Jennette McCurdy, actress and bestselling author, will deliver a moderated Q&A as part of the Distinguished Lectures Committee's series at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, at the Fayetteville Town Center (15 W. Mountain on the Fayetteville Square). Tickets are required, and the event is sold out, but a livestream will be available while the event is in progress.

The event will be moderated by Jennifer Veilleux, associate professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the U of A. Veilleux is also a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research focuses on problems of emotion and self-regulation that underlie psychological symptoms that prompt people to seek psychotherapy (i.e., depression, anxiety, eating pathology, substance use, non-suicidal self-injury, trauma, self-criticism). She is currently focused on understanding why so many people struggle to allow and tolerate their distress and is committed to helping people approach their emotions in a more flexible way.

She teaches courses on emotion and self-regulation, personality assessment and personality pathology, and is heavily involved in training graduate students how to do therapy and psychological assessments. She is currently working on a book to teach therapists about the science of emotion and self-regulation to improve psychotherapy outcomes.

There will be a recording available for students, faculty and staff at the U of A at video.uark.edu for 30 days post-lecture. A uark.edu login will be required.

As a New York Times bestselling author, McCurdy has been showcasing her multitude of talents for over 20 years, with more than 100 credits under her belt between film and TV. Most recently, McCurdy has chronicled the unflinching details surrounding her life and rise to fame in her newly released memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died. In the inspiring book of resilience and independence, McCurdy uses candor and dark humor as she dives into her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

In addition to her impressive acting resume, McCurdy is an accomplished creator. Her darkly comedic one-woman show I'm Glad My Mom Died, which she wrote, directed and stars in, had a sold-out run at Lyric Hyperion Theatre. She has also been published in the Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and hosts a popular podcast, Empty Inside, where she speaks with guests about uncomfortable topics in the hopes of making those conversations less taboo, all while learning and growing along the way.

McCurdy is currently developing a feature film, which she wrote and will direct, and has recently closed a deal to write her debut fiction novel.McCurdy has also been honored as part of the 2022 TIME100 Next list, a compilation of emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership.

This event is sponsored by the Distinguished Lectures Committee through the Office of Student Activities and is supported by the Student Activities Fee. For questions or for accommodations due to disability, please contact the Office of Student Activities at osa@uark.edu or call 479-575-5255. The Distinguished Lectures Committee is a program in the Division of Student Affairs.