Barbara F. Walter ’86, a leading scholar of civil wars and the author of New York Times bestseller How Civil Wars Start (and How to Stop Them), will speak as part of The Bucknell Forum on Tuesday, April 4, in Trout Auditorium (Vaughan Literature Building, 100).

Walter is one of five nationally renowned speakers who will discuss the theme “The State of American Democracy” in this year’s Bucknell Forum — a speaker series that since 2007 has featured national leaders, scholars and commentators who have examined various issues from multidisciplinary and diverse viewpoints.