The latest iteration of the Dr. Harold W. Sunoo World Peace Lecture Series will take place on February 1 at Central Methodist University, with Samara Hakim, JD slated to give this year’s address. Hakim’s lecture will be titled, “Embody Your Meaning: From Mindset to Movement,” and will take place at 7 p.m. in the Spalding Room on the fourth floor of the Inman Student Center.
Hakim is the President and Founder of CulturGrit, LLC. She is an international culture and inclusion thought leader, data strategist, keynote speaker, writer, coach, and facilitator. For over a decade, she has equipped leaders with the mindset and skills to work with those who are different from them, by mitigating bias and integrating culture into business practices and metrics. Hakim’s work has spanned across regions, countries, industries, and sectors, including Fortune 500 and 100 companies, for-profit and non-profit organizations, start-ups, and educational institutions.
Hakim has been a member and leader on several advisory boards and communities of practice. She is a member of Forbes Coaches Council, the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge Committee at the University of San Diego Kroc School for Peace and Justice, and the National DEIB Committee of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and she serves the DEIB Director for its San Diego chapter. Samara has also been a member of the World Peace Through Law section of the Washington State Bar Association for more than 10 years.
Hakim has greatly enjoyed supporting dozens of students across colleges and universities, being a growth partner for their careers and leadership development. She is a dynamic speaker who engages people to think beyond their comfort zone, to work across differences. She draws from her cross-cultural work, career as a lawyer, and her personal background. Hakim was honored with the 2018 Women of Excellence Award by Diversity Professional Magazine, the 2019 American Honda Premier Partner Award, and the 2021 NAWBO San Diego Women’s Advocate Award.
She grew up in the country of Lebanon and currently resides with her husband and two children in San Diego, California.
About the lecture series
In the spring of 2015, just before his passing, The Dr. Harold W. Sunoo World Peace Lecture Series was established by the Sunoo family to sponsor an annual guest speaker to stimulate students to think about how they can use their education to contribute to world peace. Dr. Sunoo was well-known for challenging his students to “use your brains and think,” and took his responsibility to stimulate critical thinking among his students very seriously.
Dr. Sunoo was hired by Central Methodist University in 1962. After 30 years, he retired with distinction as the Division Chair for Social Sciences and as the first Bishop Eugene Frank Professor. He published more than 20 academic books during his career and taught for shorter periods at the University of Washington, NY City College, University of California Berkeley, and Irvine and Yonsei University, Republic of Korea.
His legacy will live on through the thousands of students who were influenced by his teaching, and the legions of Korean activists who drew inspiration from his life. Through the Dr. Harold W. Sunoo World Peace Lecture Series, his kindness, global vision, and wisdom will continue to touch the students at his beloved Central Methodist.
This year’s lecture will be livestreamed for those unable to attend here: https://centralmethodist.zoom.us/j/91525233256.