Presidential Conferences: Barack Obama

During each conference, Hofstra brings together scholars, policy makers, and journalists for a series of panels and roundtables to discuss a president's campaign, political leadership, policy agenda, and legacy. Often the Hofstra conference is the first opportunity for scholars, journalists, and administration officials to come together to debate the issues of that period in history. The University has published volumes of selected articles and commentary from every conference, which have become standard scholarly volumes and early oral histories of each presidency.

These presidential conferences bring to campus hundreds of national leaders, scholars and historians, as well as college and high school classes. In addition, selected keynote panels and plenary events will be live streamed through the University's website, allowing access to schools across the country. The Hofstra Presidential Conferences provide a unique opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary scholarly analyses, with key insights from former administration officials and journalists, of the American presidency and American politics.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
Keynote Address by Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Conference Scholar

Professor Melissa Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair in the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the Department of Women and Gender Studies, and the Program in Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University.

There she teaches courses on American politics at the intersections of race, place, and gender.

Melissa serves as host and managing editor of The Takeaway, a daily, national public radio program and podcast distributed by WNYC and PRX. Professor Harris-Perry is founder and president of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, whose mission is to advance justice through intersectional scholarship and action. And along with Dorian Warren, Harris-Perry is co-creator and co-host of The Takeaway’s special project Deep Dives with MHP and Dorian and the podcast System Check.

Registration Information

Registration closed on April 19, 2023.

