Intelligence Squared US

THE PROGRAM

Rethink your point of view with Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US), Oxford-style debates live from New York City. Based on the highly successful debate program in London, Intelligence Squared, Intelligence Squared U.S. has presented 50 debates on a wide range of provocative and timely topics. From clean energy and the financial crisis, to the Middle East and the death of mainstream media, Intelligence Squared U.S. brings together the world’s leading authorities on the day’s most important issues.

Since its inception in 2006, the goals have been to provide a new forum for intelligent discussion, grounded in facts and informed by reasoned analysis; to transcend the toxically emotional and the reflexively ideological; and to encourage recognition that the opposing side has intellectually respectable views.

The Rosenkranz Foundation initiated the Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate Series and continues to provide major support.

THE APPROACH

The series is based on the traditional Oxford-style debate format, with one side proposing and the other side opposing a sharply-framed motion. Before the debate begins, the audience registers their pre-debate opinion using an electronic voting system. These results are announced later in the program. Alternating between panels, each debater gives a 7-minute opening statement. After this segment concludes, the moderator opens the floor for questions from the audience and inter-panel challenges. This adversarial context is electric, adding drama and excitement. The debaters have one final opportunity to sway audience opinion through their 2-minute closing arguments. The audience delivers the final verdict by voting again whether they are for, against, or undecided on the proposition. The two sets of results are compared and the winner is determined by which team has swayed more audience members between the two votes.

LIVE DEBATES

The debates are held at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University, located at 566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South). Evenings begin at 5:45 PM with a cash bar reception for panelists and audience members; the live debate starts at 6:45 PM and ends at 8:30 PM. For venue information, click here.

TELEVISION BROADCAST

Intelligence Squared Debates can be watched on WNET’s Thirteen, NJTV and WLIW. Debates are broadcast within two weeks of the live recording starting Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. with repeated shows airing regularly. Click here for your local listings.

RADIO PROGRAM

Intelligence Squared debates can be heard on over 220+ NPR (National Public Radio) stations across the nation. Contact your local station for scheduling information or click here to download the iTunes Podcast Series.

INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. STAFF BIOS

Robert Rosenkranz is Chairman and CEO of Delphi Financial Group, a NYSE listed insurance company, and the founder of a group of investment and private equity partnerships. He serves on the board of directors for the Manhattan Institute and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the Yale University Council, the Yale School of Architecture Dean’s Council, the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Visiting Committee for the Department of Asian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A graduate of Yale University (A.B. summa cum laude 1962) and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1965), he was a tax lawyer with the New York law firm of Cahill, Gordon & Reindel and an economist with The RAND Corporation, where he was engaged in research on foreign policy issues and municipal finance. In 1969, he joined Oppenheimer & Company where he was a General Partner when he left to form Rosenkranz & Company in 1978. Mr. Rosenkranz lives in Manhattan in an apartment that reflects his interests in Asian art and modern design. He has two adult children, Nicholas and Stephanie, and is married to Alexandra Munroe, Ph.D., Senior Curator of Asian Art at the Guggenheim Museum.

S. Dana Wolfe is Executive Producer of Intelligence Squared U.S. debate series and Executive Director of The Rosenkranz Foundation. Ms. Wolfe is a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who spent over a decade as a producer for Ted Koppel’s Nightline on ABC News. During the course of her career, she has conducted interviews with leading newsmakers, heads of state, and celebrities, including Salman Rushdie, Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, Yasser & Suha Arafat, and Yitzhak Rabin. After her Nightline tenure, Ms. Wolfe became an independent media consultant. Prior to Nightline, she worked for then-Ambassador Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel’s United Nations Mission and later became assistant managing editor at the Washington, DC-based foreign policy journal The National Interest. A Canadian native, she began her television career in Toronto at CTV’s Canada AM. Ms. Wolfe received her B.A. from York University in Toronto and her M.A. in International Studies from New York University.

Clea Conner Chang is the director of marketing and production for Intelligence Squared U.S. Formerly the director of marketing for a celebrity speakers bureau, Clea has led national campaigns for renowned journalists, best-selling authors and public officials. Previously, she worked in direct marketing for BMG/Columbia House and launched public advocacy campaigns for The Center for Arts Education.  Clea studied communications at American University and holds a B.A. from The New School University.

