Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri leads lineup of 40+ creative thinkers at Ideas Festival Emory Sept. 20-22

By Justin Abraham Aug. 6, 2024

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Renowned rapper, producer and record executive Jermaine Dupri will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Ideas Festival Emory, a celebration of creative minds set to take place Sept. 20-22 on Emory University’s Oxford College campus.

Dupri will join more than 40 other speakers at the festival, intended to connect students and the greater community with visionary scholars, creators and thought leaders, including a Pulitzer-winning journalist, transformative business executive, New York Times-bestselling music historian and innovative toy designer.

Hosted by Emory’s Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, the event — which is free and open to the public — also features live music, local food vendors, children’s programming and exhibits. Festival registration is open.

During the festival’s keynote session Friday evening, Dupri, a Grammy Award winner, Atlanta native and founder of So So Def Recordings, will engage in conversation with Matt Whyte, host of the Sing for Science podcast. The popular podcast features a musician and a scientist discussing science as it relates to one of the musician’s best-known songs.

Additional speaker sessions on Saturday and Sunday will cover an array of themes including science, history, literature, entrepreneurship, music and cinematography and photography. The full schedule and speaker biographies are now available on the newly launched Ideas Festival Emory website.

Just a few of the notable speakers include:

Barbara Kopple, a two-time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker;
Virginia Willis, a James Beard award-winning cookbook author and chef;
Jon Goode, an Emmy-nominated writer whose work has been featured on CNN, HBO and BET;
Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s, the candy manufacturer; and
Carrie Buse, head of design for Mattel’s Future Lab, which focuses on innovative products and play experiences.

Throughout the weekend, Ideas Festival Emory will feature live music and entertainment on the Oxford College quad, photography exhibits and food and drink vendors.

The event will also include children’s programming and collaborations with local schools. In partnership with the Newton Education Foundation, the Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement will host hundreds of students from Newton County Schools, providing them with a unique learning opportunity to connect with children’s book authors.

The festival has attracted sponsors committed to engaging individuals and families across the metro Atlanta region in its programming, including Lumina Foundation, WABE, the City of Covington and Rough Draft Atlanta.

Ken Carter, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology and founding director of the Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, believes the festival — the center’s flagship event — will be distinctive in its mission to share ideas and spark curiosity with local and global audiences.

“Ideas Festival Emory is a celebration of creativity and innovation, connecting the public with visionary leaders who inspire and challenge us,” says Carter. “We hope the festival will ignite new ideas and inspire meaningful conversations, in an environment that will be fun for people of all ages.”

While attendees will engage with and learn from speakers during the sessions, Carter hopes the festival will have an impact that stretches beyond the three-day event. Speaker sessions will be recorded for an upcoming podcast that will help extend the festival's reach and attract curious listeners from around the world.

The Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, established in 2023, aims to help faculty and students proactively engage in public conversation and increase confidence in the value of scholarship and evidence-based research. With plans to expand its programming and host a Public Scholarship Academy for faculty in May 2025, the center — housed at Oxford College — hopes to establish itself as a novel space where scholars share knowledge and insights directly with the community.

“I’m proud that Oxford College is home to the Emory Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, and we look forward to hosting this incredible weekend of exploration and discovery on our beautiful campus,” says Oxford Dean Badia Ahad.

“Bringing together a diversity of scholars, artists and writers to discuss some of the most pressing and complex issues of our time is particularly important in this cultural moment when we need more and better models of civil discourse, free expression of ideas and constructive dialogue,” Ahad continues. “This perfectly captures the spirit of education and collaboration we embrace here at Oxford and Emory.”

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