Carleton Convos

Carleton Convo with Bob Daily ’82 | January 31, 2025

Screenwriter and producer Bob Daily ’82 delivered convocation at Carleton College on Friday, January 31 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Through his address “On Creativity: Nine lessons I’ve learned, stolen and ignored,” Daily highlighted his path from Carleton to the entertainment industry. 
Daily began his television career as a writer and producer on the famed NBC series Frasier, for which he was awarded back-to-back Writers Guild Awards for Outstanding Script in Television Comedy in 2003 and 2004. Daily wrote 15 episodes of Frasier — one of which was included in the book, Very Best of Frasier — over the course of five seasons. During his time on the show, he also received an Emmy nomination, and is currently working as a consulting producer on the latest Frasier series for Paramount Plus. 
Beyond his work on Frasier, Daily served as an executive producer and eventual showrunner for Desperate Housewives from 2006 to 2012, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. Daily is also the co-creator of Superior Donuts and served as its executive producer and showrunner for two seasons. He served as executive producer on the ABC/Hulu series The Wonder Years, which won the Peabody Award in 2021 and was nominated for a 2023 NAACP Image Award.  His other executive producer credits include B Positive, Perfect Harmony, and The Odd Couple. Daily is currently working as an executive producer on the new hit ABC/Hulu series Shifting Gears while working as a consulting producer on the reboot of King of the Hill for Hulu. 
Daily graduated from Carleton with a BA in English, and later earned an MA in English from University of Chicago. Before working in entertainment, Daily worked as a journalist, writing for a variety of publications including Chicago Magazine, Spy, Men’s Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and The Boston Globe. He has also published six children’s books. He is married to Janet Kerrigan Daily and has two children, Emma and Owen. 
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Noah Tarnow ’97 | January 24, 2025

Noah Tarnow ’97 delivered convocation at Carleton College on Friday, January 24 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Tarnow detailed his unique path from Carleton alum to senior quizmaster in an address titled, “The Trivial Benefits of a Carleton Education (or, How One Alum Made Himself a Game Show Host),” which, of course, included trivia questions throughout. 
Originally a biweekly nightlife event, Tarnow’s The Big Quiz Thing (BQT) evolved from a DIY quiz program into the nationwide customizable trivia event company that it is today, for which Tarnow serves as CEO, creative director, and senior quizmaster. In the two decades of its development, BQT has entertained hundreds of thousands of people across the country through its innovative take on classic bar-style trivia. BQT has even been adapted to television, as the world’s first bar-trivia-style TV show. 
During his Carleton experience, Tarnow — a lifetime lover of obscure facts and habitual devourer of quirky reference books — became determined to study popular culture, despite the College’s then-lack of classes on the subject. Majoring in American studies with a media studies concentration, Tarnow managed to overcome some faculty doubts to write his comps about the history of Batman as a pop culture icon, carrying that knowledge and novelty to New York City as a magazine editor. By his late 20s, the novelty had worn off — his magazine career was stagnant, and a diversion into stand-up comedy was utterly unremarkable. Yet undeterred, Tarnow repurposed his love of being on stage (in some capacity) and formulated the DIY quiz program that became BQT.
Tarnow now lives in San Francisco, where he also co-hosts the podcast I Don’t Get It: The Pop Culture Get-Off-My-Lawn Cast, and returns to Carleton when he can to check up on the Libe’s ever-growing section of graphic novels. 
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Lawrence R. Jacobs | January 17, 2025

Political scientist Lawrence R. Jacobs delivered convocation at Carleton College on Friday, January 17 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Jacobs’ address, “American Democracy in Fractured Times,” stemmed from his expertise in American political science and was informed by the content of his latest book, Democracy Under Fire: Donald Trump and the Breaking of American History.
Jacobs is the founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance (CSPG) at the University of Minnesota. He also serves as the Walter F. and Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and holds the McKnight Presidential Chair — one of the highest faculty honors at the University of Minnesota — for his research work and contributions to the advancement of the university.
In 2020, Jacobs was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Beyond that, Jacobs has written or collaborated on over 100 scholarly articles, 17 books, and numerous media essays and reports. Jacobs is a specialized expert in national and Minnesota elections, Midwestern swing states, presidential and legislative politics, political communications, health care reform, economic inequality, Social Security, and third party politics.
Jacobs earned his BA in history and English from Oberlin College in 1981 and his PhD in political science from Columbia University in 1990.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Abby Kiesa | November 1, 2024

