Hart-Milliken Series Guest Speakers
The Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics will encourage a more civil approach to politics, by inviting individuals to speak on campus who have demonstrated a commitment to encouraging positive change in American politics and policy-making. This series will assist Central Michigan University in its efforts to prepare students to be future leaders.
The endowment's advisory board seeks keynote speakers whose work embodies the ideals of leaders like Senator Philip A. Hart and Governor William G. Milliken. The board selects individuals who promote the greater good of the communities and people they serve through a spirit of reason, cooperation and inclusiveness.
Although the series is national in focus, special consideration may be given to speakers with ties or expertise in issues of significance to Michigan and the Midwest.
Events
Boiling Point: How America Brought War to Ukraine
Thursday, November 12, 2026
7:00 p.m.
Hybrid event | Livestream in Anspach 256
In partnership with Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum, the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series hosts Stephen Kinzer, former New York Times foreign correspondent, award-winning writer & bestselling author, and Senior Fellow in International & Public Affairs, Watson School of International & Public Affairs, at Brown University.
From bestselling author Stephen Kinzer, the untold story of the secret 75-year American campaign that set the stage for war in Ukraine. Until the Russian invasion in 2022, few Americans could find Ukraine on a map. Once the fighting began, however, support for its cause surged. The reason was clear: Russia was the aggressor, Ukraine its victim. Yet this war did not explode out of nowhere. For seventy-five years, Moscow and Washington have fought over Ukraine. It is the most sustained covert conflict in modern history. Both sides sought to keep this story secret. They succeeded—until now.
In his groundbreaking new book, Kinzer tells this long-hidden story. Beginning in the refugee camps of postwar Europe, where CIA officers recruited their first Ukrainian agents, it follows generations of rebels, exiles, traitors, and covert operatives through decades of clandestine missions. Although nearly all of the guerrilla warriors that the CIA sent into Ukraine were captured or killed, it never gave up. From the late 1940s through the end of the Cold War, American leaders saw Ukrainians as their most effective weapon against Moscow. They continued to press that strategy after Ukraine’s independence and the eastward expansion of the US-dominated NATO alliance.
Richly detailed and plot-driven, Boiling Point shows how the United States made Ukraine its most important European project of the twenty-first century, culminating in the escalation that led to war. From battlefields in the Carpathians to smoke-filled offices in New York to the Olympic Games, it is full of the wild stories and improbable characters that made All the Shah’s Men a classic. This is the last great untold spy-versus-spy story of our time.
This event will take place at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City with a moderated livestream in Anspach 256 on the campus of Central Michigan University. The livestream will be moderated by Central Michigan University faculty member Thomas Greitens, chairperson of the School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service.
You can learn more about the event and the speaker series by visiting the International Affairs Forum website. This partnership is supported by the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics at Central Michigan University.
Scheduled events
Thu Feb 18, 2027 @ 7 p.m. - IAF-CMU Hart-Milliken Series, our partner event, at the Dennos Museum Center. Speakers not yet confirmed. This event will take place at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City with a bus traveling from Mount Pleasant to Traverse City for the event. Complimentary seats available for all students. We will also host a moderated livestream in Anspach 256 on the campus of Central Michigan University.
Thu Oct 15, 2026 from 6 - 9 p.m. - IAF Gala. Candy Crowley, former CNN Chief Political Correspondent, "An Evening of Political Insight & Global Perspective." This event is in person only at the Hagerty Center, NMC Great Lakes Campus.
Past speakers
Javed Ali
National security expert Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, presented "Iran, Middle East Instability & National Security" in partnership with the Northwestern Michigan College International Affairs Forum and the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series. October 22, 2026
Paul Hollingsworth
Paul Hollingsworth, President of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and a former senior U.S. intelligence official at the CIA & National Security Council., presented "U.S. Intelligence in the 21st Century: National Security in an Era of Disruption" in partnership with the Northwestern Michigan College International Affairs Forum and the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series. September 17, 2026
Kori Schake
Kori Schake, Ph.D., Senior Fellow & Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute, presented "Long Arm or Strongarm? Executive Power in Foreign Policy and at Home" in partnership with the Northwestern Michigan College International Affairs Forum and the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series. February 19, 2026
David Hollister and Ray Tadgerson
David Hollister, who served as Lansing's mayor from 1993 to 2003, and Raymond Tadgerson, a professional engineer and former CEO and president of Capital Consultants, discussed how skilled leadership helped convince General Motors to construct two new Lansing manufacturing facilities during a recession. They shared their experiences and perspectives on how similar coalitions can be forged to tackle pressing community problems. October 20, 2016
General Colin Powell
General Colin Powell served as the 65th United States Secretary of State under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 and is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. General Powell discussed how to remain focused, take responsibility and work toward improving processes, organizations and people. January 24, 2013
Congressman Bart Stupak
Congressman Bart Stupak discussed leadership and integrity in politics. Stupak served as U.S. representative from Michigan's First Congressional District from 1993 to 2011. In 2010 he played an important role in passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (health care reform act) while also facing death threats and political backlash. September 26, 2011
Senator Carl Levin
U.S. Senator Carl Levin served as the inaugural speaker for the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics. Former Michigan Governor William G. Milliken and two sons of the late Senator Philip Hart attended the presentation. Levin, who served as a U.S. senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015, discussed "Keeping an Ethical Course In a Political Storm." November 22, 2009