Conference Schedule

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

8 a.m.-4 p.m.	CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND COFFEE Multipurpose Room Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus
9-9:30 a.m.	WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS Watch Replay Susan Poser President Hofstra University Charles G. Riordan Provost Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Hofstra University Meena Bose Conference Director Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
9:30-10:45 a.m.	PLENARY FORUM: THE PROMISE OF HOPE AND CHANGE – OBAMA’S ELECTION AND PRESIDENCY Watch Replay The Honorable Steven J. Israel Director, Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, Cornell University U.S. House of Representatives [D-NY], 2001-2017 Chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, 2011-2015 Michael Nelson Fulmer Professor of Political Science, Rhodes College Senior Fellow, The Miller Center, University of Virginia Editor, Landmark Presidential Decisions Book Series, University Press of Kansas Barbara Perry Gerald L. Baliles Professor and Director of Presidential Studies Co-Director, Presidential Oral History Program University of Virginia’s Miller Center Moderators: Meena Bose *Conference Director* Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University Richard Himelfarb *Conference Associate Director* Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.	PLENARY FORUM: MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY – CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Watch Replay Kara Alaimo Associate Professor of Communication Fairleigh Dickinson University Spokesperson for International Affairs, United States Department of the Treasury, 2011-2012 Ann Compton White House Correspondent, ABC News, 1974-2014 President, White House Correspondents Association, 2007-2008 Karen Finney CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist Spokesperson and Director of Communications, Democratic National Committee, 2004-2008 John Harwood CNN White House Correspondent, 2020-2022 CNBC Chief Washington Correspondent, 2006-2019 Moderator: Mark Lukasiewicz Dean, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Hofstra University
12:15-12:45 p.m.	LUNCH [on your own]
1-2:15 p.m.	PLENARY FORUM: FROM WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS TO POLICY MAKING – PLANNING AND STRATEGIES Watch Replay Shawn Turner Professor of Strategic Communication Michigan State University Deputy White House Press Secretary for National Security, 2014-2015 Director of Communication for National Intelligence, Office of Director of National Intelligence, 2011-2014 Deputy Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs, National Security Council, 2010-2011 Public Affairs Officer, Central Command/Middle East, U.S. Department of Defense, 2009-2010 George C. Edwards III University Distinguished Professor of Political Science Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus Texas A&M University Jennifer Mercieca Professor of Communication and Journalism Texas A&M University Moderator: Philip Dalton Associate Professor of Political Communication Director, Center for Civic Engagement Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
2:45 - 4 p.m.	CONCURRENT SCHOLARLY PANELS CAMPAIGNS, ELECTIONS, AND AGENDA SETTING Moderator: Richard Himefarb *Conference Associate Director* “The Transformation of Presidential Fundraising During the Obama Years” Brendan J. Doherty, United States Naval Academy “Domestic Policy Prioritization in the Obama Administration: An Initial Look at Barack Obama’s Political Project” Jack B. Greenberg, Yale University “ ‘Be A Part of Something Great!’: College Activism and the Campaign to Elect Barack Obama” James G. Liska, The Brookings Institution Discussant: Michael Nelson Fulmer Professor of Political Science, Rhodes College Senior Fellow, The Miller Center, University of Virginia Editor, Landmark Presidential Decisions Book Series, University Press of Kansas FOREIGN POLICY LEADERSHIP AND POLICY MAKING Moderator: Paul Fritz *Conference Research Director* Associate Professor of Political Science Interim Chair [Spring 2023], Department of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “The Obama Legacy on Nuclear Weapons, Arms Control and Nonproliferation” David W. Kearn, Jr., St. John’s University “Obama, Operation Neptune Spear, and the Specter of Failure” Adam M. McMahon, The College of New Jersey Discussant: Takashi