Harrington School of Communication and Media

A Conversation with Bob Woodruff covers the breadth of Woodruff’s journalistic endeavors over the past three decades.

October 6 at 4 pm at Hope Room, Welcome Center.

Light reception to follow.

Parking: Parking is free for guests and is available in Lot 1 – Welcome Center Lot.
Register for a parking permit here: uri.aimsparking.com.
Click Event Permits> Amanpour Lecture 2026> Follow the prompts to add your vehicle information and complete the checkout process.
The Voucher Code is: Amanpour

Directions: Parking is available in Lot 1 (Briar Lane Lot) behind the Higgins Welcome Center. Please use 75 Briar Lane, Kingston, RI 02881, in your GPS, which will take you directly to this lot. Enter campus via URI’s main entrance onto Upper College Rd (off Route 138). Take a right at the first stop sign onto Briar Lane, and proceed down the road. The entrance to the lot is on the left. Here’s a link to our campus map. 

Bob Woodruff joined ABC News in 1996 and has covered major stories throughout the country and around the world for the network. He succeeded Peter Jennings as anchor of ABC World News Tonight in December 2005.

Woodruff has reported from all around the world for more than three decades, covering some of the most influential stories and breaking news events of our time — from the White House and the Department of Justice to frontlines in war zones and disaster areas.

On Jan. 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury and a 36-day coma.

After his recovery, Woodruff returned to reporting and has continued to tell powerful stories across the globe. His long-form work for ABC, Hulu, Disney+, and National Geographic has explored urgent issues including environmental challenges, veterans’ recovery, human resilience, and global conflict. 

Woodruff’s journalism has been recognized with numerous honors, including 10 Emmy® Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award, and the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism.

Following his injury, the Woodruff family founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which assists injured service members, veterans, and their families as they reintegrate into their communities. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $200 million in programs supporting veterans and their families.

Before becoming a journalist, Woodruff practiced law and taught at a university in Beijing. His career path changed dramatically after witnessing the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, an experience that inspired him to pursue journalism.

Woodruff holds a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University. He and his wife, Lee, have four children.

 

The Christiane Amanpour Lecture is endowed by and named for the 1983 URI alumna and 1995 honorary degree recipient. She is chief international anchor for CNN and host of its award-winning, flagship global affairs program Amanpour, as well as Amanpour & Co. which airs on PBS in the United States. Launched in 2008, the speaker series brings well-respected journalists to campus each year.