Date: Sep 02, 2009

Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn, Soledad O’Brien and Eugene Robinson, Nina Totenberg and Dan Abrams Among Featured Speakers for Fall Lineup of Define '09: New Challenges, New Solutions

Program builds on success of Educate ’08 and presidential debate at Hofstra to inform and engage students, community

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Author Sheryl WuDunn and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, and NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg, will be among the nationally known speakers coming to Hofstra this fall as part of Define '09: New Challenges, New Solutions, a year-long series that will examine the new presidential administration, its policies and initiatives, the challenges we currently face and ways of addressing our country’s most pressing issues, President Stuart Rabinowitz announced today.

“Define ’09 was designed to keep our students and the larger community engaged and informed about the new administration of President Barack Obama and to encourage civic awareness and engagement,” President Rabinowitz said. “During the spring, we saw tremendous engagement and interest in the critical issues of the day, and our students continue to have a high level of interest in politics and policy, after the success of the October 15, 2008 presidential debate here at Hofstra and the year-long Educate ’08 series.”

Scheduled Define ’09 speakers for the fall 2009 include:

Half The Sky - Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide features The New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and authors Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof discussing their new book about women in the developing world.  The lecture takes place on Tuesday, September 8 at 3 p.m. at the Monroe Lecture Center Theater, California Avenue, South Campus

Does Conservatism Have a Future? features The New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.  Douthat is an American conservative author and blogger, who, in April 2009, became the conservative voice on The New York Times editorial page. Douthat is the youngest regular op-ed writer in the paper’s history.  The lecture takes place on Wednesday, September 16 at 3 p.m. in Monroe Lecture Center Theater, California Avenue, South Campus.

Race, Diversity and a New America features CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, discussing her critically acclaimed documentary series Black in America, and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, who won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in recognition of his columns during the 2008 presidential campaign.  This lecture is Thursday, September 24 at 3 p.m. in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse, North Campus. 

Sustainable South Bronx and Environment Advocacy features Majora Carter, founder and former executive director of the non-profit Sustainable South Bronx. She is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, president of her own economic consulting firm, a co-host on Sundance Channel’s The Green, and host of the public radio series, The Promised Land.  The lecture is Tuesday, September 29 at 3 p.m. in the Monroe Lecture Center Theater, California Avenue, South Campus.

The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court are considered from the unique point of view of NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg and NBC and MSNBC chief legal correspondent Dan Abrams. This lecture is on Thursday, October 8 at 3 p.m. in the Monroe Lecture Center Theater, California Avenue, South Campus. 

Also this fall, the National Center for Suburban Studies hosts the multi-day, comprehensive conference, The Diverse Suburb: History, Politics and Prospects (October 22 – 24); the Hofstra Law School hosts its biennial law ethics conference, which focuses on Power, Politics, and Public Service: The Legal Ethics of Lawyers in Government (October 18 – 20); and the Kalikow Center for the Study of the President hosts its annual conference in November, considering Prerogative Power and the Imperial Presidency from Lincoln to George W. Bush (November 4 – 5), with The New York Times columnist David Brooks as the keynote speaker.  

In addition, the Center for Civic Engagement hosts its annual Day of Dialogue and Hofstra Department of Economics, History and Sociology in cooperation with the Center for Civic Engagement, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives presents its regular series, “International Scene Lecture Series.”

Most Define '09 programs are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Public seating is limited for these events. To register, check seating availability, and for a full list of Define ’09 events go to hofstra.edu/define09 and click on “Events.”

The spring lineup of Define ’09 speakers included CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper, political strategist Donna Brazile and David Plouffe, President Barack Obama's campaign manager.  Its predecessor, Educate ’08, was a year-long series of lectures, conferences, artistic performances and exhibitions, town hall meetings and interactive forums focused on the issues, history and politics of presidential elections. Speakers included George Stephanopoulos, Mario Cuomo, Mary Matalin and James Carville, David Gergen, William Kristol and Maureen Dowd, Charlie Cook, and many scholars, historians, journalists and policymakers. 

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

Related Link: Define '09