(Jackson Township, OH – August 3, 2009)    For more than 15 years, Kent State University at Stark has been exposing the students and community members to a wide range of topics and issues that shape our society through the popular Featured Speakers Series. Join us for the 2009-10 season as we welcome award-winning journalist Byron Pitts; U.S. senator and healthcare advisor Tom Daschle; and ice cream entrepreneur Jerry Greenfield.

Each program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Professional Education and Conference Center's Timken Great Hall, located at 6000 Frank Avenue NW in Jackson Township.

All lectures are free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the date listed with each speaker. No phone reservations will be taken. Tickets will be limited to four (4) per person. The building will open at 6:45 p.m. prior to each event.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, Byron Pitts will present Step Out on Nothing: An Evening with Byron Pitts.

Byron Pitts, contributing correspondent to CBS' 60 Minutes and chief national correspondent for The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, is known for thought-provoking coverage and exceptional storytelling. He overcame the powerful odds of single parenthood, illiteracy and a constant stutter for a career in broadcast journalism. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, he landed a job as a sports anchor in Greenville, N.C. Following several reporting assignments, Pitts joined The CBS Evening News in Miami, and later Atlanta, prior to moving to New York in 2001. As one of CBS News' lead reporters during the September 11 attacks, he won an Emmy Award for his coverage. His other major stories include the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, the war in Afghanistan, Kuwait's military buildup, Elian Gonzalez, Florida's presidential recount, the Central American mudslides and the Kosovo refugee crisis. Pitts' determination and reporting style have earned him two national Emmys, six regional Emmys, four Associated Press Awards and a National Association of Black Journalists Award. His incredible story of perseverance encourages audiences to reach for their dreams. Tickets for the Byron Pitts event will be available, beginning on Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, at the Main Hall Information Desk.

Senator Tom Daschle will present Solving the Healthcare Crisis on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010.

After graduating from South Dakota State University, Tom Daschle joined the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command. Pursuing a career in politics, he became an aide to Senator James Abourezk before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and two years later, became the first co-chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. In 1994, he was elected as the Democratic Leader. Daschle is the only Senate Democratic Leader to have served twice as both majority and minority leader. During his tenure, he co-managed a presidential impeachment trial, led the Senate's response to the September 11 attacks and anthrax attack on his office. Originally tapped to head President Obama's healthcare reform policy before he withdrew from consideration, Daschle now advises a Washington, D.C. law firm on public policy issues, in addition to co-leading the Bipartisan Policy Center, which recently released framework for comprehensive health reform to ensure affordable, quality coverage for each American. The author of numerous articles and periodicals, he published the 2008 book, Critical: What We Can Do about the Healthcare Crisis. Tickets for the Senator Tom Daschle event will be available, beginning on Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, at the Main Hall Information Desk.

On Tuesday, April 20, 2010, Jerry Greenfield will present An Evening of Social Responsibility, Radical Business Philosophy & Free Ice Cream.

Jerry Greenfield met his best friend, Ben Cohen, in junior high school while growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Following Greenfield's graduation from Ohio's Oberlin College as a pre-med student and several unsuccessful applications to medical schools, he and Cohen decided to fill their mutual dream of running a business together. Research and a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making led them to open a small parlor in Vermont in 1978. Today, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. is a $300 million ice cream empire and a model for American business success. Greenfield and Cohen have been recognized for fostering their company's commitment to social responsibility and creative management with several national honors, including the Corporate Giving Award by the Council on Economic Priorities and the U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year Award. In 1997, the partners co-authored a guide entitled Ben & Jerry's Double-Dip: Lead with Your Values and Make Money, Too. The best-seller addresses the promises and pitfalls of values-led business and serves as an inspiration for the growing influence of socially conscience corporations. Tickets for the Jerry Greenfield event will be available, beginning on Monday, March 29, 2010, at the Main Hall Information Desk.

For additional information about the 2009-10 Featured Speakers Series, contact Cynthia Williams at 330-244-3262 or cdwillia@kent.edu.

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CONTACT:
Cynthia Williams, public relations coordinator
Office: 330-244-3262 (Canton) or 330-535-3377 ext. 53262 (Akron)
E-mail:cdwillia@kent.edu

 

About Kent State University at Stark:

Kent State University at Stark is the largest regional campus of Kent State University and serves 10,000 students each year, comprised of 5,300 enrolled in academic coursework and 4,700 enrolled in professional development courses. Kent State Stark offers 13 bachelor's degrees and three master's degrees, in addition to associate degrees. The campus is located in Jackson Township and consists of seven major buildings. The University Center at Kent State Stark, which houses The Corporate University and the Small Business Development Center, is accredited under the stringent guidelines of the International Association of Conference Centers. Always striving to enhance education through technological advancement, Kent State Stark features indoor and outdoor, campus-wide wireless Internet. Combining the best of a major university and a liberal arts college, Kent State Stark serves our region as a key intellectual resource providing access to academic, economic and cultural advancement through excellence in teaching and learning. To learn more about Kent State Stark, visit www.stark.kent.edu.