The Office of University Events plans and administers all major University events, conferences, and public functions as directed by the President of Old Dominion University.

Below is a listing of events coordinated through our office. A complete listing of events at Old Dominion University is available on the master events calendar.

Listed events are open to the public unless otherwise specified.

2012

Spring 2012 President's Lecture Series Featured Speakers

March 20, 2012 Marc and Connie Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Speaker Immaculèe Ilibagiza Rwandan Genocide Survivor and Author, Left to Tell An eyewitness survivor of one of recent history's most horrific genocidal regimes, Immaculée Ilibagiza shares her message of faith and forgiveness amidst the most awful of circumstances. Born in Rwanda and trained as an electrical engineer, Immaculée Ilibagiza had her life shattered in 1994 when the death of Rwanda's president sparked a slaughter of Tutsis by Hutu militia, with as many as 10,000 killed each day. Ilibagiza and seven other Tutsi women hid in a house for 91 days while nearly 1 million people, including most of her family, were killed. In a stunning and unforgettable presentation based on her book "Left to Tell" and "Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide," Ilibagiza describes how, during this time, she discovered the power of prayer and a profound and lasting relationship with God, which enabled her to seek out and forgive even her family's killers. Four years after the genocide, Ilibagiza emigrated to the United States and began working for the U.N., establishing the Left to Tell Charitable Fund to help orphaned children in Africa. Ilibagiza has recounted her tale of survival and renewal to myriad audiences. She has been featured on BET, CNN and "60 Minutes" and in The New York Times, Newsday and People. She remains devoted to sharing with audiences the importance of faith, understanding and forgiveness.   April 23, 2012 President's Lecture Series Speaker   Jean-Michel Cousteau Marine Explorer, Environmental Activist, Educator and Filmmaker   For more than four decades, Jean-Michel Cousteau has dedicated himself and his vast experience to communicate to people of all nations and generations his love and concern for our water planet. Since first being "thrown overboard" by his father at the age of seven with newly invented SCUBA gear on his back, Cousteau has been exploring the ocean realm. The son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Cousteau has investigated the world's oceans aboard Calypso and Alcyone for much of his life. Honoring his heritage, Cousteau founded Ocean Futures Society in 1999 to carry on this pioneering work. He has produced over 80 films, received the Emmy, the Peabody Award, the Sept d'Or, and the Cable Ace Award. In 1989, he became a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times where his articles appeared in over sixty newspapers worldwide.