Politics Events
Gubernatorial Debate - Bridges Auditorium
April 28, 2026
Pomona College will host students, faculty, staff, regional leaders, distinguished guests and elected officials for a live debate between the top candidates for California governor at Bridges Auditorium on Tuesday, April 28. Associate Prof. of Politics, Sara Sadhwani, will join CBS journalist as a moderator for the debate.
Read our recent news article, “Pomona College to Host Gubernatorial Debate at Historic Bridges Auditorium.”
Chad Cannon’s Music for the Ocean
March 29, 2026
3 p.m. (doors open 2:30 p.m.)
Lyman Hall, Thatcher Music Building
Free Concert & Open to the Public.
Music for the Ocean is a set of compositions and improvisations by composer-violinist Chad Cannon, performed with pianist Hui Wu. Supported by brand-new, colorful animations by Tim Rauch and sound design/technical direction by Will Chen, the show aims to help people fall in love with marine life and the ocean and inspire them to take action to help preserve its fragile ecosystems. The Tela Coral is a non-profit working with scientists to build a coral gene / bio bank in Tela, Honduras, to preserve critically endangered elkhorn and other coral species.
Chad Cannon is an Emmy-nominated composer and violinist whose work can be heard in the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary American Factory, the BAFTA-winning PlayStation game Ghost of Tsushima (and its Hokkaido-based sequel Ghost of Yotei), and the Peabody-winning HBO film Night is Not Eternal. Other recent credits include Tokyo Cowboy, Join or Die (Netflix), and The Dating Game (Sundance 2025 premiere).
Hui Wu - Praised as “sparkling” by The New York Times and “a rising star” by China Musical Weekly, pianist Hui Wu has recently premiered Etudes and Glassworks with Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet in addition to chamber music engagements with Martin Chalifour, Rainer Honeck, Stefan Dohr and Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson.
The Arsenal of Democracy for the 21st Century, with Lt Gen (ret) Leonard Kosinski
March 3, 2026
5:15 p.m.
Carnegie 107
In an era defined by geopolitical competition, technological disruption, and fragile supply networks, economic strength and national security are increasingly shaped by the resilience of global logistics and the defense industrial base. This talk explores the strategic choices that will define the “arsenal of democracy” in the 21st century—from reshoring and friend-shoring to digital infrastructure, AI-driven optimization, and the control of critical transportation corridors. Drawing on real-world insights, we will examine how governments and industry leaders can design supply chains that are not only efficient but secure, adaptive, and strategically decisive for the Arsenal of Democracy and Deterrence in the 21st Century.
Lt Gen (ret) Leonard “Leo” Kosinski Bio
Kosinski Bio
Lt Gen (ret) Leonard “Leo” Kosinski served for 31 years as a commissioned officer, graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and completed his pinnacle assignment as the 40th Director for Logistics on the Joint Staff, where he was responsible for integrating logistics planning and execution in support of the Department of Defense’s global operations. Prior to this position, he was Deputy Commander, Fifth Air Force, responsible for over 30,000 U.S. personnel across Japan and coordinated directly with senior Japan Self-Defense Force and Japan Ministry officials to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region. He is a command pilot with over 3,300 flight hours and 400 combat hours.
An Olmsted Scholar in Japan, Leo holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M, a Master of Business Administration from Hitotsubashi University, where he studied under Prof. Ikujiro Nonaka, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from The Fletcher School, Tufts University.
He is the Chief Strategy Officer at ASI (Air Space Intelligence), a non-traditional, dual-use aerospace and defense company deploying cutting-edge, applied AI capabilities. Leo is also an advisor to several startup defense tech companies across autonomous distribution platforms, forward-deployed advanced manufacturing, and other technologies enabling the Joint Warfighter to overcome contested logistics. As a senior fellow at Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and a founding advisor at The Ikujiro Nonaka Institute (INI) in Tokyo, Leo works to advance the U.S.-Japan Alliance and international security with our strongest ally.
As a senior fellow at the National Defense University, Leo mentors senior leaders, focusing on contested logistics, supply chain, the Defense Industrial Base, and multinational operations.
After retiring from the military, he and his wife returned to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. They plan to split their time between the Lowcountry and Boston, depending on the season, work, and their kids' college schedules.