Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to speak at Miami University
Vilsack will appear through the Altman Program’s speaker series
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Published
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to speak at Miami University
•
Published
Tom Vilsack, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and governor of Iowa, will speak at Miami University on Feb. 3 as a part of the 2025-2026 John W. Altman Program’s speaker series.
Vilsack served as governor of Iowa for two terms from 1999-2007 and went on to serve as the 30th and 32nd Secretary of Agriculture. Currently, Vilsack functions as chief executive officer of the World Food Prize Foundation.
Vilsack’s discussion, titled “It Can’t Only Be 'Get Big or Get Out': An Entrepreneurial Vision to Revitalize our Midwest Rural Economy,” will bring insight into the future of agricultural, industrial, and business communities in the Midwest region.
“I'm excited because it's a very forward-looking talk,” says Andrew Offenburger, associate professor in the Department of History and one of three Altman Fellows this year. “Often, when you talk about the Midwest to people, the first thing people think about is old-timey farms in the 19th century, whereas Secretary Vilsack will come and offer, what I'm expecting to be, a fresh take on the future of entrepreneurship in the Midwest.”
The Altman Program was founded in 2009 by Miami’s Humanities Center, which aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and research among departments. The program hopes to achieve a broad audience for Vilsack’s discussion, encouraging those from various sectors sharing an interest in future Midwestern development to attend.
Vilsack will speak on Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. in Wilks Theater in the Armstrong Student Center. Admission is free; no tickets or reservations required.
More information on Vilsack's upcoming talk can be found on the event webpage.
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Humanities Center? Visit the website for more information.
