Live on stage: Hot topics, engaging personalities, big ideas

The Maverick Speakers Series returns

In the heart of Downtown Arlington sits a thriving powerhouse for intellectual pursuits and a catalyst for positive change in the world. The University of Texas at Arlington -- with its pioneering faculty, passionate students, dedicated staff and accomplished Maverick alumni -- is nearly bursting at the seams with the energy of possibilities. While our hometown university has shared its collective passion for learning, discovery and service with our community in countless ways, one of our favorites is the annual Maverick Speakers Series.

About the Maverick Speakers Series

For nine seasons, UT Arlington has presented a series of prominent guest lecturers with the mission of enhancing the learning environment and providing unique and thought-provoking experiences for the community. Captivating speakers discuss a wide range of topics, and this year’s Maverick Speakers Series is no exception.

Best-selling author Reza Aslan opens the 2016-17 season, which also includes “Mr. Wonderful” of ABC’s Shark Tank Kevin O’Leary, CNN political commentator Fareed Zakaria, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and Alexandra Cousteau, an environmental advocate and granddaughter of renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.

UT Arlington Maverick Speakers Series

presented by Overture DFW

2016-17 Schedule

Reza Aslan - “My Journey through the World’s Religions”

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall

Aslan is an internationally renowned writer, commentator, professor, producer, and scholar of religions. His New York Times best-seller, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” has been translated into dozens of languages around the world.

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn – “A Path Appears: How an Individual Can Change the World”

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall

Journalists Kristof and WuDunn became the first husband-wife team to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement. The couple have also written four best-selling books together.

Alexandra Cousteau – “This Blue Planet: Preserving and Sustaining a Healthy Earth”

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall

A National Geographic Emerging Explorer, filmmaker and globally recognized advocate on water issues, Cousteau continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and her father Philippe Cousteau, Sr.

Kevin O’Leary – “Swimming with a Shark – An Evening with Kevin O’Leary”

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, 7:30 p.m. College Park Center

The son of an international business expert, O’Leary is chairman of O’Leary Funds, a Canadian mutual fund company with $1 billion under management. O’Leary is an original cast member of Shark Tank.

Fareed Zakaria – “The Politics and Culture of the Global Economy”

Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 7:30 p.m. College Park Center

Host of CNN’s flagship foreign affairs program, Fareed Zakaria GPS, Zakaria is also a contributing editor at The Atlantic, and Washington Post columnist widely respected for his thoughtful analysis and ability to spot economic and political trends.

Get your tickets now

Tickets are available now at utatickets.com for the first three lectures with Reza Aslan, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and Alexandra Cousteau. Tickets to see Kevin O’Leary and Fareed Zakaria will be available starting November 3, 2016.

Several options are available for each Maverick Speakers Series event:

General Admission tickets: $5 (free for UTA students, faculty and staff)

There’s not a bad seat in the house, and general admission tickets provide you access to open seating and book signings when offered. If you’re a UTA student, faculty or staff member, admission is free but tickets are required.

Preferred tickets: $35

The preferred ticket option includes reserved seating near the front of the venue, reserved parking near the front of the venue (one parking permit per purchase), and front-of-the-line access to book signings when offered.

Preferred ticket season package: $150

C’mon. You don’t want to miss a single lecture. So plan ahead and choose the season package, which includes one preferred ticket to each speaker of the five Maverick Speakers events at a cost of $150, a discount of $25 off preferred seating pricings. The package also includes one parking pass. But hurry! The deadline to purchase the preferred ticket season package is September 13.

V.I.P. package: $500

V.I.P. ticket holders receive premium benefits including preferred tickets to the show, a parking pass, and an exclusive reception, seated dinner, photograph and autograph with the featured speaker (based on speaker availability). Contact Mark LaVelle at mlavelle@uta.edu or 817-272-5235 for more information and to purchase the V.I.P. package.

Post, tweet and tag

As you post or tweet your favorite quote or photo from each Maverick Speakers Series event, be sure to tag #MaverickSpeakers, #authenticallyArlington and @dtArlington!

About Downtown Arlington

Ranked as one of the top urban districts in the country in 2016 by TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals, Downtown Arlington Texas blends a unique mix of activities, sights, tastes and sounds that attract visitors and locals alike. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown Arlington is home to a top tier public university, prolific cultural arts institutions and live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate. Downtown Arlington brings together a plethora of cultures and inspirations with a character all its own.