Kanatsu Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University THE PUBLIC PRESIDENCY Moderator: Victoria Semple Associate Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Hofstra University “The Obama Public Presidency: Lessons and Legacies” Lori Cox Han, Chapman University “Responsiveness vs. Management: Exercising Public Leadership Online” Diane J. Heith, St. John’s University “Obama, the Pen, and the Phone” Donna R. Hoffman, University of Northern Iowa Alison D. Howard, Dominican University of California Discussant: Shawn Turner Professor of Strategic Communication Michigan State University Deputy White House Press Secretary for National Security, 2014-2015 Director of Communication for National Intelligence, Office of Director of National Intelligence, 2011-2014 Deputy Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs, National Security Council, 2010-2011 Public Affairs Officer, Central Command/Middle East, U.S. Department of Defense, 2009-2010
4:15-5:30 p.m.	CONCURRENT SCHOLARLY PANELS COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP Moderator: Jingsi Christina Wu Associate Professor of Media Studies The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Hofstra University “The Genius of America and the Model Immigrant: Barack Obama’s Rhetorical Characterization of DACA Recipients” Ann E. Burnette, Texas State University Wayne L. Kraemer, Texas State University “Actions Speak Louder Than Words: President Barack Obama’s Reaction to the 2016 Trump Win” Jennifer Hopper, Southern Connecticut State University “Her Words: An Oratorical Analysis of the First Lady” Patricia Rossi, Attorney Discussant: Jennifer Mercieca Professor of Communication and Journalism Texas A&M University DOMESTIC POLICY: ECONOMY, TRADE, AND VETO POWER Moderator: Boonghee Yoo RMI Distinguished Professor in Business Professor, Department of Marketing, International Business and Legal Studies Frank G. Zarb School of Business Hofstra University “Hoping for Change: The Legislative Record of the Obama Presidency” Samuel B. Hoff, Delaware State University “The Failures of the Recovery From the Great Recession” Michael Meeropol, Western New England University Jared Ragusett, Central Connecticut State University “International Trade Policy Under President Barack H. Obama” Shahruz Mohtadi, Suffolk University Discussant: George C. Edwards III University Distinguished Professor of Political Science Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus Texas A&M University JUDICIAL POLITICS Moderator: David M. Green Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “Developing a Bench: President Obama’s Judicial Appointment Legacy” Nicholas O. Howard, Auburn University at Montgomery Mark Owens, The University of Texas at Tyler “Senate Obstruction of President Obama’s Judicial Nominees” John Anthony Maltese, University of Georgia Discussant: William P. Schaefer Adjunct Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University Assistant United States Attorney, Organized Crime Strike Force, Northern District of California, 1992-2004 Trial Attorney, Organized Crime & Racketeering Section, U.S. Department of Justice, 1991-1992 Assistant District Attorney, Suffolk County, New York, 1989-1991 Clerk to United States District Court Judge Raymond Broderick (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), 1987-1989
5:30-6:45 p.m.	DINNER [on your own]
6:30-8 p.m.	FREE TO THE COMMUNITY KEYNOTE ADDRESS Watch Replay “How Did the Obama Presidency Transform American Politics? Leadership, Policy Making, and Legacy *Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Conference Scholar* Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry Maya Angelou Presidential Chair Department of Politics and International Affairs, and Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Wake Forest University Host and Managing Editor, The Takeaway, National Public Radio Moderator: Meena Bose *Conference Director* Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
8-8:45 p.m.	HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART EXHIBITION VIEWING AND RECEPTION *WHEN WE ALL STAND* The exhibition focuses on the collective power of the arts to address complex issues in society and demonstrates the ability of art and artists to chart a path for social change. Credit: Michele Pred (Swedish-American, born 1966) Love as Activism, 2021, neon on plexi, 26 x 26 x 5 in., courtesy of Nancy Hoffman Gallery.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

