Benjamin Lecture
About the Benjamin Lecture
The Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Psychology is an annual event honoring Dr. Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr. (pictured), an outstanding teacher, scholar, and researcher, whose work has contributed significantly to our understanding of psychology and its history. The lecture is hosted by the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology each year in May.
Save the Date for the 2027 Benjamin Lecture, scheduled for Thursday, May 20. Stay tuned for more information.
Looking Back on 2026
The Center was pleased to welcome acclaimed behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Kelly Lambert as keynote speaker for the 12th Annual Benjamin Lecture on May 14, 2026. Dr. Lambert's engaging presentation, Neuroplasticity Across the Neuroverse, drew more than 120 attendees. A recording and photos from the event are available now.
Watch the Recording Browse the Photos
Thanks to all of our generous sponsors who contributed to the 2026 Benjamin Lecture.
Platinum Patron: Psi Alpha International Honors Society for High School Psychology
Gold Patrons: Kenneth and Connie Keith
Silver Patrons: Ludy and Priscilla Benjamin, Andrew Cummings and Julie Hellberg, Michael and Kathryn Wehmeyer
Bronze Patrons: Robin Cautin, Carina Diamond, Randal M. Ernst, Todd Joseph
Sponsor a Student: Thom and Terri Craig, Mary Cummings Denny, Kelly Lambert, Michael Monaco, Angela Morman, David Robinson, Jennifer Stanley, Robert Warwick
Past Lectures
Past lectures are listed below. Click the links to access recordings of these lectures via the Cummings Center YouTube channel:
2025: Dr. Daniel T. Willingham, Improving the Use of Psychological Science in K-12 Education
2024: Dr. Joseph E. Trimble, Tales from the Field: Principled Perspectives for Research with Indigenous Communities | (Download Lecture Handout)
2023: Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis, From Cradle to Chapter Three: The Impact of Poverty on My Life
2022: Dr. David B. Baker, Saving Time: The History of Psychology and the Human Experience
2021: Postponed due to COVID-19
2020: Postponed due to COVID-19
2019: Dr. Laura Stark, The Other Akron: Searching for the “Normal” Mind in Postwar America
2018: Dr. David G. Myers, Teaching Psychological Science in a Post-Truth Age
2017: Dr. Keith Humphreys, Alcoholics Anonymous and Psychology: A Long and Winding Road
2015: Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, A Life in Memory
2014: Dr. Andrew Winston, The Explication of Evil: Psychologists and the Holocaust, 1945-1955