Kris Kamikawa is director of research for Intelligence Squared U.S. and has been with the series since its start in 2006. Prior to this, she worked in book publishing for five years at St. Martin’s Press. She is a graduate of Stanford University (AB) and Pratt Institute (MLIS).

Christiana Killian is Director of Development for Intelligence Squared US. She has helped build support for foundations in Europe and the US such as the American Academy in Rome and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. She studied philosophy and religion as an undergraduate at Barnard College and went on to earn Masters Degrees from Harvard and Cambridge universities. She received her PhD from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Laura Meyer is the event production coordinator for Intelligence Squared U.S. She previously conducted research at a microfinance institution and taught English in Santiago, Chile. Prior to Chile, she worked as the special events coordinator at Cardozo School of Law. Laura graduated magna cum laude from Missouri State University with a B.S. in Public Relations and Marketing.

Maureen McMurray has been the monthly radio producer for Intelligence Squared U.S. since September 2008. She started her radio career in 2002 as the Associate Producer of WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show. She has produced segments for WNYC’s Soundcheck and PRI’s Marketplace and was a Supervising Producer on Martha Stewart Living Radio. She currently produces a program on The Catholic Channel, Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Maureen McMurray graduated from Wesleyan University in 2001 with a degree in film and history.

Damon Whittemore is the chief audio engineer and on-location recordist for IQ2. He has been with the show from its inception in 2006. His work as an audio engineer spans the globe and includes recordings for grammy winning musical artists, corporate giants Nike, Dell, Hewlett-Packart and Intel and work in renowned halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Damon owns his own studio in New York’s East Village (www.valvetone.com). Damon graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a B.S. in Audio Engineering and Computer Science and holds a Masters in Television, Radio and Film from Syracuse University.

VIRTUAL ADVISORY BOARD

James Blue is an award-winning documentary and current affairs television producer. He is also the owner and executive producer of Public Affairs Media Group – a media production and consulting agency.

Max Boot is a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Chris Bury is ABC News’ National Correspondent based in Chicago. He reports for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline and Good Morning America.

Devon Cross is president of the Donor’s Forum on International Affairs and is a member of the Defense Policy Board, where she serves as liaison with the think tank world.

Christopher DeMuth is D.C. Searle senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, having served as AEI’s president from 1986–2008.

John Gordon is co-founder of Intelligence Squared, London, and the media information company, Xtreme Information.

Van Greenfield is a private investor who headed creditors’ committees for WorldCom and Adelphia. His policy interests include military technology and Middle Eastern affairs.

Roger Hertog is the retired director & vice chairman of Alliance Bernstein Corporation. He is former Chairman of the Manhattan Institute and current President of the Hertog Foundation.

Stephen Hessler is an attorney with Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, DC. He has both legislative and executive branch experience and remains actively involved in politics and policy.

Philip K. Howard is vice chairman of the law firm Covington & Burling, LLP.

Sara Just, an award winning journalist, is an ABC News executive in Washington, DC where oversees ABC News digital media including ABC News.com/Politics and ABC News Now.

Herb London is president of the New York-based Hudson Institute and professor emeritus of humanities at New York University.

Myron Magnet was the editor of City Journal, the Manhattan Institute’s quarterly magazine of urban affairs, from 1994 through 2006, and he is now the journal’s editor-at-large.

Alexandra Munroe is senior curator of Asian Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Su-Lin Cheng Nichols is a director in the Washington office of Brunswick Group, the international strategic communications firm.

Gerry Ohrstrom is a private investor and non-executive chairman of The Ohrstrom Foundation, Inc.

Ellen Palevsky is a philanthropist and a trustee of Claremont Graduate University.

Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University.

Nadia Schadlow is a senior program officer at the Smith Richardson Foundation.

Paul Singer is founder of Elliott Associates, one of the oldest most respected New York-based hedge funds, and is highly active in political and policy circles.

Fareed Zakaria is a contributing editor for Time magazine, weekly host for CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, and a New York Times bestselling author.

INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. FOUNDATION BOARD

Max Boot, Alexandra Munroe, Gerry Ohrstrom, Robert Rosenkranz and Ross Sandler

VENUE INFORMATION

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS