OWENSBORO, Ky. — Stacy Hawkins Adams will present the Ellie Magnuson Lecture in Literature and Science on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 10 a.m. in Tapscott Chapel in the Barnard-Jones Administration Building at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Her topic is “The Power of Still Becoming: Using Reflection and Writing to Evolve.” The event is free and open to the public.
Adams is an award-winning author, storyteller and speaker whose work encourages women to embrace purpose, possibility and what’s still unfolding. The author of 12 books — including nine women’s fiction novels and three nonfiction works — she has spent more than two decades illuminating universal themes of self-discovery, resilience and personal growth. A former newspaper reporter and columnist, Adams brings a journalist’s and storyteller’s perspective to her work, helping audiences find meaning and possibility in life’s choices, challenges and quiet triumphs. Her acclaimed books include The Someday List, an Essence magazine bestseller; Watercolored Pearls; Coming Home, a Target Stores Recommended Read; and Dreams That Won’t Let Go, a Library of Virginia Literary Award finalist.
She is a recipient of the Motivational Author of the Year award from the National Black Book Festival and a Central Virginia Communications and Leadership Award from Toastmasters International. She regularly shares motivational messages on Virginia This Morning, teaches writing and journaling workshops, and speaks nationally on topics including personal evolution, storytelling, and leadership.
Beyond her literary and speaking career, Adams is a strategic communications leader for a global nonprofit and a longtime advocate for women, children, and literacy empowerment.
The Ellie Magnuson Lectures in Literature and Science honor the memory of Ellie Magnuson (1937-1989), a medical technologist with a passion for art, English literature, history, and travel.
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