“Open Window” by Michael Yamashita. Sony Ambassador Michael Yamashita has shot for National Geographic for more than 30 years, combining his passions of travel and photography with his love of history and culture.
The Trailblazing Talks series presents astonishing tales of adventure, captured through the lens of featured award-winning photographers, explorers and intrepid documentarians. These storytellers share their insights about the world, giving audiences an inspirational and educational journey across the globe and bridging the distance between us. This engaging five-part speaker series takes place in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre and concludes with a live Q&A session.
Photographer Michael Yamashita, East Meets West: In the Footsteps of Marco Polo
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Join National Geographic master photographer Michael Yamashita as he follows in the footsteps of Marco Polo, the greatest Western explorer of all time, reliving his 13th-century odyssey along the Silk Road to Asia, and back across the South China Sea, connecting the East and West for the first time.
Filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, Wild Africa on the Brink
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert have been filming, researching and exploring wild Africa for more than 40 years to help safeguard large predators and other key wildlife species that determine the course of all conservation in Africa. On stage they show the interdependence of wildlife and wild places, and the many clever and groundbreaking ways they are partnering with local communities to find a sustainable path to coexistence.
Photographer Keith Ladzinski, Forces of Nature
Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Whether documenting first ascents in interior Antarctica, storm chasing in Tornado Alley or free diving with alligators in the Florida Everglades, Keith Ladzinski goes to the extreme to capture the moment and share it with us. Journey to the farthest reaches of our planet in this sweeping look at nature and man.
NASA Engineer Kobie Boykins, Beyond Earth: The Quest for Life
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Embark on a journey through more than two decades of space exploration with NASA engineer Kobie Boykins. After working on the Mars rovers, Boykins has set his sights on more distant frontiers with his most ambitious mission to date — a circumnavigation of Europa. Through footage shot by the rovers and animations, Boykins gives an up close look at other worlds.
Climber Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Defying Limits: Climbing the 14 Highest Peaks
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
At 23, Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner achieved her greatest dream: climbing an 8,000-meter peak. Fast forward to today, Kaltenbrunner has climbed all 14 of the seminal 8,000+ meter peaks without supplemental oxygen and without the help of high-altitude porters, the first woman to do so.
–Keyonna Steele
Visit kauffmancenter.org/trailblazing-talks for more information and to purchase tickets for this unforgettable experience that promises to enrich, inspire and expand your horizons.
