Speaker Series

At Sewickley Academy, we are intentionally extraordinary. Each year, we strive to bring highly relevant and fascinating topics as we introduce our students, families, and community to leaders in their respective fields.  Sewickley Academy is pleased to announce the schedule for our 2025-26 Speaker Series.
Upcoming Speaker Events

List of 5 items.

  • Wednesday, January 21 - Joe Wos

    Wednesday, January 21 - Once Upon a Toon with Joe Wos
    Sewickley Academy welcomes multi-Emmy Award-winning cartoonist Joe Wos as he draws stories as he tells them in a lively and engaging program for all ages. Once Upon a Toon is a unique hybrid of storytelling with live cartoon illustration. Pulling from original stories and folktales with a twist, this live show is like watching a picture book being drawn before your very eyes. Joe will also be unveiling his Maze Art Mural that he created during the day with assistance from Lower School students!
     
    Joe Wos has been a professional cartoonist since the age of 14. His career path over the past 30 years has taken as many twists and turns as one of his mazes, as he finds new and innovative ways to pursue his passion for the cartoon arts. Some highlights include spending 30 years touring nationwide as a performer, illustrating stories live as he told them; founding and running a cartoon art museum in Pittsburgh, PA; illustrating symphony performances live with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; and exhibiting his art in museums worldwide. Joe has also been the visiting resident cartoonist of the Charles M. Schulz Museum for the past 20 years.
     
    Community Session: Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
    Where: Rea Auditorium, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. This event is open to all ages. 

    Click here to register.

    Thank you to the Home & School Association for sponsoring this speaker!

  • Monday, January 26 - Sara Harberson

    Sara Harberson is the CEO of Application Nation, the largest online college counseling program in the U.S. Her book, Soundbite: The Admissions Secret That Gets You into College and Beyond, was published by Hachette in 2021. She is the former Associate Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, Dean of Admissions/VP of Enrollment at Franklin & Marshall College, and Director of College Counseling at the Baldwin School. As a mom of three kids, Sara will speak about navigating the college admissions process in this modern era where what we do as parents matters just as much as what our kids do. The presentation will focus on what parents should invest in when it comes to their children applying to college—financially-speaking, timing-wise, and the hands-on support to provide for their children.
     
    We are excited to welcome Sara to Sewickley Academy for student and parent college counseling sessions!
     
    Parent Session: Monday, January 26, 2026, 7-8 p.m.
    Where: Gregg Theater, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. This is an adult-only session. Guests must be 18 or older.
    Click here to RSVP.

    Thank you to the Home & School Association for sponsoring this speaker!

  • Friday, March 13 - Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes Performance

    Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes brings history to life in this 50 minute ‘edutainment’ musical that highlights the achievement of George Washington. YOUNG WASHINGTON is a dynamic, can’t-miss musical history lesson that brings to life the early years and unexpected rise of George Washington. Audiences will experience his journey through the uncharted wilderness of early America, witness his leadership in the French and Indian War, including pivotal moments in the Pittsburgh region where the future first president began forging the path to his destiny.
     
    Funded by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Massey Charitable Trust, and other organizations, Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes program travels to area schools to educate and enlighten students about the lives and accomplishments of significant historical figures through mini-musicals. Parents, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.

  • Saturday, April 11 - TEDxYouth

    The 2026 TEDxYouth at Sewickley Academy event will take place on Saturday, April 11, and feature a influential line up of speakers focusing on the topic "The Importance of Service."
    When: Saturday, April 11, 2026, 9:30 a.m. - noon
    Where: Rea Auditorium, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: This event is free of charge, but ticket reservations are required. Stay tuned for more information!

  • Date TBD - Eisenhower Institute

    Panel discussion on topics of national interest. Topics have previously included military intelligence and national and global concerns.
Past Speaker Events

List of 9 items.

  • Josh Otto '09 - Tuesday, November 11, 2025

    Sewickley Academy welcomes alumnus Josh Otto '09 as the 2025 Veteran's Day Speaker for the Lower, Middle, and Senior Schools. Josh graduated from the US Naval Academy and served three years on the USS New Hampshire. He now works as a Senior AI Solutions Engineer at Seekr. 

  • Chad Brockway - Thursday, November 6, 2025

    Sewickley Academy welcomes Chad Brockway, Edgeworth Security, to campus to lead parent and student workshops on Social Media and Technology Safety.
     
    Brockway, president of Edgeworth’s intelligence operations division, will explore internet safety and best practices for the responsible use of technology and social media in today’s fast-changing digital landscape.

  • William Oliver, Ph.D. - Friday, February 21, 2025

    Dr. William Oliver serves as the Henry Ellis Warren (1894) Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is also the director of the Center for Quantum Engineering and associate director of the Research Laboratory of Electronics. 

    Dr. Oliver is a principal investigator in the Engineering Quantum Systems Group at MIT, providing programmatic and technical leadership targeting the development of quantum and classical high-performance computing technologies. 

