Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), will receive the Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Arizona State University at the May 14 undergraduate commencement ceremony at Sun Devil Stadium.

Hrabowski, a Birmingham, Ala., native, is a renowned scholar of higher education and mathematics who has championed science and math education, emphasizing minority participation and performance. He was recently named by President Barack Obama to chair the newly created President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Download Full Image

Hrabowski is among the inaugural inductees into the U.S. News & World Report STEM Solutions Leadership Hall of Fame. Time Magazine named the veteran educator one of America’s Ten Best College Presidents in 2009 and one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2012.

Recently, CBS’s 60 Minutes featured Hrabowski and UMBC, attracting national attention for the campus’ achievements involving innovation and inclusive excellence. A child-leader in the Civil Rights Movement, he has also been featured in Spike Lee’s 1997 documentary, "Four Little Girls," based on the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

Hrabowski is the co-founder of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at UMBC with philanthropist Robert Meyerhoff. The program is for high-achieving students, especially from underrepresented minorities, who are committed to pursuing advanced degrees and research careers in the STEM fields.

The program’s status as a national model and its outcomes have inspired numerous articles and two books by Hrabowski – “Beating the Odds” and “Overcoming the Odds” – that focus on parenting and high-achieving African American men and women in science.

Hrabowski also chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the recent report, “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads.” In addition, he serves as a consultant to the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies, and universities and school systems nationally. He is a board member of several companies and non-profit groups, such as the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Baltimore Equitable Society and McCormick and Company.

Among his numerous awards and honors are: the TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence; Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award; and the Heinz Award for his contributions to improving the “Human Condition.&rdquo

Born in 1950, Hrabowski graduated at 19 from Hampton University in Virginia with highest honors in mathematics. He received his master’s degree in mathematics, and his doctoral degree in higher education administration and statistics at age 24 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The first annual Asian Pacific American (APA) celebration will highlight Asian Pacific American cultures through March 7 across ASU's four campuses. The festivities will honor the many peoples of Asian and Asian Pacific American descent and highlight the histories, art, music, cuisine and social movements that embody the heritage of Asian Pacific American cultures.

“The APA Celebration is an opportunity for the entire ASU community to learn and celebrate Asian Pacific American cultures," said Sharon Torres, coordinator for Student & Cultural Engagement. Download Full Image

With a mission to spread awareness of Asian cultures present at ASU, the Asian and Asian Pacific American Student Coalition has planned and coordinated educational, social and service events.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the student body of Arizona State University to embrace the APA culture that exists at ASU," said Jeffrey Q. Nguyen, president of the Asian and Asian Pacific American Students' Coalition of ASU. "Unique events allow for multiple student-run organizations within the coalition to express their sense of pride and tradition."

Planned events include:

Thursday, Feb. 27

AAPASC at Worldfest
Community Festival
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Student Services Lawn, Tempe campus
In partnership with International Student Engagement

Come and celebrate the heritage and traditions of global cultures at the Community World Festival. Visit the AAPASC table for fun activities and to learn more about all the events happening in commemoration of ASU’s inaugural Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration.

AAPASC at Thing on Thursday
4:30-7p.m., Polytechnic campus
In partnership with the College of Technology and Innovation and Student Engagement at Polytechnic

Be a part of the celebration of world cultures at the World Fest edition of this weekly program at ASU Polytechnic campus. Stop by the AAPASC table to take part in exciting activities and to learn more about the Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration.

Friday, Feb. 28

Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration at MU After Dark
8p.m.-1 a.m., Memorial Union, Tempe campus

Bowling? Check. Billiards Tournament? Check. Outdoor movie? Check. Comedy Show? Check. Arts and Crafts? Check. An exhilarating Jeopardy Game? Check. Free to all? Check and check. There is something for everyone at this Asian Pacific American edition of MU After Dark, so come out and play.

Saturday, March 1

AAPASC at Night of the Open Door
Tempe campus

Celebrate the sciences, culture, engineering, humanities and the arts at ASU’s largest open house event. Stop by the Cultural Exchange Zone to watch cultural performances by Asian Pacific Islander students. Visit the AAPASC table to take your pick of games, puzzles and toys to create your own adventure bag.

Monday, March 3

Global Café Panel Discussion
5-7p.m., Memorial Union Art Cafe, Tempe campus

In partnership with Black History Month and Womyn's Herstory Month, "Lies My Teacher Told Me and Truths Nobody Bothered Mentioning" is a discussion that will clarify some of the inconsistencies from our history lessons and bring to light the inspiring stories of significant figures who never made it on the pages of our history books. By highlighting the positive contributions of unsung heroes throughout the histories of various cultures, we will honor the richness of our heritage and embrace the possibilities of our future.

Tuesday, March 4

AAPASC at Womyn's Festival
11 a.m.-1p.m., Hayden Lawn, Tempe campus
In partnership with Womyn’s Herstory Month

A showcase of women's organizations across the university, this event is a celebration of our stories through music, dance and food.

