Following the lecture, The Texas Tribune will host a panel in Mabee Hall on “Texas Transportation: The Next Five Years.” Panelists will include Deirdre Delisi, former chair of the Texas Transportation Commission; Clay Jenkins, Dallas County judge; Ambassador Ron Kirk, Former U.S. trade representative and Dallas mayor; and State Representative Larry Phillips, R-Sherman. Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune will moderate.

Cal Jillson

A professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, Jillson’s book, according to his preface, examines the Texas political culture and its impact on public policy in regard to jobs, education, health care and social services, criminal justice, transportation, energy and the environment, taxation, and more.

On the SMU faculty since July 1995, Jillson has written extensively on U.S. government and politics as well as Texas politics. He is a frequent commentator on domestic and international politics and is a former member of the Council of Foreign Relations. 

The Texas Tribune

The Texas Tribune is presenting a special statewide series of public events looking ahead five years in eight major policy areas: criminal justice, energy, the environment, health, higher education, immigration, public education and transportation. Each event features a conversation with leading thinkers and policymakers on that day's particular subject. 

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.