Dole Institute fall programming will include talk by former FDIC chair Sheila Bair
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced its fall 2026 slate of public programming, events and special exhibits, which are set to feature conversations with legislators, field experts and practitioners on topics ranging from bipartisan cooperation to artificial intelligence’s impact on energy, and from public service to affordable housing.
Later this season, the Dole Institute will host its annual Tribute to Veterans Gala and the biennial Post Election Conference.
“We’re excited to offer programming that broadens our understanding of civic institutions and the many people who do this vital work behind the scenes,” said Dole Institute director Audrey Coleman. “We’re also proud to offer a much needed space for bipartisan discussion on several policy issues of timely interest.”
Fall Fellow hosts discussion group series
Colleen Shogan, former Archivist of the United States and CEO of In Pursuit, will return to the Dole Institute as the Fall 2026 Dole Fellow. Her series, “The Work of Democracy,” will take guests behind the scenes of American politics and public service through candid conversations with experienced practitioners. Programs will explore how governing, elections and policymaking really work from the White House and Capitol Hill along with the forces shaping the midterm elections. Programs will take place at 4 p.m. on the following Wednesdays:
- Sept. 16: “The White House and Beyond,” featuring More Perfect founder and CEO John Bridgeland, and More Perfect co-chair and senior adviser Cecilia Muñoz
- Oct. 14: “Previewing the Midterm Elections,” featuring National Journal Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Inside Elections deputy editor Jacob Rubashkin
- Nov. 11: “Congress from the Inside,” featuring J.T. Jezierski, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.)
Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States — the first woman to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration. She currently serves as a senior fellow at More Perfect and CEO of In Pursuit, a history-based nonpartisan civics initiative that is identifying the most insightful and timeless lessons from the past 250 years of American history. Shogan also currently serves as a senior practitioner fellow at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
Dole Forum highlights
Future Caucus president and CEO Layla Zaidane, alongside a bipartisan pair of Future Caucus members, will visit for “What Is the Future of Bipartisanship?” at 7 p.m. Sept. 29. The trio will discuss opportunities for bipartisan leadership and the work Future Caucus is doing to foster bipartisan work in Congress and state legislatures throughout the United States.
In partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the Dole Institute will host David Hill, executive vice president of the BPC’s Energy Program, and Adam Cowie-Haskell, senior policy analyst for the BPC’s Energy Program, for “The A.I. Boom and the Future of Energy.” The discussion at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 will address artificial intelligence and its impact on energy as well as on bipartisan solutions being found across the country.
In partnership with KU Alumni, the Dole Institute will host Sheila Bair, a KU alumna, New York Times bestselling author and former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “An Evening with Sheila Bair” will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 27. Bair has written numerous children’s books on financial basics, including her most recent book, “How Not to Lose a Million Dollars.” Bair also worked as counsel in former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole’s office in the 1980s. She also received one of KU’s inaugural honorary degrees in 2012 for her contributions to financial policy.
Additionally, attorneys and Dole Institute Visiting Fellows Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray will return to the institute for the fall edition of The Counselors at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5. “Should Cities Impose Rent Control to Create Affordable Housing?” will feature Duckers and Irigonegaray alongside a panel of expert witnesses for the program format, a cross between a mock trial and debate.
The Dole Institute will host its biennial Post Election Conference on Dec. 8-9. The conference, held after general and midterm elections, brings journalists, pollsters and campaign leaders together to analyze campaigns and election results in Kansas and throughout the country. Dole Institute Visiting Fellow Jerry Seib will moderate the conference’s national panel. Panelists will be announced later this fall.
Fall Special Exhibit
The Dole Archives will debut a new special exhibit this fall. “Dwell in Possibility: Space Exploration in the Dole Archives” highlights documents, images and other artifacts from the career collections of Bob Dole and former Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole that illustrate America’s history in space exploration. The exhibition is inspired by and draws themes from the 2026-27 KU Common Book, “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey.
The special exhibit display will debut Aug. 25 in the Dole Institute’s Museum & Galleries, which have new permanent visiting hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays.
Featured Partnerships
The Dole Institute is partnering with the Community Blood Center to host a blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 28 in celebration of Elizabeth Dole’s 90th birthday. A trailblazer in leadership, Dole forged a career in public service across five different presidential administrations, leading the American Red Cross, representing North Carolina in the U.S. Senate and creating the first-of-its-kind foundation supporting military and veteran caregivers. Interested donors can visit the Dole Institute’s website to schedule an appointment to donate blood.
In honor of Constitution Day, the Kansas Court of Appeals will be hearing oral arguments in two cases at 10 a.m. Sept. 22. Commemorated annually throughout the nation, Constitution Day celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in September 1787. The Court of Appeals, the state’s intermediate court, will hear cases involving a constitutional issue at both the Dole Institute and the KU School of Law. Docket and case information can be found on the Kansas Court of Appeals website.
The Fort Leavenworth Series continues this fall with lectures exploring the foundations of modern war. These free, monthly lectures are presented by military historians from the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Lectures take place at 3 p..m. on the first Wednesday of each month:
- Sept. 2: “U.S. Strategy and Sherman’s Savannah Campaign,” presented by Mitchell Klingenberg
- Oct. 7: “Clausewitz, Mao and Operational Art,” presented by Martin Clemis
- Nov. 4: “Jomini and the Foundations of Modern War,” presented by Sean Kalic
- Dec. 2: “Neptune and Mars, Napoleonic Maritime Strategy, 1803-1807,” presented by Dr. John Kuehn.
Sept. 11 anniversary commemorations
In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Dole Institute and the KU School of Music will host a remembrance performance at 3 p.m. Sept. 11. The performance, featuring the Cornerstone Quartet and students from the School of Music, will be held in Hansen Hall, which features two beams from World Trade Center Tower One. The beams are a memorial that were presented to Bob Dole and President Bill Clinton for their work establishing the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, a scholarship fund benefiting the children of Sept. 11 victims.
Additionally, the institute will display a special memorial poster exhibit, “September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World,” from Sept. 1 to 20. The exhibit, developed by the 9/11 Memorial Museum with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, reviews the events of the day, highlights individual experiences and invites reflection from all visitors.
Tribute to Veterans Gala
On. Nov. 8, the institute will host its annual celebration of the nation’s veterans and their families: the Tribute to Veterans Gala. The evening features live music from the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra and a special “Salute to Veterans” presented by students from the university’s Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. While free and open to the public, reservations are required to attend and can be made online. Doors open at 5 p.m., with programming beginning at 6 p.m.
Detailed information on programming and special exhibits can be found on the Dole Institute’s website. Unless otherwise noted, all programs, which are free and open to the public, will take place at the Dole Institute and can be streamed live on the institute’s website and YouTube channel. Members of the media wishing to attend any of these programs are asked to contact Jackson DeAndrea at jackson.deandrea@ku.edu to make arrangements.
About the Dole Institute
The Dole Institute of Politics promotes a new era of leadership that uses politics to bring people together through opportunities that emphasize bipartisan cooperation, public service, and civic education and engagement, inspired by the leadership legacies of Senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole and the enduring civic contributions of the Greatest Generation.