Special Events 2024-2025
Past Events and Lectures at FCS
2024-2025 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Drew Weissman
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, is a world-renowned physician and researcher at Penn Medicine, best known for his contributions to RNA biology and the COVID-19 vaccines. Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó, PhD, were jointly awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discoveries that enabled the modified mRNA technology being used in Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's vaccines to prevent COVID-19.
April 9, 2025
2024-2025 Distinguished Visiting Humanities Speaker: Judith Giesberg
Dr. Judith Giesberg holds the Robert M. Birmingham Chair in the Humanities and is Professor of History at Villanova University. Her new book, Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Family, published by Simon and Schuster, was released in February 2025.
March 13, 2025
2023-2024 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Anne Pringle
Last Chance to Know? The Changing Biogeography of American Mushrooms and The Death Cap
Cognitive neuroscientist and professor in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Dr. Saxe shared her research.
April 10, 2024
2022-2023 Distinguished Visiting Justice Speakers: Andrew Nadkarni '13 & Dr. Nalini Nadkarni
Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Utah, studies the biota that live in rainforest canopies and documents the numerous critical ecological roles they play in tropical and temperate forests. Andrew Nadkarni ’13 is a queer multiracial filmmaker currently based in Brooklyn, NY. His award-winnning directorial debut documentary, Between Earth & Sky, highlights Dr. Nalini Nadkarni's personal journey along with her groundbreaking treetop research.
October 16, 2023
2022-2023 Distinguished Visiting Justice Speaker: H. Bernard Hall
An Assistant Professor of Urban Teacher Education at Drexel University, H. Bernard Hall’s scholarship on the intersections of hip-hop pedagogy and English education has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and edited volumes and featured at international and national education conferences.
April 27, 2023
2023 Distinguished Visiting Humanities Lecturer: Patrick Rosal
Patrick Rosal, author of five full-length poetry collections including The Last Thing: New and Selected Poems and winner of, among other awards, the William Carlos Williams Book Award from the Poetry Society of America, a Fulbright Fellowship, and the Association of Asian American Studies Book Award
March 20, 2023
Winged Wonders Monarch Butterfly Program
A Free science program for Children ages 2 1/2 to 6 and their families, held at the Lower School
September 17, 2022
2021-2022 Distinguished Visiting Humanities Lecturer: Jon Grinspan '02
Curating the Past, Present, and Future of Our Democracy
Jon Grinspan, Curator of Political History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and author
April 14, 2022
2021-2022 Distinguished Visiting Justice Leader: Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd
How Cities Affect Weather-Climate Systems
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, leading international expert in weather and climate and the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia
March 15, 2022
2020-2021 Distinguished Humanities Lecturer: James Ijames
Live virtual Q&A with James Ijames, award-winning Philadelphia-based playwright, director, performer, and educator. Ijames discussed his work, including his play Fat Ham, being premiered in digital form at the Wilma Theater.
April 22, 2021
2020-2021 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Dr. Robin Hopkins
Dr. Robin Hopkins, the John Loeb Associate Professor of Natural Sciences and Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.
April 7, 2021
2020-2021 Distinguished Visiting Justice Leader: André Robert Lee
André Robert Lee, director of Virtually Free, a documentary exploring an unlikely Richmond partnership and its effort to transform the justice system and stop mass incarceration
October 27, 2020
2019-2020 Distinguished Visiting Humanities Speaker: Daniel Immerwahr '98
Author and associate professor at Northwestern University, specializing in 20th-century U.S. history within a global context
Virtual Visit - spring 2020
2019-2020 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Helen White
Haverford College Associate Professor whose work as a geochemist has focused on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Virtual Visit - spring 2020
A Night Out in the Classroom 2019
A special opportunity for parents and guardians to become Friends’ Central students for just one night. With plenty of offerings from Microscopy and the Science of Browning to Islamic Architecture and Quaker Schools & Climate Change, this year's program was A Night Out to remember.
November 25, 2019
2019-2020 Distinguished Visiting Justice Leader: Dr. Steven Larson
Dr. Steven Larson, subject of the HBO documentary Clínica de Migrantes, is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Puentes de Salud, a nonprofit organization that promotes the health and wellness of Philadelphia’s rapidly growing Latinx immigrant population.
October 29, 2019
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted author Raina Telgemeier, New York Times bestselling author of Smile
October 16, 2019
Winged Wonders Monarch Butterfly Program
A Free science program for Children ages 2 1/2 to 6 and their families, held at the Lower School
September 22, 2019
2018-2019 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Rebecca Saxe
Cognitive neuroscientist and professor in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Dr. Saxe shared her research.
April 15, 2019
Kwame Alexander and Friends - The Versify Tour
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted Kwame Alexander - poet, educator, New York Times bestselling author of 21 books, and recipient of the 2015 Newbery Medal - and authors/illustrators from his new publishing imprint, Versify. Kwame and his authors and illustrators presented a performance unlike any other!
April 5, 2019
2018-2019 Distinguished Visiting Humanities Lecturer: Daniel Torday
Author and Associate Professor and Director of Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College, Daniel Torday spoke about his latest book Boomer1: A Novel .
March 13, 2019
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg: Raising Children & Adolescents Who are Prepared to Thrive in a Challenging World
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, professor of pediatric medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, shared his research on fostering resilience in young people, translating the best of what is known from research and practice into practical approaches for parents.
January 17, 2019
A Night Out in the Classroom 2018
With classes ranging from Microscopy and Yoga to Shakespeare and Gender, A Night Out gave the FCS community a chance to travel back in time and be a Friends' Central student for an evening. The evening began with a keynote by Head of School Craig N. Sellers, followed by a unique 45-minute class taught by an outstanding FCS teacher.
November 19, 2018
2018-2019 Distinguished Visiting Justice Leader: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
Co-Sponsored by Lankenau Hospital
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, whose research exposed the Flint water crisis, is a pediatrician, professor, public health advocate, and author of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.
October 30, 2018
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted An Evening with Sarah J. Maas
#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series Sarah J. Maas visited Friends' Central to discuss her new book CatWoman: SoulStealer
August 7, 2018
The 2018 Education Forum for Families with Intellectually Curious Students
April 15, 2018
2017-2018 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Douglas Emlen
Author and evolutionary biologist
April 11, 2018
Philadelphia Area Independent School Fair
April 10, 2018
An Evening with Chill Moody & Hardwork Movement
February 22, 2018
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted author & activist Marley Dias
February 3, 2018
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted author Kate DiCamillo
Newbery Award-winning author of Flora & Ulysses and The Tale of Despereaux
October 15, 2017
Screenagers Movie Screening and Parent Program
October 5, 2017
An Afternoon with Sarah J. Maas
#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series
September 16, 2017
2016-2017 Distinguished Humanities Lecturer: Elizabeth Milroy
Art Historian and author
"Inventing Public Parks: Frederick Law Olmsted & Philadelphia's Green Places"
January 11, 2017
2016-2017 Distinguished Visiting Scientist: Janna Levin
Artist and author
April 5, 2017
Friends' Central and Children's Book World hosted
Chris Colfer, Golden Globe-winning actor & author
July 13, 2017