8 a.m.-4 p.m.	CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND COFFEE Multipurpose Room Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus
9:30-10:45 a.m.	PLENARY FORUM: FOREIGN POLICY CHOICES AND PRIORITIES IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION Benjamin J. Rhodes Contributor, NBC News and MSNBC Co-Host, Pod Save the World Senior Advisor to Former President Barack Obama Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, 2009-2017 Peter Baker Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times Author, Obama: The Call of History (2017; updated with expanded text, 2019) Elizabeth Saunders Associate Professor, School of Foreign Service Director, Mortara Center for International Studies Georgetown University Moderator: Paul Fritz *Conference Research Director* Associate Professor of Political Science Interim Chair [Spring 2023], Department of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.	CONCURRENT SCHOLARLY PANELS FOREIGN POLICY: GREAT POWER POLITICS AND MILITARY INTERVENTION Moderator: Bernard J. Firestone Professor of Political Science Hofstra University “Losing the ‘Good War’: Obama and Afghanistan” Sarah Burns and Michael Vanderlune, Rochester Institute of Technology “The Return of Great Power Politics? The United States and Russia During the Obama Administration” Paul Fritz, Hofstra University *Conference Research Director* “Why Ask? Presidential Leverage and Obama’s Decision to Seek Congressional Authorization for the Use of Force Against Syria” Daniel Ponder and Jeffrey VanDenBerg, Drury University Discussant: Elizabeth Saunders Associate Professor, School of Foreign Service Director, Mortara Center for International Studies Georgetown University HEALTH CARE POLICY Moderator: Katrina Sims Assistant Professor of History Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “ ‘If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You Can Keep Your Health Care Plan.’ An Analysis of President Barack Obama’s Most Infamous Statement” Richard Himelfarb, Hofstra University Conference Associate Director “Evolution of Health Reform: The Affordable Care Act” Walter L. Markowitz, Hofstra University Discussants: Renee McLeod-Sordijan Vice Dean and Professor Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies Associate Professor of Medicine and Science Education Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine @Hofstra/Northwell Philip M. Schiliro Co-Founder, Co-Equal Project Senior Presidential Fellow, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University President’s Advisor for the Affordable Care Act and Health Policy, 2013-2014 Special Advisor to the President, 2011 White House Director of Legislative Affairs, 2009-2010 U.S.-TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION Watch Replay Moderator: Carolyn Dudek Professor of Political Science Chair, Department of Political Science Director of European Studies Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University Benjamin J. Rhodes Contributor, NBC News and MSNBC Co-Host, Pod Save the World Senior Advisor to Former President Barack Obama Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, 2009-2017 Peter Baker Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times Author, Obama: The Call of History (2017; updated with expanded text, 2019) “The Future of Europe” Laurie Buonanno, State University of New York at Buffalo “Economic Integration and the Transatlantic Marketplace” Michelle Egan, American University *Panel co-sponsored with ERASMUS+ JEAN MONNET MODULE GRANT*
12:15-12:45 p.m.	LUNCH [on your own]
1-2:15 p.m.	PLENARY FORUM: EXECUTIVE BRANCH POLICY MAKING IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION The Honorable Jacob J. Lew Managing Partner, Lindsay Goldberg Visiting Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University United States Secretary of the Treasury, 2013-2017 White House Chief of Staff, 2012-2013 Director, Office of Management and Budget, 2010-2012 United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, 2009-2010 Peter Baker Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times Author, Obama: The Call of History (2017; updated with expanded text, 2019) Chris Whipple Author and Documentary Filmmaker The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House (2023) The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future (2020) The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency (2017) Discussants: Meena Bose *Conference Director* Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University Richard Hayes Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Frank G. Zarb School of Business Hofstra University James Sample Professor of Law Maurice A. Deane School of Law Hofstra University
2:45-4 p.m.	CONCURRENT SCHOLARLY PANELS EDUCATION POLICY Moderator Andrea Libresco Professor and Graduate Co-Director, Early Childhood Education and Dual Early Childhood and Childhood Education Programs School of Education Hofstra University “College Access Discourse & Policy in the Obama Administration” Pamela M. Donnelly, Educational Consulting “President Barack Obama and the School Choice Divide in Education” Brian L. Fife, Lehigh University “Grading the Obama-Duncan Education Record” Alan Singer, Hofstra University Discussant: Dr. Anael Alston (Hofstra Sociology and English ’94) Assistant Commissioner, Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement New York State Education Department Mainstage Speaker, Inaugural Democracy Forum, Obama Foundation EXECUTIVE POWER Moderator: Corinne Kyriacou Associate Professor of Population Health Interim Vice Dean School of Health Professions and Human Services Hofstra University “Rethinking Executive Privilege Functionality in the Obama Administration” Kevin M. Baron, Austin Peay State University, “Competing Conceptions of Obama’s Unilateralism: Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right? Graham G. Dodds, Concordia University “Obama’s Domestic Policymaking and the Administrative Presidency” Andrew Rudalevige, Bowdoin College Discussants: Rebecca S. Natow Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy School of Education Hofstra University Philip M. Schiliro Co-Founder, Co-Equal Project Senior Presidential Fellow Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University President’s Advisor for the Affordable Care Act and Health Policy, 2013-2014 Special Advisor to the President, 2011 White House Director of Legislative Affairs, 2009-2010 THE WHITE HOUSE/EXECUTIVE BRANCH/VICE PRESIDENCY Moderator: Scott A. Brinton Assistant Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Hofstra University “The Office of the Chief of Staff in the Obama White House” David B. Cohen, University of Akron Karen M. Hult and Charles E. Walcott, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University “The Biden Vice Presidency: Lessons About Obama, Biden and the Second Office” Joel K. Goldstein, Saint Louis University School of Law “Obama’s White House Counsels: Serving the President With No Margin for Error” Nancy Kassop, State University of New York at New Paltz Discussant: Nancy-Ann DeParle Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Consonance Capital Partners Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, 2011-2013 Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, 2009-2011
4:15-5:30 p.m.	HOFSTRA ALUMNI ROUNDTABLE: POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT IN THE OBAMA YEARS AND BEYOND Moderator: Rosanna Perotti Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
6-6:45 p.m.	HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART EXHIBITION VIEWING *THE BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENCY:* *HOPE AND CHANGE* The exhibition focuses on issues and topics from the Obama administration: 2008 and 2012 elections, Great Recession, Health Care, Immigration, Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Combating Terrorism, Climate Change and the Environment, and Race Relations. Pete Souza, Visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC., October 14, 2011, Digital print, Courtesy of Barack Obama Presidential Library, National Archives & Records Administration.
5:30-6:45 p.m.	DINNER [on your own]
7-8:15 p.m.	FREE TO THE COMMUNITY PLENARY SESSION: THE LEADERSHIP AND LEGACY OF FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA Tina Tchen Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Impact Officer The Obama Foundation Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, 2011-2017 Executive Director, White House Council on Women and Girls, 2011-2017 Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, 2009-2011 Panelists: Lisa Merrill Professor of Writing Studies and Rhetoric Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University Tomeka Robinson Senior Associate Dean Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College Professor of Rhetoric and Public Advocacy Hofstra University Conference Student Guides Coordinator Holly J. Seirup Professor of Counseling and Educational Leadership School of Health Professions and Human Services Hofstra University Moderator: Susan Poser President Hofstra University

