Brown Cultural Events 2024-2025
Brown Cultural Events
The Brown Cultural Enrichment Series brings world class speakers and entertainment to Texas Lutheran University several times each year. The events are sponsored by the Jessie S. and Jack Harold Upton Brown Cultural Enrichment Endowment Fund and are generally free and open to the public.
Jose Hernandez | September 24,2024, 7 p.m. | Jackson Auditorium
Former NASA engineer Jose Hernandez wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic American had been chosen to travel into space. "I was hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field near Stockton, California, and I heard on my transistor radio that Franklin Chang-Diaz had been selected for the Astronaut Corps," says Hernandez, who was a senior in high school at the time. "I was already interested in science and engineering," Hernandez remembers, "but that was the moment I said, ‘I want to fly in space.’”
Hernandez strove to attain that goal every day, and his hard work paid off when he was selected to begin training as a mission specialist as part of the 2004 astronaut candidate class.
One of four children in a migrant farming family from Mexico, Hernandez—who didn't learn English until he was 12 years old—spent much of his childhood on what he calls “the California circuit,” traveling with his family from Mexico to southern California each March, then working northward to the Stockton area by November, picking strawberries and cucumbers at farms along the route. Then they would return to Mexico for Christmas, and start the cycle all over again come spring.
"Some kids might think it would be fun to travel like that," Hernandez laughs, "but we had to work. It wasn't a vacation."
After graduating high school in Stockton, Hernandez enrolled at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and was awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he had worked as a co-op in college.
While at Lawrence Livermore, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging, computed tomography, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. Hernandez has won recognition awards for his work on this project. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues.
During the astronaut application process, Hernandez had to meet with a review board. That's where he came face-to-face with his original inspiration: Franklin Chang-Diaz. “It was a strange place to find myself, being evaluated by the person who gave me the motivation to get there in the first place,” Hernandez says. “But I found that we actually had common experiences—a similar upbringing, the same language issues. That built up my confidence. Any barriers that existed, he had already hurdled them.” Hernandez smiles. “Now it's my turn!”
A biopic about Hernandez recently premiered on Amazon Prime. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña and tells the story of Hernandez’s life from a child migrant worker to achieving his dream of becoming an astronaut and traveling to space. It’s based on Hernandez’s autobiography, Reaching for the Stars.
Elizabeth Smart | February 27, 2025, 7 p.m. | Jackson Auditorium
The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases in modern history. Elizabeth was abducted on June 5, 2002, and her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her and her family if she tried to escape. Fortunately, the police safely returned Elizabeth back to her family on March 12, 2003, after being held prisoner for nine grueling months. Through this traumatic experience, Elizabeth has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs, and national legislation.
Elizabeth triumphantly testified before her captor and the world about the very private nightmare she suffered during her abduction, which led to conviction. As founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Elizabeth has also helped promote The National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act, and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions.
Elizabeth has chronicled her experiences in the New York Times best-selling book, My Story. In addition, she and other abduction survivors worked with the Department of Justice to create a survivor's guide, entitled, “You're Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.” This guide is meant to encourage children who have gone through similar experiences not to give up but to know that there is hope for a rewarding life.
Elizabeth has recently released a new powerful and inspiring book about what it takes to overcome trauma, find the strength to move on, and reclaim one’s life. Where There’s Hope is the result of Elizabeth’s mission: It is both an up-close-and-personal glimpse into her healing process and a heartfelt how-to guide for readers to make peace with the past and embrace the future. Elizabeth’s abduction and recovery continue to motivate parents, law enforcement, and leaders worldwide to focus on children’s safety. She emphasizes vigilance by “everyday” people and the belief that hope always exists to find every missing child.
Smart attended Brigham Young University, studying music as a harp performance major. She married her husband Matthew in 2012, and they now have three beautiful children. Elizabeth’s example is a daily demonstration that there really is life after tragedy.
The Second City | March 26, 2025, 7 p.m. | Jackson Auditorium
The Second City 65th Anniversary Show brings the 65 years of legendary laughs to Seguin. It features handpicked songs, sketches, and characters written by Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray, Keegan Michael Key, Eugene Levy, and other star-studded alumni of The Second City. The show celebrates the comedy troupe's history with favorite material from their stages over the years.
For more information about these events, please contact Jonathan Zitelman, jzitelman@tlu.edu.