In this thought-provoking lecture, Hrabowskiwill explore theimportance of public universities in American society and throughout the world. He willdraw heavily from his current book,The Empowered University-Shared Leadership,Culture Change, and Academic Success, and he will also share themes covered in hisupcoming book,The Resilient University-How Purpose and Inclusion Drive StudentSuccess. The lecture will provide robust discussion about a variety of current challengesin higher education eg., the important role of leadership in shaping the future of ourinstitutions, building the public's confidence in universities, transforming the campusculture, diversifying the professoriate, and broadening participation in STEM.