The Ethics Hot Seat Speaker Series is dedicated to bringing outstanding speakers to campus to engage our students, faculty, alumni and the business community in thought-provoking dialogue about ethical issues.
2026 Ethics Speaker Series
Making Ethical Decisions in Your Career and Life
Featuring Mike Bedke
Partner and Location Head, Florida Real Estate Practice DLA Piper
Mike Bedke is a nationally recognized attorney specializing in real estate and commercial financing, with extensive experience in complex domestic and international infrastructure projects. His work spans major developments, including data centers, rail systems, ports, airports, marinas, toll roads, renewable energy projects, university housing and research facilities, and large-scale sports venues.
He has represented institutional lenders, investors, developers and management companies in the ultra-luxury hospitality, transportation and technology sectors. Notably, Bedke served as lead counsel for the Miami Heat American Airlines Arena project and has advised on major public-private partnerships, toll road and rail developments, and iconic “Great Wheel” observation wheel projects around the world.
Beyond his professional work, Bedke is nationally recognized for his pro bono leadership. He has provided legal assistance to veterans, disaster victims, survivors of domestic violence and vulnerable children. His disaster-response legal aid model, developed after Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki, has become the national template for providing pro bono legal services following disasters.
Bedke is also a leading advocate against domestic violence and has founded impactful initiatives, including the Project to Assist Persons with AIDS and Hillsborough County’s Courthouse Walk-In Project, which has helped over 100,000 self-represented litigants and has been replicated across the country.
Please join Mike Bedke and the Center for Ethics for an insightful discussion, and refreshments will be provided.
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Location: Vaughn Center, Reeves Theater
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Dotti Groover-Skipper, Founder of HeartDance Foundation
2023: "A Successful Restaurant Owner Speaks on the Importance of Ethics"
Travis Kaiser, Owner and Operator, Santoro's Pizzeria
2023: "The Ethics of International Transfer Pricing"
J. Christian Plesner Rossing, Ph.D., The University of Tampa
2022: "A Criminal Attorney Speaks on His Legal and Ethical Trials"
Anthony B. Rickman, Esq., President and Attorney, The Rickman Law Firm
2022: Presentation by Thomas Witherspoon, Ed.D
Thomas Witherspoon, Ed.D., Vice President, Access and Community Programs, University of Tampa
2021: "Ethics and the Hospitality Industry"
Michael Hurwitz, Restaurateur and franchiser, Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill
2021: "Understanding Generational Attitudes"
Craig Trapani, Francesca Rusca, Jessie Tobin and Maya Smith
2019: "Student Panel Discussion: Navigating the Ethical Grey Area"
Jasmine Rodriguez, Christopher Toma, Cambria Barkett and Micah Summers
2019: "Who Broke Feminism? The Delegation of Privilege"
Emma Rees, Ph.D., Professor of Literature and Gender Studies, The University of Chester
2018: "Stereotypes, College Majors and Moral Disengagement"
Suzanne Cory, Ph.D., Professor of Accounting, Greehey School of Business, St. Mary’s University
2018: "He Fought Halliburton and Won"
Anthony Menendez, Litigation Consultant, Financial Fraud Examiner, LLC
2017: "Ethics from the Outside In and Inside Out"
Earnie Broughton, Senior Advisor, Ethics and Compliance Initiative
2017: "Rules versus Principles"
Andrew Fastow, former Chief Financial Officer, Enron Corp.
2017: "An Evening with the Infiltrator"
Robert Mazur, Author of The Infiltrator
2016: "Is it cool to be a narcissist?"
W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
2016: "Free Speech on Campus"
Catherine Sevcenko, Chief Litigator, FIRE
2015: "Whistleblowing"
Panelists: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
2014: "Inequality in light of Picketty’s, Capitalism in the 21st Century"
Dan Verreault, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The University of Tampa
2014: "Skepticism and Climate Change"
Dan Verreault, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Tampa
2013: "Global Food Supplies and Urban Farming"
Panelists: George Irwin, Founder, Green Living Technologies, LLC
David Smiles, Founder and President, Uriah’s Urban Farms
2013: "Ethics of Private Equity"
Panelists: V. Michael Eitler III 3, Managing Partner, Group 125
Penny Larson, Founder, Links Financial, LLC
