Past Events

Hear from Dr. Daniel Frost, Director of Public Scholarship in the School of Family Life, professional author, and editor. He led a workshop on February 27th, 2025 teaching students how to craft compelling op-eds that grab attention, get published, and spark change.

Start the recording at 0:41 for the introduction of Dr. Frost. The passcode for this recording is: p0dMYhL= Watch Workshop Recording Here

Dr. Ben Abbott gave a lecture on February 13th, 2025 about his efforts to protect Utah Lake.

Dr. Ben Abbott has recently been featured in the news for his active involvement in environmental issues concerning Utah's water bodies. In early 2023, he led a group of scientists in issuing a report emphasizing the need for emergency measures to prevent the collapse of the Great Salt Lake. This report has sparked ongoing discussions about the lake's future and the necessary steps for its preservation. Additionally, Dr. Abbott was a prominent critic of the Utah Lake Restoration Project, which proposed dredging the lake to create artificial islands. Watch Full Lecture Here

Karen McCandless gave a lecture on January 30th, 2025 about her journey into civic engagement.

Karen McCandless is the CEO of Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo, Utah. Its mission is to foster self-reliance in individuals, families, and the community. Her current position and being a former elected city council member and land use planner fuel her passion for advocating for and working toward thriving communities. Hear about her "Unexpected Journey" into civic engagement here: Watch Full Lecture

On January 23rd, 2025, the Office of Civic Engagement and the Civic Engagement Leadership Association held a Radon Awareness Event. Eleanor Divver from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality came and spoke to us about the dangers of radon and gave out free test kits to help discover radon in our own homes. Eleanor told us how radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Utah, how 1 in 3 homes in Utah has elevated levels of radon, and how deaths from radon are preventable plus much more. Visit her website here to learn more: Utah Radon Website

Timothy Koide gave a lecture on January 16th, 2025 about his involvement in bringing his community together through baseball.

Ecosystem Builder and Storyteller, Startup Advisor and Founder. When the Oakland Athletics left for Las Vegas, Tim Koide helped start a new minor league baseball team to try to preserve the community bonds that are created by a local baseball team. Hear his story of civic engagement here: Watch Full Lecture

On December 3rd, 2024, Richard Davis led a panel of politicians to discuss how their faith has shaped their politics. The panelists were (pictured, left to right) moderator Richard Davis and panelists Holly Richardson, Aimee Winder Newton, Ben McAdams, and Karen Hale. They had a great discussion about what led them to their political careers, how their faith and politics have interacted, how important it is to bridge the political divide, as well as gave great advice to students. Click the link below to watch the recording of this panel: Faith and Politics Panel Recording

On November 2, 2024, the Office of Civic Engagement celebrated their 10th anniversary of being civically engaged by hosting a community service project. With over 50 volunteers, the office held a fall clean-up of two community gardens in Provo. The gardens are used by members of the community who might not otherwise have the space for a garden, and any extra produce collected goes to Community Action Services and Food Bank. The volunteers included both BYU students and community members, so it was a great way to connect with the community and make a difference!
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Kira Johnson gave a lecture on November 21, 2024 about her work with civic engagement.

Kira Johnson is a Public Lands Planner with Salt Lake City, UT, as well as the Board Chair for the Provo Bicycle Project. She is community oriented, soil-loving, bike-riding, and loves bird-watching. Watch her lecture here: Full Lecture Recording

Rachel Whipple gave a lecture on October 17, 2024 about her work with civic engagement.

Rachel is a Provo City Councilor and an associate attorney with Anderson, Fife, Marshall & Johnson, LC. She has done research for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies and is on the Board for the Utah Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Watch Full Lecture Here

Erin Wells gave a lecture on October 3rd, 2024 about the profession of City Management and gave general career advice.

Erin Wells is currently the City Administrator for Highland City in Utah. She received her undergraduate degree and her MPA from BYU. She is passionate about local government creating great experiences for residents and employees. Watch Full Lecture Here

Austin Taylor gave a lecture on September 19, 2024 about his work with civic engagement.

Austin Taylor is a planning and real estate professional based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He became involved in the urbanism movement in 2015 while leading active transportation advocacy work through Provo Bicycle Collective and BikeWalk Provo through which he and his teams put thousands of Utahns on bikes and advocated for safe streets.

Since then, Austin has worked on land use planning, real estate, and transportation projects as a private consultant, nonprofit executive director, and local government staffer. Austin currently works as a project manager for the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City. Watch Full Lecture Here

A panel from Conserve Utah came to speak on April 26th, 2024 about their civic engagement.

Conserve Utah Valley is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to protecting and sustaining the treasured canyons, foothills, open spaces, and waters of Utah Valley. Conserve Utah Valley seeks to work collaboratively with all levels of government, the business community, and individuals to preserve spaces that add so much to our quality of life. Click the link to watch the recording of this panel: Conserve Utah Valley Panel Recording

Dr. Tyson King-Meadows gave a lecture at BYU on February 22nd, 2024 entitled, "Soulcraft & Today's Young Americans: How Race Relations, Families, and Schools Shape Our Democratic Imagination."

Dr. Tyson D. King-Meadows is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). He holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his research primarily focuses on African American political behavior and attitudes, race and representation, Congress, and elections. Dr. King-Meadows is the author of "When the Letter Betrays the Spirit: Voting Rights Enforcement and African American Participation from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama" and the co-author of "Devolution and Black State Legislators: Challenges and Choice in the Twenty-first Century." Watch Full Lecture Here

Ben McAdams gave a lecture on February 2nd, 2024 about his experiences throughout his life and career.

Ben McAdams is a former Utah State Senator, Mayor of Salt Lake City, and US Congressman. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah and a JD with honors from Columbia Law School. In his public service, McAdams brought Republicans and Democrats together to advance major transportation infrastructure investments, find solutions to address homelessness, improve education and health outcomes, and promote evidence-based decision-making at all levels of government using innovations, including the first social impact bonds to achieve measurable outcomes for the public good. He is also the founder of the Common Ground Institute. Watch Full Lecture Here

Cate Klundt gave a lecture on September 18th, 2023 about her civic engagement.

Cate Klundt is currently the Government Affairs Coordinator for the Utah Association of Realtors. Before joining the Utah Association of Realtors, Cate held several key positions, including Director of Community & Government Relations at World Trade Center Utah, Director of Communications at the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, and Deputy Press Secretary at the Utah House of Representatives. Her diverse experience reflects a strong commitment to public service and effective communication within various sectors. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from BYU. Watch Full Lecture Here

George Handley and Shannon Ellsworth, both Provo City Council members at the time, gave a joint lecture and Q&A session with students on March 31, 2022.

George Handley is a BYU Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, an author, an advocate of environmental stewardship, and a Provo City Council member.

Shannon Ellsworth served on the Provo City Council from 2020-2024. She has a degree in environmental planning as well as an MBA. After working for civil engineering firms in Utah and Arizona she now works for global mining corporation, Rio Tinto, on land and water assets. She is also an adjunct professor at BYU. Watch Full Lecture Here

Josh Daniels gave a lecture on February 24th, 2022 about his civic engagement. At the time he was the Utah County Clerk/Auditor. Hear him discuss his legislative experience, data driven decision making, how to get involved, and more.

Josh Daniels is currently the Principal Consultant at Civique Strategies and the Executive Innovator at InnoGov. He is an innovator, a democracy expert, and a marine combat veteran. He received his undergraduate degree from BYU and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Watch Full Lecture Here