Abby Kiesa, deputy director of CIRCLE, delivered the Carleton convocation address on Friday, November 1 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Her talk was titled, “Including youth in ‘we the people’: Youth voice in U.S. democracy.”
CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) is part of Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. The Center conducts research and collaborates on systems change initiatives to build what’s needed for more young people and young adults in the United States to have a voice in community decision-making and democracy.
Kiesa joined CIRCLE in 2005 after working with students across the country for several years to build more support for youth and student civic engagement. As deputy director of CIRCLE — and throughout her over 15 years of work on this issue — Kiesa has specialized in how research and data insights can influence policy and practice for stronger democracy and thriving communities. Well-versed in the wide range of youth civic and political engagement efforts and practice, Kiesa brings a broad view of the institutions and interventions that can make up ecosystems for civic development among all youth. She is most interested in how to effect change in community, institutional, and political systems to reduce inequality.
Kiesa has been cited by news outlets such as The New York Times, CSPAN, NPR, and PolitiFact. Her publications include, “Getting Young People to Vote: Seven Tips for the Classroom” and “A Civic Imperative for Media Literacy.” She has a BA in sociology from Villanova University and an MA in American studies from the University of Maryland.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Theda Skocpol | October 25, 2024

Theda Skocpol, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, delivered the Carleton convocation address on Friday, October 25 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel.
Skocpol’s work addresses a broad spectrum of questions about socio-political change, including health care reform, public policy, and civic engagement amid shifting inequalities in American democracy; currently, she is probing partisan polarization and Republican Party radicalization.
An internationally recognized scholar, Skocpol has received multiple honorary degrees — most recently from Oxford University in 2022 — and has been elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Academy of Sciences. In 2007, she received the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science for her “visionary analysis of the significance of the state for revolutions, welfare, and political trust, pursued with theoretical depth and empirical evidence.” Awarded annually by the Skytte Foundation at Uppsala University in Sweden, the Skytte Prize is one of the most prestigious in political science.
In addition to her teaching and research at Harvard, Skocpol also serves as director of the Scholars Strategy Network, an organization with dozens of regional chapters that encourages nonpartisan public engagement by university-based scholars, building ties between academics and policymakers, civic groups, and journalists. Skocpol herself speaks regularly to community groups and writes for blogs and public-interest magazines.
Among Skocpol’s major books are two multiple-award-winners — States and Social Revolutions: A Comparative Analysis of France, Russia, and China and Protecting Soldiers and Mothers: The Political Origins of Social Policy in the United States. Other books include Diminished Democracy: From Membership to Management in American Civic Life, Health Care Reform and American Politics, and The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism. Her most recent books are Upending American Politics: Polarizing Parties, Ideological Elites, and Citizen Activists from the Tea Party to the Anti-Trump Resistance (co-edited with Caroline Tervo) and Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party (co-authored with Lainey Newman).
Although she has lived for many years in Cambridge, Massachusetts — and in Maine during the summer — Skocpol was born and raised in Michigan and received her BA from Michigan State University in 1969. She and her husband, Bill Skocpol, a retired Boston University physics professor, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on June 10, 2017. They have one son, Michael, a graduate of Stanford Law School, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor in 2018–19 and now works for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Skocpol does not work all the time! She loves to visit antique malls, looking for various kinds of Americana — including old membership ribbon badges from unions and fraternal associations. She is also a devoted football fan who closely follows all NFL teams, but above all, the New England Patriots.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Family Weekend Convo with Pat Sukhum ’96 | October 18, 2024

Pat Sukhum ’96, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, delivered the Carleton convocation address for Family Weekend on Friday, October 18 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel.
After 25 years in the bustling world of health tech startups, Sukhum found himself — somewhat unexpectedly — as the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, the largest Minnesota arm of the nationwide nonprofit youth mentoring organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. While the timing might have seemed sudden, the journey leading him there was anything but. It all began 25 years ago when he became a mentor (a “Big”) in the very program he now leads.
A Minnesota kid, Sukhum was born in St. Paul to first-generation Thai immigrant parents. During his teenage years, his family moved to central Minnesota, where he graduated from high school, adding a “small-town twist” to his story.
Sukhum’s career in health tech startups saw its fair share of highs and learnings, co-founding companies which flourished with acquisitions by UnitedHealthcare and Virgin Pulse, as well as others that didn’t go quite as planned. He also managed to squeeze in four fabulous years at Carleton, scurrying late to classes in Willis, trying to learn a forehand flick, and, once in a while, dozing off in the back of the Chapel at convo.
Sukhum loves that everyone has a story to tell. He’s returning to Carleton to share his. As he notes, “maybe you’ll take something away from it, maybe you won’t.” Either way, Sukhum’s “pretty psyched and incredibly grateful for you showing up”… and if you happen to nod off in the back of the room? No judgment — he’s been there.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Francis Su | October 11, 2024

