an atmosphere of care, connection, respect, and community for both Think & Thrive participants and ATCC students.

Don’t miss this powerful opportunity to learn, connect, and be moved!

The 1950s were a defining period for the American Dream, giving rise to images of suburban homes with picket fences, cars with massive tail fins, and an expanding middle class primed to enjoy a period of peace in the wake of the Second World War. The Baby Boom, yielding the largest generation in American history, was shaped by the political, economic, and social changes of mid-century in ways that still influence society today. We’ll look back at some of the pivotal—and not-so-pivotal –events and trends of the decade to consider how Americans experienced this period of change and what it means 75 years later.

About the Speaker:

Derek Larson is Professor of Environmental Studies and History at The College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University in Collegeville. An environmental historian by training, he has led the environmental studies department there for 25 years, teaching courses on American and world history, natural resources, environmental literature, law, and sustainability. His work includes the book Keeping Oregon Green: Livability, Stewardship, and the Challenges of Growth, 1960–1980 published by Oregon State University Press.

Abraham Lincoln is famous for his opposition to slavery. But slavery was not the only political issue Lincoln faced before and during his presidency. Large numbers of immigrants came to America during the 1850s, including many fleeing political repression in Germany and deadly famine in Ireland. Many native-born Americans were suspicious of immigrants, especially those who were Catholic. Lincoln argued the Declaration of Independence with its promise of “all men are created equal” was a pro-immigrant as well as anti-slavery document. Many immigrants were opposed to slavery. But some native-born opponents of slavery were also anti-immigrant. “Abraham Lincoln and Immigration” will describe how Lincoln sought to build an antislavery political majority that included immigrants as well as Americans who were suspicious of immigrants, without retreating from his principle that “all men are created equal” applied to human beings of all backgrounds.

About the Speaker:

James H. Read is Professor of Political Science at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. He is the author of Sovereign of a Free People: Abraham Lincoln, Majority Rule, and Slavery (2023) and several other books and articles in the fields of political theory and American political thought. He received his Ph.D from Harvard University. He lives in Avon, Minnesota, where he serves on the city’s Planning Commission.