Title:Lecture series unites Hoyas around the world

In 2020, GUAA’s regional clubs began hosting distinguished guest speakers as part of the Manresa Lecture Series, named after the city in Spain where St. Ignatius of Loyola experienced a profound transformation and developed his Spiritual Exercises.

The first event, hosted by the Georgetown Club of Philadelphia, featured Marcia Chatelain, then a Georgetown professor of history and African American Studies, speaking on the continuous work of civil rights in the U.S. Due to the global pandemic, the event was virtual only.

In 2022, the event moved to a hybrid format. Live event hosts have included: the Club of Metro New York, with Mary Jordan (C’83) speaking about the importance of free press; the Club of the Research Triangle, with David Fajgenbaum (NHS’07) talking about his journey from being diagnosed with a rare and deadly disease to his research on finding a cure; and the Club of Seattle, featuring David Coffey (G’03), executive director of Recovery Cafe, on the challenges of addiction recovery.

This May, the Club of Kansas City will be hosting the Manresa Lecture, which will feature former Georgetown Professor Debora Spar, who will talk about how technology is influencing social change.