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The Allman Family Lecture is a yearly lecture that connects Çàɬֱ²¥ students, faculty and the greater Dallas community with highly acclaimed professionals and academic leaders prominent in interdisciplinary fields. The Lecture is made possible by the generous support of Pierce M. Allman, who endowed the lectureship in 1990.

The Lecture is typically held in October each year and is free and open to the public.

The 2025 Allman Family Lecture will be on October 16^th, 2025. Dr. Jennifer Raff, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas, will speak about her work on ancient human migration. The lecture will take place in Frances Moody Hall's auditorium located on Airline Drive.  

Humans are travelers. From ancestors living two million years ago to children born in 2025, we have migrated from one place to another in search of resources, to flee danger, or simply to explore. This mobility and adaptability is arguably one of our greatest strengths. In recent years, the study of DNA from ancient and contemporary humans has shed new light on our Çàɬֱ²¥ of movement, complementing findings from archaeology and paleontology. In this lecture, award-winning geneticist Dr. Raff will explore some of the most exciting examples of migration across human Çàɬֱ²¥, visible through the lens of genetics, and how they give insights into who we are.