The Dunham Fund is proud to continue supporting Aurora University’s efforts to bring in world-class speakers from around the country and build a public issues platform for students and the whole community–serving nearly 80,000 attendees in the last six years. Aurora University’s Arts and Ideas and the Town Square Series are free events that create a space for the local community to engage with a variety of important issues from renowned and inspiring speakers.

Last year, funding from the Dunham Fund helped underwrite presentations by CIA Director David Petraeus, San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros, and retired Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood. Dr. Nathalia Holt, a researcher and science writer, lectured on her New York Times bestselling book, Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon To Mars.

In 2018-2019, Dunham Fund continues to help underwrite Aurora University’s efforts to bring in even more dynamic speakers including author Walter Isaacson, professor and historian Peter Hayes, and Southern Poverty Law Center’s Lecia Brooks. In a first, Joffrey Studio Company and Academy Trainees will perform followed by a discussion on the future of dance.