Some unique programs are coming up at Stanislaus State University in Turlock, with the first featuring a hip hop professor.

A.D. Carson, who submitted his doctoral dissertation at Clemson University in the form of a 34-track rap album, will be appearing at Stanislaus State on Monday, Feb. 25 for a free lecture/performance at 7 p.m. in Snider Hall. His appearance is part of Stan State’s celebration of Black History Month. Carson, whose Ph.D. is in rhetoric, communication and information design, is an assistant professor of hip-hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia.

Economist Arthur Laffer, known as “the father of supply-side economics” thanks to his presence on President Ronald Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board, is scheduled to speak on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. as part of the University’s Executive Speaker Series. He is most famous for the Laffer curve, an illustration of the relationship between tax rates and government revenue. His latest book, co-authored with Stephen Moore, is “Trumponomics: Inside the America-First Plan to Revive Our Economy.” The Feb. 28 event is free and open to the public, and there will be a Q&A session following his talk.

Finally, now in its 16th year, Stan State’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program continues to help the area’s low-income and senior citizens feel confident about filing their income taxes. The free program is a partnership between faculty, staff and students from Stan State’s College of Business Administration and Office of Service Learning, the Turlock Salvation Army and the Internal Revenue Service. It’s designed to assist low- to moderate-income families, disabled and elderly people who earned less than $54,000 in 2018.

A complete schedule of Stan State events can be found on the University website.