The following speakers addressed the Palmetto Forum in the spring of 2008:

February 6
Professor Sudha Ratan, Chair of the Department of Political Science at Augusta State University, and an expert on the politics of South Asia discussed the situation in Pakistan after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and its implications for the future.

March 5
Dr. Gordon Smith, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, and an expert on Russian politics, discussed the recent Russian Presidential Election and the changes that may occur.

April 2
The Honorable Peter Beattie, former Premier of Queensland, Australia, at the time, a scholar in residence at the Walker Institute, compared challenges facing his country with similar challenges facing ours, “Moving Australia into the 21st Century.”

May 7
Dr. Donald Puchala, Byrnes Professor of International Studies in USC’s Department of Political Science and Associate Director of the Walker Institute, discussed terrorism throughout history, featuring the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Anarchist bomb throwers of the late 19th century and the desperados of the American Wild West.

The following speakers addressed the Palmetto Forum in the fall of 2007

October 3
Professor Timothy Mousseau from the University of South Carolina’s Department of Biology discussed his research, his findings and their implications on on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the releases of radiation that occurred at the time of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986.

November 7
Professor David K. Linnan from the USC School of Law presented, "Human Trafficking: Sex Industry or Sweatshop Labor Problem?” based on his recent work.

December 5
Dr. Patrick Hickey from the USC School of Nursing and an accomplished mountain climber, having conquered the seven highest peaks in world, including the 29,035 feet of Mount Everest this past summer spoke on his Summit Scholarship project.

The following speakers addressed the Palmetto Forum in the spring of 2007

February 7
Janette Turner Hospital, distinguished author in residence at the University of South Carolina discussed the origins and development of her soon to be published novel, Orpheus Lost.

March 7
Professor Jerel Rosati, from USC's Department of Political Science presented a forum on “How Secure Ought We to Feel About Homeland Security?”

April 4
Matthew Powell, professional photographer for Samaritan's Purse presented "Putting a Human Face on Hunger."

May 2
Professor Michael Scardaville, from USC's Department of History presented a forum on “Hugo Chávez and the Resurgence of Populism in Latin America .”

The following speakers have addressed the Palmetto Forum in the fall of 2006

September 5
Dr. Shahrough Akhavi from the University of South Carolina’s Department of Political Science is a native of Iran, an expert in the field of Middle Eastern Affairs, and a specialist on political revolutions and revolutionary ideologies -his presentation is titled, “Iran as a Rising Power.”