Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to organize and host a number of public events with the Waggonner Center at Louisiana Tech University. The goal of the Waggonner Center is to encourage students and scholars to engage in public life, and bring their talents to bear on issues and problems facing modern society. These events often feature Louisiana Tech scholars sharing their expertise on important topics, and also include talks by outside experts who share their knowledge related to current affairs as well as civic engagement more generally.