Purdue University Northwest is declining to disclose how much famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will be paid for his Sinai Forum talk in December, claiming it is a “trade secret.”
It provided the reason for redacting his pay and expenses in response to a public records request for Sinai Forum contracts from the Post-Tribune. The university disclosed the pay for all other speakers.
The Post-Tribune has filed a formal complaint with Indiana’s Public Access Counselor. Purdue Northwest did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.
His 90-minute program, “Adventures in Science Literacy,” is set for 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the 1,200-seat Stardust Event Center in the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City.
Individual tickets for Tyson’s event start at $125 for the public. A limited number of free tickets is available for high school and college students. Tickets for the whole series start at $195.
According to the event’s website, Tyson plans to talk about “the essential role science literacy plays in shaping our understanding of the universe,” it says. “He highlights the wonders of discovery and the consequences of ignorance, urging audiences to embrace curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.”
Tyson is represented by Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau, Inc., which did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment. A representative for Tyson was not immediately available.
It is not immediately clear if he could be charging a discounted rate for the university. Another agency’s website lists his speaker’s fee as $100,000 or more.
The Sinai Forum was established in 1953. It was endowed to Purdue Northwest in 2006.
This year’s season is sponsored by the McMillan Family Foundation, Urschel Labs, David and Billie Bankoff, Health Foundation of LaPorte, John W. Anderson Foundation, Family Express, The Times Media Company, and Blue Chip Casino.
Other sponsors include Horizon Bank, the LaPorte County Herald-Dispatch, Markey’s, Harbour Trust, Leonard J. & Irene Brown Foundation, HealthLinc, the Crown Point Community Foundation, Legacy Foundation, Porter County Community Foundation, Unity Foundation of La Porte County, Ivy Tech and Christina & Fred Doppler, Jr.
Sinai Forum speaker fees:**
Platon (photographer) – “The Power of Unity: Rekindling the Spirit of Optimism”
$46,000
Sept. 14 – 4 p.m.
Nathan Gunn (with Julie Jordan Gunn) – “The Heart of the Matter: A Life Together in Music”
$25,000
Oct. 5 – 4 p.m.
CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue – “Artificial Intelligence: Ethics and its Effects on the Healthcare Industry”
$36,000
Oct. 26 – 4 p.m.
Fox News journalist Jennifer Griffin (with her husband, NPR correspondent Greg Myre)
$45,500
Nov. 16 – 4 p.m.
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**Events at Purdue University Westville’s Dworkin Student Services Center