Dr. Arthur Levine
President, Brandeis University
From Upheaval to Action: What Works in Changing Higher Ed
January 29, 2026
Arthur E. Levine, a nationally respected higher education leader and researcher, is president of Brandeis University. A 1970 Brandeis graduate, Levine previously served as president of Teachers College at Columbia University and the former Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
Levine has authored 13 books, including "The Great Upheaval: Higher Education's Past, Present and Uncertain Future" (2021), and articles in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Levine's honors include Carnegie, Fulbright, Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Tria Chang (BHA '07)
Co-Creator, Make America Dinner Again
Alumni and Student Reflections on Listening, Learning and Leading Across Difference
March 30, 2026
Tria studied professional writing and communication design at CMU, where she met Justine Lee. In 2016, the two friends created Make America Dinner Again, which led to a grassroots movement of civil discourse in the United States and beyond. Their work resulted in 200+ dinners across the country and made them finalists for a National Civvy Award. Tria's writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, and Narratively, among other places, and she has spoken at AWP, SXSW, on NPR, BBC, and multiple shows and podcasts about bridging divides and writing. Among her honors are a California Arts Council Emerging Artist Fellowship and Charles C. Dawe Innovation in Publishing Award won during her time at CMU.
Justine Lee (ENG '08)
Programs Director, Asian American Arts Alliance & Co-Creator, Make American Dinner Again
Alumni and Student Reflections on Listening, Learning and Leading Across Difference
March 30, 2026
Justine Lee studied professional writing and business administration at CMU. In 2016, she and Tria Chang co-created Make America Dinner Again—a national bridge-building movement featured in NPR, The New York Times, and CBS Evening News that brought thousands together for conversations across differences. Now, as a program director at Asian American Arts Alliance, Justine champions AAPI artists and cultural organizations, and advises WE ACT, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.