Chesley Lecture Series at Aquinas College

Chesley Lecture Series

The Chesley Lecture Series, formerly the Aquinas Lecture Series, was renamed in 2017 in memory of Dr. Brent Chesley, who co-founded the series in 1991 along with Dr. Dan Brooks. Together, they organized more than 200 presentations by Aquinas College faculty and staff for over 25 years until Brent’s death in 2017. If you have a project that you would like to present, please reach out to the lecture series organizer.

Lecture Series Organizers

Dr. Scott Brown, PhD, CSCS
srb006@aquinas.edu

Academic Year 2025-26:

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Wege Center, Loutit Room
Presenter: Daniel C. Wagner, Ph.D.
Title: Plato, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, & Suffering into the Truth
Abstract: Dr. Daniel Connolly Wagner will present summary highlights from his Spring 2025 Sabbatical research program, beginning with published works: his article, “On the Elegance of APo, II.19 as Platonic Division” (Reality, Issue 1, Vol. 3, 2024), and the book, Thomistic Realism contra Ideology (CUA Press, 2026), of which he was the Chief Editor, and to which he contributed two chapters, “The Twofold Task of Philosophy in Response to Ideology” (Introduction), and “Plato and Aristotle on the Good and the Beautiful (τό καλόν/to kalon) as Nature (φύσις/phusis): The Foundations of Thomistic Ethics & Aesthetics” (peer reviewed chapter). He will then detail the progress he made on his article, “Nature, Creation, and the Dignity of the Human Person” (forthcoming in Human Dignity across the Islamic and Christian Traditions (Bloomsbury, 2026), the interdisciplinary book of which he will be the Chief Editor and contributor, Philosophy of Nature & Environmental Philosophy in Synthesis (sponsored by the Thomistic Institute), and his album and book of songs, philosophy, and theology, Let us Suffer into the Truth. Dr. Wagner will conclude by performing a song with biographical, philosophical, and theological commentary from the aforementioned book and album.

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Wege Center, Loutit Room
Presenter: Christopher Laporte, M.F.A.
Title: Shenanigans Monumental Drawing for Silva
Abstract: Chris LaPorte will present his sabbatical report on his monumental drawing project, Shenanigans, for the Grand Rapids social club, Silva.  His lecture will share the process of creation and installation of his 13-foot by 20-foot pencil drawing that took over 1500 hours to create over the course of a year.  In the process, Mr. LaPorte learned how to use social media tools to promote the work, including the creation of reels using still images, video, and time-lapse.  The public artwork includes over 60 figures/portraits, including famous icons, family, and local community members.  He also shared the work in progress with several Aquinas classes and community members at his studio, just a few blocks from the Aquinas campus.