Political journalist Sasha Issenberg will kick off the season at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8 with an event highlighting his insights from covering the 25-year-long struggle to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S. Issenberg formerly conducted research on the subject at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, which is on the University of Kansas’ west campus.

Issenberg’s presentation will be an in-person event, after a year-and-a-half of hosting programs exclusively online.

“We’ll be taking appropriate precautions,” Director Bill Lacy said in a release Monday morning. “We have installed an air purifier in Hansen Hall, and we’ll be rigorously enforcing KU’s mask mandate. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and reserve the right to reschedule any program or transition to virtual at any time.”

The institute’s fall schedule also will feature a presentation from Bill Kurtis, the Kansas broadcaster who is a former CBS news anchor, host of “Investigative Reports,” “Cold Case Files,” “American Justice,” and several other television programs.

Kurtis will deliver the 2021 Journalism and Politics Lecture and will discuss the future of journalism.

Other events scheduled for the coming months include:

• A Constitution Day panel discussion on whether the government can enforce health mandates, such as masking and vaccination. 7 p.m. Sept. 16.

• A lecture and book signing by former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Kansas Congressman Dan Glickman. 7 p.m. Oct. 14.

• The latest installment in the institute’s “A Conversation in Race” series will feature reporter and author Michael Kranish, who will discuss the life of Major Taylor. Taylor became the first American-born Black world champion in any sport. Taylor won a world championship in cycling abut 50 years before Jackie Robinson became a major league baseball player. 7 p.m. Oct. 19.

• At 4 p.m. each Wednesday from Sept. 22 to Nov. 3 the institute will host a discussion series on “What’s the Matter with American Politics,” with an eye on how several events and trends will shape politics in 2022.

• A special exhibition marking the 20 years since the 9/11 terror attacks will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 19 in the Simons Media Room of the institute. The exhibit was developed by the 9/11 Memorial Museum with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A complete list of the institute’s schedule at doleinstitute.org.