Pete Buttigieg, the former United States secretary of transportation, will deliver the annual Kenner Lecture on Cultural Understanding, Tuesday, March 3 at 8 p.m. in Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Buttigieg. The lecture is free and open to the public.

"At a time when our political discourse often seems more divisive than ever, Pete Buttigieg brings a unique combination of thoughtful leadership and practical governing experience," said Robert Flowers, Herbert J. & Ann L. Siegel Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "His ability to communicate across ideological divides — whether as a mayor working with constituents of all political persuasions, as a Cabinet secretary implementing bipartisan infrastructure legislation, or as a public figure who consistently models respectful dialogue — makes him an ideal speaker for the Kenner Lecture. We look forward to his insights on how we can navigate our current moment of polarization while maintaining the civility essential to a functioning democracy."

Buttigieg served from 2021 to 2025 as U.S. secretary of transportation. During his tenure, he worked to launch over 70,000 infrastructure projects across the country, improve transportation safety and technology, expand airline passenger protections, and resolve pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.

Previously, Buttigieg served two terms as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, where he was elected at the age of 29 and led the city to its strongest period of economic and population growth in decades. He also served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, taking a leave of absence from his role as mayor in 2014 to deploy to Afghanistan. A candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, his historic campaign won the Iowa caucuses and finished second in the New Hampshire primary. 

He holds degrees in history and literature from Harvard and in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He lives in northern Michigan with his husband Chasten, their two children, Gus and Penelope, and their dog, Buddy.

Hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kenner Lecture Series was endowed by Jeffrey L. Kenner ’65 ’66 and established in 1997. Kenner, who studied industrial engineering and business administration at Lehigh, became involved in private equity and venture capital after a career as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (then Price Waterhouse & Co.).

In 1986, Kenner formed his own firm, Kenner & Company Inc. He served as a university trustee from 1995-2002 and was an early sponsor of the IBE (Integrated Business and Engineering) Honors Program. Kenner has long been a member of the university’s Asa Packer and Tower Societies and was inducted into the Leadership Plaza in October 2000. 

Previous lecture speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist Thomas Friedman, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic Anne Applebaum; New York Times columnist, podcast host and author Ezra Klein; and David Ignatius, a novelist and longtime Washington Post columnist.

Note: the event is currently sold out. However, interested attendees are encouraged to add their name to the waiting list for potential availability.

Additionally, please note that any held tickets that have not been scanned in will be released 10 minutes before curtain. Attendees on the waiting list are recommended to arrive early, as seats may become available at that time.