Friday, April 21, 2023

8 a.m.-4 p.m.	CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND COFFEE Multipurpose Room Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus
8:45-9:30 a.m.	PLENARY EVENT: HOFSTRA SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM, “EVALUATING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT” Watch Replay
9:45-11 a.m.	CONCURRENT SCHOLARLY PANELS DOMESTIC POLICY: POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY AND POLICY MAKING Moderator: Jase Bernhardt Associate Professor of Geology, Environment and Sustainability Director of Sustainability Studies School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “President Obama’s Domestic Policy: Success in a Savage Arena” Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount University Todd L. Belt, George Washington University “A Green Presidency? Barack Obama and the Environment” Mark Kelso, Queens University of Charlotte “The Obama Presidency and Gun Policy” Robert J. Spitzer, State University of New York at Cortland Discussant: Kate Leone Staff Director, U.S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, 2021-2023 Chief Health Counsel, Office of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, 2014-2016 Senior Health Counsel, Office of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, 2005-2013 PARTY POLITICS, PUBLIC SUPPORT, AND POLICY MAKING Moderator: Craig Burnett Associate Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “The Obama Coalition’s Kryptonite: Ralph Stanley, Bruce Springsteen, and the White Working Class” Jeff Bloodworth, Gannon University “A Reawakening: Barack Obama and The Resurgence of Mainstream Extremism” Daryl A. Carter, East Tennessee State University “American Race Relations During the Obama Years and Beyond: Irony of Fate” Jonathan Lightfoot and Aisha Wilson-Carter, Hofstra University Discussant: Wendell Primus Senior Policy Advisor on Budget and Health Issues to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, 2005-2023 PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP: GOALS AND STRATEGIES Moderator: Julie Byrne Monsignor Thomas J. Hartman Chair in Catholic Studies Chair and Professor, Department of Religion Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University “A Family Matter: The Obamas in the Era of the Contemporary Presidency” Peter Kastor, Washington University in St. Louis “Women and the Obama Administration: Gender Policy at Home and Abroad” Barbara A. Perry, University of Virginia’s Miller Center Sheila M. Blackford, University of Virginia’s Miller Center “Obama’s Presidency: Redemption and the Misdirected Search for Greatness” Stanley A. Renshon, City University of New York Discussant: Douglas Brinkley Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities Professor of History Rice University Advisory Board, Obama Presidency Oral History Project, Columbia University and Obama Foundation
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	FREE TO THE COMMUNITY PLENARY SESSION: ENACTING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Watch Replay Nancy-Ann DeParle Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Consonance Capital Partners Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, 2011-2013 Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, 2009-2011 Kate Leone Staff Director, U.S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, 2021-2023 Chief Health Counsel, Office of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, 2014-2016 Senior Health Counsel, Office of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, 2005-2013 Wendell Primus Senior Policy Advisor on Budget and Health Issues to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, 2005-2023 Philip M. Schiliro, Co-Founder, Co-Equal Project Senior Presidential Fellow, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University President’s Advisor for the Affordable Care Act and Health Policy, 2013-2014 Special Advisor to the President, 2011 White House Director of Legislative Affairs, 2009-2010 Moderator: Rosanna Perotti Professor of Political Science Director, Legal Education Accelerated Program Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
12:30-1:15 p.m.	LUNCH [on your own]
1:30-2:45 p.m.	FREE TO THE COMMUNITY PLENARY FORUM: EVALUATING THE LEGACY OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY Watch Replay Valerie Jarrett Chief Executive Officer, The Obama Foundation Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, 2009-2017 Douglas Brinkley Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities Professor of History Rice University Advisory Board, Obama Presidency Oral History Project, Columbia University and Obama Foundation Moderator: Meena Bose *Conference Director* Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies Professor of Political Science Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hofstra University
3-4 p.m.	CLOSING CONFERENCE RECEPTION

Conference Photos

Conference Details

Conference participants will be expected to make their own travel, lodging, and meal arrangements for the conference.

