CERCL's Leadership Lecture Series advances understanding of Houston’s impact on national issues of religion, social justice, political equality, etc., by inviting noteworthy figures to give public lectures on related topics. All lectures and panel discussions are free and open to the public. Michael S. McPherson is the fifth President of the Spencer Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2003 he served as President of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota for seven years. A nationally known economist whose expertise focuses on the interplay between education and economics, McPherson spent the 22 years prior to his Macalester presidency as professor of economics, chairman of the Economics Department, and dean of faculty at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics, an M.A. in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Economics, all from the University of Chicago. McPherson, who is co-author and editor of several books, including College Access: Opportunity or Privilege?, Keeping College Affordable and Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy, and Public Policy; was founding co-editor of the journal Economics and Philosophy. He has served as a trustee of the College Board, the American Council on Education, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. McPherson has been a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.