Vice President Mike Pence to Keynote UNCW’s Dare to Learn Lecture

Vice President Mike Pence will deliver the fall 2025 Chancellor’s Dare to Learn Lecture at UNCW. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 in Kenan Auditorium.  

Pence served as the 48th Vice President of the United States of America from 2017-2021, the Governor of Indiana from 2013-2017 and a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001-2013. In 2021, he founded the policy organization Advancing American Freedom.  

He graduated from Indiana University School of Law, where he met his wife, former Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence. They have three children, Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. His New York Times bestselling autobiography, So Help Me God, was published in 2022 and his second book, Go Home for Dinner, in 2023.  

The Chancellor’s Dare to Learn Lecture is an exploration of leadership. Guest speakers share their stories, experiences and lessons learned. The university’s Latin motto, Discere Aude, translates as “dare to learn."

“We are honored to welcome Vice President Pence to UNCW for our signature public lecture series,” Chancellor Aswani K. Volety said. “As a university that ‘dares to learn,’ UNCW values providing students with opportunities to hear from leaders whose experiences inspire the free exchange of thoughts and opinions within a campus climate of civility and mutual respect.” 

Former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Kelly, the Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D. and veteran political strategists Donna Brazile and Karl Rove are past speakers. 

WECT news anchor Jon Evans will moderate the event. Tickets are required and available at no cost to members of the campus and community. Visit uncwarts.universitytickets.com to obtain.