UC Portman Center event: 'Civility in Polarized Times'
Event Information (passed)
Two former United States senators will speak on “Civility in Polarized Times” at the University of Cincinnati’s Portman Center for Policy Solutions on Monday, Feb. 5, 2:30-3:45 p.m. at Clifton Court Hall, Room 1170.
Former U.S. senator Heidi Heitkamp. Photo provided by SPIA.
The guest speaker is Heidi Heitkamp, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in North Dakota. Heitkamp was in office from 2013-2019 and is now the director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and co-founder and chair of the One Country Project.
Heitkamp is joined by Rob Portman (for whom the center is named), an attorney and former senator from Ohio, 2011-2023.
Former U.S. senator Rob Portman. Image/Grand Opening of Portman Center.
Upon leaving office, The Portman Center was established within UC’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). A priority at the center is to develop future leaders in the public sphere from across the political spectrum, through a renewed emphasis on civility, open and inclusive dialogue, and bipartisan engagement.
SPIA was created out of the former Department of Political Science, which dates to 1914.
The event is presented by The Hayden Program in Applied Civil Discourse at the Portman Center.
Featured image at top of Clifton Court Hall which houses the Portman Center for Policy Solutions. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
What's behind the mysterious rise of migraines?
January 5, 2026
Weather patterns such as extreme heat and storm conditions have been linked to migraine attacks, and research shows those environmental conditions are becoming more common. As National Geographic recently reported, one of the leading theories behind this mysterious rise is that climate change may be playing a role.
UC biochemistry student explores world of taste
January 5, 2026
A University of Cincinnati biochemistry student changed her career trajectory after being inspired by internships with a European Fortune 500 company.
Engineering professors studying how co-op impacts student journey
January 5, 2026
Cedrick Kwuimy, associate professor educator in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science is studying how a student’s first co-op experience impacts the remainder of their journey as an engineering student, and how educators can better prepare them for these experiences. Kwuimy and his collaborators have received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support this research.