The Donald W. Davis Program in Ethical Leadership was made possible through the generous support of alumnus Donald W. Davis Jr. ('42 Journ), who established the program to honor the memory of his father, former Penn State professor Donald W. Davis Sr.
The program is intended perpetuate the ideals of ethics in advertising that Davis Sr. maintained throughout his professional and academic careers. The elder Davis established the University’s advertising program in 1936. He also published his Basic Text in Advertising, which emphasized the “continuing fight for standards,” and exemplified his approach to advertising.
Contact
Upcoming
Oct
22
2026
Media Challenges to Digital Flourishing
Dates: October 22 – October 23, 2026
Location: Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center
Previous Lectures
Oct
31
2025
Guest Lecture
Lisa Krantz, University of Montana
Date & Time: October 31, 2025, 1:15 pm–2:30 pm
Location: Carnegie Cinema (113 Carnegie Building)
This event has already occurred.
Oct
11
2024
"The Space of the World: Can Human Solidarity (And Ethics) Survive Social Media and What If It Can’t?"
Nick Couldry, London School of Economics
Date & Time: October 11, 2024, 9:00 am–10:00 am
Location: Flex Theatre, HUB-Robeson Center
This event has already occurred.
Oct
10
2024
"In a Mirror, Dimly: Why AI Can’t Tell Our Stories, and Why We Must"
Shannon Vallour, University of Edinburgh
Date & Time: October 10, 2024, 9:00 am–10:00 am
Location: Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center
This event has already occurred.
Oct
31
2023
"Nothing Cures Health Inequity Quite Like Creativity"
Michelle Tucker
Date & Time: October 31, 2023, 6:00 pm–7:15 pm
Location: 60 Willard Building
This event has already occurred.
Oct
07
2022
"Civility in the Post-Truth Age: An Aristotelian Account”
Maria Silvia Vaccarezza
Date & Time: October 7, 2022, 9:00 am–10:30 am
Location: Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center
This event has already occurred.
Oct
06
2022
“The Relational Turn: An Ethics for the 21st Century and Beyond”
David Gunkel
Date & Time: October 6, 2022, 9:00 am–10:30 am
Location: Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center
This event has already occurred.
Nov
03
2021
"Social Responsibility in the Creative World"
Bianca Guimaraes
Date & Time: November 3, 2021, 6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Location: Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library
This event has already occurred.
Mar
19
2018
“You’ve Got the Power: Personal Accountability in the Advertising Industry”
Kendra Hatcher King
Date & Time: March 19, 2018, 6:00 pm–7:30 pm
Location: Kern Auditorium (112 Kern Building)
This event has already occurred.
Apr
05
2016
"What Do You Stand For? And, Does It Really Matter?
Pamela Divinsky
Date & Time: April 5, 2016, 7:30 pm–9:00 pm
Location: Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center
This event has already occurred.
Feb
17
2015
"Penn State Values, the Real World & You"
Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal
Date & Time: February 17, 2015, 7:30 pm–8:30 pm
Location: Nittany Lion Inn
This event has already occurred.
Mar
27
2014
"Big Data -- Big Responsibilities"
Stephen Loudermilk
Date & Time: March 27, 2014, 7:30 pm–8:30 pm
Location: Kern Auditorium (112 Kern Building)
This event has already occurred.