The Barack Obama Conference will be coordinated by the Hofstra Cultural Center.
Phone: 516-463-5669

Email the Cultural Center

Lodging

The Long Island Marriott has been designated as the official conference hotel for the The Barack Obama Presidency scheduled for April 19-21, 2023. We have made arrangements for those wanting to arrive a day early and stay a day later at the same rate. The following is the special discounted rate for room reservation. All reservations at the discounted rate are subject to availability. When making your reservations, please identify yourself as a participant in the Hofstra Obama Conference.

LONG ISLAND MARRIOTT
101 James Doolittle Blvd
Uniondale, NY 11553

Start Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
End Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Last Day to Book: Friday, March 17, 2023

Special group rate: $169 USD per night

Make a reservation:
Book your group rate for Obama Presidential Conference

**Most hotels have 24-48 hour cancellations without penalty. If you need to cancel, please do so before this time so that you do not incur any cancellation fees**

Please refer to the following website for additional local hotel information -- https://www.hofstra.edu/visitors/hotels.html.

Location of Hofstra University

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY is located in Hempstead, Long Island, New York, about 25 miles east of New York City, less than an hour away by train or automobile. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has frequent trains to the Hempstead Station and the Mineola Station from Pennsylvania Station, located at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, New York City, as well as from the Flatbush Avenue Station in Brooklyn, New York. Use local taxi service to the Hofstra campus.

Local Taxi Service:

All Island Taxi Service: 516-481‑1111
All Island Taxi Service (Mineola): 516-742-2222
All Island Taxi Service (Garden City) : 516-746-2500
Hempstead Taxi: 516-489‑4460
Pub Taxi Service: 516-483‑4433
Ollie’s Airport Service: 516-437‑0505; 516-352‑6633; 718-229‑5454

By Car: Travel on the Long Island Expressway to exit 38, Northern State Parkway to Meadowbrook Parkway South (exit 31A), or Southern State Parkway to Meadowbrook Parkway North (exit 22N). Take Meadowbrook Parkway to exit M4 (Hempstead Turnpike). Proceed west on Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24W) to the Hofstra campus (approximately one mile).

Transportation from Airports: The Hofstra campus is located approximately 30 minutes by car from John F. Kennedy or LaGuardia Airports. JFK runs an AirTrain to the Long Island Rail Road. Please consult the MTA website, (www.mta.info) for schedules and information.

Call in Advance for Reservations:
Long Island Airport Limousine Service (LIALS) LIALS can be called upon arrival at either JFK or LaGuardia International Airport at a public telephone: 656‑7000 (no area code required). The phones are monitored from 4 a.m. through midnight, seven days a week.
Online reservations: http://www.longislandairportshuttleservice.com

Tran-Star Executive Worldwide Chauffeured Services
Advanced reservation recommended
800-894-7827
Email : CustomerService@TranStarLimo.com
www.TranStarLimo.com

Limos Long Island/BDJ Cars
Personalized Transportation Service. Advanced reservation recommended
(833) 545-4667 or 516-400-3364 ext. 3
Email: reservations@limoslongisland.com
https://limoslongisland.com

Super Shuttle
(800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826)
Online reservation: http://www.supershuttle.com

Dial 777. Dial 7 offers affordable, competitive rates from New York airports
(212) 777-7777 or (800) 777-8888
Online reservations: http://www.dial7.com

NOTE: Please be advised that there are no set fares charged by New York City yellow cabs between the airports and the Hofstra campus. Please confirm fee with the driver before starting your trip.

About the Conference

For information on prior presidential conferences, please see www.hofstra.edu/presidential-conferences

Associate Conference Director

Himmelfarb

Richard Himelfarb
Professor of Political Science

Conference Director

Bose

Meena Bose
Executive Dean, Public Policy and Public Service Programs
Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs
Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency
Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies
Professor of Political Science

Email the Director

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Barack Obama Presidential Conference

April 19-21, 2023

Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
Keynote Address by Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Conference Scholar

Registration Information