Mount Union lecture series to explore technology in new era

University of Mount Union’s Lecture Series for the 2025-2026 school year will include six talks that aim to explore the intersection of humanity and technology, according to a news release.

Officials say the lectures will aim to offer insights into how our technological innovations shape human experiences.

All lectures are free and open to the public, though tickets are required. Visit mountunion.edu/lecture-series for more information.

Check out the speakers and dates of each lecture:

Kershaw Lecture – Ben Gantose will speak at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in Presser Recital Hall of Cope Music Hall. Gantose is an artist who specializes in storytelling through design. As a lighting, scenery, projection and installation designer, he enjoys creating innovative work that challenges traditional boundaries and mediums. Gantose is a resident designer at Cleveland Public Theatre, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and Sacramento Ballet. His lecture will focus on “visual dramaturgy in a digital world.”

Carr Lecture – Dr. James F. McGrath, the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in new testament language and literature at Butler University, will speak at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 in Presser Recital Hall. He will present, “AI Isn’t God (Or Even Human).”

Gallaher Lecture – Dr. Jeffrey Berger will speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 in Presser Recital Hall. He is a Ph.D. theoretical physicist who has worked on high-energy nuclear scattering phenomenology involving gluon cascades. His startup, Vega Labs, is running language placement exams leveraging statistical machine learning and a biotech laboratory management software leveraging large language models. Berger will speak on tech, AI and quantum computing.

2026 Faculty Lecture – Dr. Amber Hunt will speak at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in Presser Recital Hall. Hunt holds a bachelor of arts from Mount Union, a master of business administration from Ashland University and a Ph.D. from the University of Akron. She is director of the School of Business at Mount Union and the lead finance professor. Hunt will speak on how AI is transforming financial behavior.

Eckler Lecture – Rachel Dean and Ian LeRoy will speak at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 in Presser Recital Hall. Dean is a composer, pianist and music director, and works as a rehearsal pianist for “Hamilton” and “Moulin Rouge” on Broadway, and is a staff pianist at NYU Steinhardt. LeRoy, a 2014 graduate of Mount Union, is a music director, pianist and vocal coach, and is music director and staff pianist for NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program. He also is an audition pianist for Disney Parks Live Entertainment and Disney Cruise Line. They will present “Signals.”