Francis Su, Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and former president of the Mathematical Association of America, delivered the Carleton convocation address on Friday, October 11 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. His address was titled, “Seeing the unseen: the enchantment of mathematical beauty.”
In his talk, Su tackled multiple questions, including: What is the nature of beauty? How does it make us feel? Surprisingly, he says, mathematics can help us understand beauty, because math is about seeing the unseen, and such beauty can draw us to experiences of joy in much the same way that art or music can stir the soul. For those who have never glimpsed this beauty, Su tried to describe what experiences of mathematical beauty feel like. As beauty comes in many forms, and experiences of beauty contribute to a flourishing life, mathematics holds something for everyone, Su says, “even those of us who have not seen ourselves as ‘math people.’”
Su’s research in geometric combinatorics includes many papers co-authored with undergraduates. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and The New York Times. His book, Mathematics for Human Flourishing (Yale University Press 2020), was the winner of the 2021 Euler Book Prize and has been translated into eight languages. It offers an inclusive vision of what math is, who it’s for, and why anyone should learn it.
In 2013, Su received the Haimo Award for distinguished teaching of college-level mathematics, a nationwide prize for college math faculty. In 2018, he won the Halmos-Ford Award for Mathematical Writing from the Mathematical Association of America. Three of his articles have been featured in Princeton Press’ “Best Writing on Mathematics” list in 2011, 2014, and 2018. He authors the popular Math Fun Facts website and is the creator of MathFeed, the math news app.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Convo with Senator Patricia Torres Ray | October 4, 2024

Patricia Torres Ray — a former member of the Minnesota Senate, where she represented District 63 — delivered the Carleton convocation address on Friday, October 4 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Her address was titled, “Immigration as Statement of Conscience.”
After working in public service for 20 years, Torres Ray ran for office in 2006 and became the first Latina elected to the Minnesota Senate. She held multiple leadership roles there, including majority whip, chair of the Parks and Trails Legacy Committee, chair of the New Immigration Policy Commission, chair of the Education Policy Committee, and chair of the State and Local Government Committee.
In 2010, Torres Ray was the first woman of color to run as lieutenant governor with Senator John Marty for governor. She is a recognized local and national leader and has received multiple awards recognizing her contributions to eliminating disparities and opening opportunities for women, low-income people, and communities who live on the margins.
Torres Ray decided not to run for re-election in 2022 after serving in the senate for 16 years. She opened her own firm, PTR Associates, to assist small organizations in managing political and public policy strategies centered around the needs and assets of Indigenous communities, people of color, and immigrant communities.
Torres Ray is a native of Colombia, a public affairs graduate from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and a parent of two boys.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton A&I Convo with Deborah Appleman | September 27, 2024

Deborah Appleman — Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies, associate program director of American studies, and chair of educational studies — delivered the address for Carleton’s annual Argument & Inquiry (A&I) Convocation on Friday, September 27 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. In her address, “Academic Freedom and Necessity of Discomfort: The Trouble with Cancel Culture and Content Warnings,” Appleman drew from her most recent book, Literature and the New Culture Wars.
Appleman taught high school English for nine years before receiving her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She has been a visiting professor at Syracuse University and at the University of California–Berkeley. She is the author of more than a dozen books on literacy education, including Critical Encounters in Secondary English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents (winner of the Richard A. Meade Award); Adolescent Literacy and the Teaching of Reading: Lessons for Teachers of Literature; Teaching Literature to Adolescents; Uncommon Core; and Reading Better, Reading Smarter. Her 2019 book, Words No Bars Can Hold: Literacy Learning in Prison, draws from her experiences teaching creative writing and literature classes in a high security men’s prison, where she has taught since 2007. Her most recent book, Literature and the New Culture Wars, examines current political challenges in the teaching of literature. At Carleton, Appleman teaches courses such as Educational Psychology, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, and Teenage Wasteland. She also mentors and supervises student teachers. She was Carleton’s second Posse mentor, and has served on a variety of elected committees including College Council, the Faculty Affairs Committee (as chair), the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations

Carleton Opening Convo with Rep. Dean Phillips | September 16, 2024

Dean Phillips, U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, delivered the address for Carleton's Opening Convocation on Monday, September 16 starting at 3 p.m. in Skinner Chapel.
Phillips was raised in Edina, Minnesota, attended Brown University, and earned his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business. After being employed at a variety of small startups, he worked his way up and eventually led his family’s business, Phillips Distilling, in addition to starting other small businesses. Phillips is active in the philanthropic community in Minnesota through the Edward J. Phillips Family Foundation, which supports education, medical research, and children and youth services. The Phillips Scholars program, run through the Minnesota Private College Council, provides scholarships to Minnesota college students who are interested in community service.
In Congress, Phillips is focused on collaboration in Washington, pursuit of common ground for the common good, and ending the corrupting influences of special interest money in American politics. In 2020, he authored the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, bipartisan legislation that helped many small businesses keep their doors open despite the pandemic. Phillips has led the Problem Solvers Caucus in negotiations with the White House and Congressional leadership to provide bipartisan solutions to pressing challenges.
Phillips has been recognized for his bipartisanship, including receiving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship in the 116th and 117th Congress.
Phillips has said: “My journey to public service began the morning after the 2016 election, when I faced the reality that democracy requires participation — not observation.” At a critical time for our democracy, his emphasis on participation, choice, and action provides an important model for civic engagement that is particularly relevant for first-time voters in a consequential election.
Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations