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BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo’s Distinguished Speakers Series returns for 2025-26 with a lineup of engaging, inspiring and entertaining speakers.

The season will feature:

• NATO’s 16th Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis.
• Photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride and adventure writer Kevin Fedarko.
• Pentatonix beatboxer and classical fusion artist Kevin Olusola.
• Former “Today” co-anchor, journalist, author and CEO Hoda Kotb

All events take place at 7 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

“UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series is renowned for fostering thoughtful, informed dialogues with innovators across all spheres of society,” says President Satish K. Tripathi. “This year’s celebrated speakers advance this rich tradition, representing an astounding breadth of lived experience and depth of expertise.

“Their exciting adventures, influential leadership and boundless creativity are certain to inspire our university and greater community, making for unforgettable evenings where compelling narratives and consequential issues take center stage.”

The series kicks off Oct. 21 with an appearance by Admiral James Stavridis.

Stavridis attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and spent 37 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of four-star admiral. Among his many commands were four years as the 16th supreme allied commander at NATO, where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans and counter-piracy off the coast of Africa.

He also commanded U.S. Southern Command in Miami for nearly three years, charged with military operations throughout Latin America. He was the longest-serving combatant commander in recent U.S. history. Following his military career, he served for five years as the 12th dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, from which he earned a PhD in 1983.

He currently serves as a Bloomberg opinion columnist and a senior military analyst for CNN.

Stavridis is a recipient of the Battenberg Cup for commanding the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet and the Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership, along with more than 50 U.S. and international medals and decorations, including 28 from foreign nations.

He has published 15 books on leadership, character, risk, the oceans, maritime affairs and Latin America, as well as hundreds of articles in leading journals. One of his most popular books, “2034: A Novel of the Next World War,” was a New York Times bestseller and is being published in 22 languages. His most recent book, “The Admiral’s Bookshelf,” highlights 25 essential leadership lessons drawn from classic works of literature.

Photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride and adventure writer Kevin Fedarko will take the stage on Nov. 11. Their presentation is titled “Into the Canyon: Between River and Rim.”

Fedarko has spent the better part of the past 20 years writing about adventure, conservation, exploration and the Grand Canyon. He studied Russian history at Oxford before joining the staff at TIME, where he worked primarily on the foreign affairs desk, then later moved to Outside Magazine, where he was a senior editor. His writing has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times and Esquire, among other publications.

Fedarko is the author of “The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon,” which recounts the true story of a small wooden dory and three river guides who, in the summer of 1983, pitted the boat against the largest flood to sweep the Colorado River in generations, with the aim of setting an unbreakable speed record. A New York Times bestseller, the book won the National Outdoor Book Award and the Reading the West Award, and was a finalist for a PEN Literary Sports Writing Award and the Banff Mountain Book Award.

Fedarko’s latest book, “A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon,” about his 14-month, death-defying odyssey through the canyon with National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, also was a New York Times bestseller, won the National Outdoor Book Award and received the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.

A native Coloradan, McBride has spent two decades studying the world with a camera. An award-winning photographer, filmmaker, author and public speaker, he is a Sony Artisan of Light and has traveled on assignment to more than 75 countries for the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian, Google, The Nature Conservancy and many others.

He has spoken on stages for TEDx, The World Economic Forum, Pixar, Nat Geo Live and more. His feature documentary, “Into the Canyon,” was nominated for an Emmy in 2020, and his books “Between River and Rim,” “Seeing Silence” and “Chasing Water” have all won National Outdoor Book Awards. 

Pentatonix beatboxer Kevin Olusola will visit UB on Feb. 10 as the university’s 50th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration keynote speaker.

Olusola’s signature sound reimagines classical music through an ambitious modern sonic and lyrical lens while balancing his dynamic background of Nigerian and Grenadian heritage.

He is considered a pioneer of “celloboxing” — playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time — and has garnered international acclaim and recognition from music industry leaders including Yo-Yo Ma, Quincy Jones, Pharrell and countless others.

Olusola began developing this skill while a student at Yale, and in his senior year his celloboxing video, performing Mark Summer’s “Julie-O,” exploded on YouTube. With vocal arranger Ben Bram and vocalist Scott Hoying, he founded the a cappella group Pentatonix. After winning Season 3 of the NBC a cappella TV show “The Sing-Off,” Pentatonix went on to multiplatinum success — over 10 million albums sold — as well as several No. 1 albums, three Grammy Awards, film and television projects, sold-out arena tours and performances on iconic stages ranging from the Hollywood Bowl to the Kennedy Center. Pentatonix’s YouTube channel boasts more that 20 million subscribers and over 6 billion video views.

As a solo artist, Olusola has released three EPs — “The Renegade,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard traditional classical and classical crossover charts; “The Triptyq Sessions”; and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” — as well as fan-favorite singles and collaborations. His debut solo album, “Dawn of A Misfit,” was released in May 2025. He was named one of the 100 History Makers in the Making by NBC’s TheGrio. 

As a speaker, Olusola’s captivating presentations cover themes ranging from innovation and creativity to teamwork and collaboration, all while weaving in stories from his inspiring personal journey.

This year’s series will conclude on March 10 with an appearance by former “Today” co-anchor, journalist, author and CEO Hoda Kotb.

Recognized globally as one of America’s foremost journalists, authors and entertainers, Kotb is best known as the former co-anchor of NBC News’ “Today,” co-host of “Today with Hoda & Jenna” and host of the popular podcast “Making Space with Hoda Kotb.” She recently left “Today” after 17 successful years with the show and founded the new wellness community and platform Joy 101.

Since joining NBC News in 1998, Kotb has served as a correspondent for “Dateline NBC,” and has covered a wide variety of domestic and international stories, as well as numerous human-interest stories and features, across all NBC News platforms. She covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a story personal to Kotb, who lived and worked in New Orleans for six years. Additionally, she reported on the war in Iraq, the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza, and the War on Terror in Afghanistan.

She also was part of the network’s extensive coverage of the Summer and Winter Olympics from 2008 through 2024.

A New York Times bestselling author, Kotb has written eight books, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host for her work on “Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda,” and Daytime Emmys in 2010, 2011 and 2012 as part of “Today’s” recognition as the best morning news program.

In 2022, Kotb was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and she has received numerous Gracie awards from the Alliance for Women in Media recognizing exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. She also is a recipient of an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, a Peabody Award and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Those who held 2024-25 series subscriptions (all events as a package) will receive an email about how to renew their subscriptions for 2025-26. Those who would like to purchase new series subscriptions may do so beginning at noon on Aug. 13. Individual event tickets will be available for purchase beginning at noon on Aug. 27.

Both new subscriptions and individual event ticket orders may be placed through Ticketmaster or in-person at the UB Center for the Arts Ticket Office. More information about purchasing tickets is available on the Distinguished Speakers Series website’s tickets page.

Information on how UB students may access tickets will be provided online before each event.

UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series has been bringing the world to UB audiences for more than 37 years. The 2025-26 series is presented by the Donald L. Davis Lectureship Fund.

Speaker and ticket information can be found on the .