    Previously, he spent 20 years working with the Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group within the Lincoln Laboratory at MIT, culminating in the role of Laboratory Fellow.

    Dr. Oliver is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Physical Society (APS) and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 

    He serves on the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee and the U.S. Committee for Superconducting Electronics and is a board member for the IEEE Applied Superconductivity Conference (ASC).

    Dr. Oliver holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

    When: Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
    Where: Rea Auditorium, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. RSVP here.

  • Eisenhower Institute Speakers - Wednesday, February 12, 2025

    The Eisenhower Series College Program is a United States Army War College outreach program that exposes intellectually curious audiences, who have little direct knowledge of the military, to men and women who have spent many years in the national security enterprise. Each year, different, small teams of panelists visit various universities, schools, and their communities across the nation.

    Business and National Security in a Shifting Global Landscape
    For nearly 80 years, the United States has played a key role in shaping a global system built on free trade, respect for national sovereignty, and fundamental human rights. However, in recent years, changes in the global landscape have introduced new challenges for U.S. businesses and national security. Join three U.S. Army War College students with expertise in both sectors for a discussion on how these shifts impact business operations, logistics, and regional stability.

    When    : Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. 
    Where: Gregg Theater, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: All members of the Sewickley Academy community and the general public are invited to this session. There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. RSVP here. 

  • Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes - Friday, February 7, 2025

    A cast from Pittsburgh’s CLO Gallery of Heroes will bring a performance of The Next Galileo to campus for the enjoyment and education of our students and community. Gabriella is full of questions, but short on confidence as the quietest kid in the school’s astronomy club. That all changes when she takes an amazing journey back in time to meet the legendary astronomer, Galileo Galilei, and assist him as he races to finish his first telescope. Through a remarkable friendship that spans four centuries, Gabriella and Galileo take audiences on an adventure that champions the joy of scientific discovery and the wonders of the imagination. Funded by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Massey Charitable Trust, and other organizations, Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes program travels to area schools to educate and enlighten students about the lives and accomplishments of significant historical figures through mini-musicals. Parents, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.

  • Christopher Mason, PH.D. - Monday, December 9, 2024

    Dr. Christopher Mason currently serves as the WorldQuant Endowed Professor of Genomics and Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, with appointments at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute.

    Additionally, he is the director of the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, co-founder and global director at Biotia, and co-founder and scientific director at Onegevity.

    Dr. Mason is the author of “The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds” and co-author of “The Age of Prediction: Algorithms, AI, and the Shifting Shadows of Risk.”

    Dr. Mason holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in genetics and biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madision and a doctorate in genetics from Yale University.

    When: Monday, December 9, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
    Where: Rea Auditorium, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. RSVP here.

  • Andrew Moore, PH.D. - Tuesday, November 12, 2024

    Dr. Andrew Moore currently serves as the CEO of Lovelace AI, a start-up developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform and solutions to support missions in national security, disaster relief, and other areas where advanced computer science can help keep people safe. He is also an advisor with the United States Central Command.
     
    Previously, Dr. Moore was the general manager and vice president of Google Cloud's AI division and dean of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science.
     
    Dr. Moore has established himself as a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotics. He has dedicated his work to how AI can be implemented for good and developed responsibly. In 2005, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association of Artificial Intelligence.
     
    He has written over 200 academic papers on AI and co-authored “The Handbook of Biosurveillance.”
     
    Dr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Cambridge.

    When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
    Where: Rea Auditorium, Sewickley Academy
    Tickets: There is no cost to attend. Seating will be first-come, first-serve and reservations are recommended. RSVP here.

  • Gita- Varadarajan - Friday, November 8, 2024

    The Lower School welcomes author Gita Varadarajan to read and discuss her children's books Save Me a Seat and My Bindi.

    Gita is the acclaimed author of multiple Scholastic publications including Save Me a Seat, My Bindi and its upcoming companion book, My Saree. Gita is a sought-after guest author and speaker at schools across the country, where she inspires children to create stories in their own voices. A frequent panelist at children’s book ceremonies, Gita has more than two decades of teaching experience. Currently, Gita teaches fourth graders in Princeton Public Schools. Gita has a Masters in Literacy Instruction, from Teachers College, Columbia University.

    Thank you to the Home & School Association for sponsoring this speaker!

  • John Halligan - Tuesday, September 17, 2024

    Sewickley Academy welcomes John Halligan to present an anti-bullying program to the Middle and Senior School students. Ryan's Story inspires students to make positive changes in their lives towards reducing bullying and cyberbullying, and preventing teen suicides. 

    Thank you to the Home & School Association for sponsoring this speaker!
Please contact Events Coordinator, Jess Alberga, with any questions regarding our Speaker Series.

Sewickley Academy

315 Academy Avenue, Sewickley, PA 15143