Wednesday, March 5

Tony DiAngelo Lecture on Tribal Leadership
5-8p.m., Memorial Union Alumni Lounge, Tempe campus

Thursday, March 6

Passport to Asia and the Pacific Isles
4-6:30 p.m., Kiva Courtyard, West campus

In partnership with CCI West and the Office of Public Affairs, Pearls of Asia and the Pacific Isles will feature a panel discussion centered on the issues faced by Asian and Pacific Islander communities. The discussion will be followed by an Asian cuisine-inspired reception accompanied by music and dance performances. By celebrating the richness of our heritage and examining the challenges we encounter as a people, we hope to build solidarity through dialogue and inspire others to rise above the struggles and beyond the divide.

East Meets West Wellness
7-8 p.m., Memorial Union Art Cafe, Tempe campus
In partnership with MU Wellness

Explore the benefits of Eastern Medicine by learning about acupuncture and tai chi from field experts. Enjoy Asian-inspired refreshments and create your own feng shui piece to bring harmony and balance to your home or workplace.

Friday, March 7

Shaved Ice Social
1-3p.m., Tempe campus

A twist to the old-fashioned ice cream social, this event is the perfect way to take a break from your busy schedule and indulge in a refreshing treat, engage in fun activities and hang out with cool people.

For more information, contact Gloria Noronha-Peschau at 480-727-0840.

Author and journalist Gary Younge holds a unique position in the world of modern reporting. A columnist and feature writer for the Guardian of London, Younge’s “beat” for more than a decade has been race in America, to which he brings a global perspective and level of contextual analysis uncommon in today’s journalism.

Born in Britain to Barbadian parents, Gary Younge taught English in a United Nations Eritrean refugee school in Sudan before attending university in Scotland. He joined the Guardian in 1993, reporting all over Europe, Africa, the United States and the Caribbean before being appointed the newspaper’s New York correspondent in 2003. Younge has been based in Chicago since 2011. Download Full Image

This week, the renowned writer and social analyst will be at Arizona State University presenting two community lectures as part of Black History Month celebrations at ASU. His visit is sponsored by African and African American Studies in the School of Social Transformation, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

From 4-6 p.m., Feb. 27, Younge will present a lecture titled "From Ignominy to Icon: Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom," sharing insights gained in his interviews with and coverage of Mandela during his post-prison years.


From 10 a.m. to noon, Feb. 28, Younge and ASU professor of English Keith Miller will conduct a dialogue on Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, which they both have written about.

Both events will be held in West Hall, room 135 on the ASU Tempe campus.

“Gary Younge is an influential voice in the world who offers keen observations on critical issues affecting blacks in the U.S. and the Diaspora,” says professor Arna “Alex” Bontemps, faculty head of African and African American Studies. “His craftsmanship as a writer and his level of contextual analysis and insight hearken back to a time in American journalism when many columnists were public intellectuals and the commentary of reporters like Eric Sevareid captured the nation’s attention.”

Bontemps, himself a trained journalist-turned-historian who worked a number of years at the Tennessean (sharing a desk for two years with a talented reporter named Al Gore) and Ebony magazine, recognizes something quite special in Younge’s ability to offer critical analysis that is not oppositional.

“Gary’s interviews with Nelson Mandela for the Guardian were really insightful, very respectful and conveyed a serious engagement with the issues Mandela represented,” he continues. “But he saw him unromantically, and the impact of his reflection helped readers come to a mature understanding of the overall quality of Mandela’s unique character.”

Bontemps says that Younge, in his book "The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream," reconstructed the milieu of 1963 and the days leading up to the March on Washington as deftly as any historian: “He talked with almost everybody still alive who was there that day and involved, bringing you up to that day moment by moment and contextualizing all that was resonating in the atmosphere.”

The late Stuart Hall, a leading scholar in cultural studies, described the book and Younge this way: "Unfailingly insightful, illuminating and well-informed on the subjects that matter, with a genius for finding the place, the witness, the anecdote, the event, the detail, the angle which takes the reader right to the heart of the matter. Gary is one of the tiny handful of contemporary journalists left who is consistently worth reading. A voice for our times."

Younge’s other books include: "No Place Like Home: A Black Briton's Journey Through the American South," "Stranger in a Strange Land: Encounters in the Disunited States," and "Who Are We – and Should It Matter in the 21st Century?"

Gary Younge was named Newspaper Journalist of the Year by the Ethnic Minority Media Awards in the United Kingdom for three straight years, nominated for Foreign Journalist of the Year in 2000 for his reporting from Zimbabwe, and in 2009 earned the prestigious James Cameron Prize for the “combined moral vision and professional integrity” of his reports on the Obama campaign.

Younge has written for the Los Angeles Times, GQ Style, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Hello! He also helped produce the BBC television documentaries "Keepin' it Real: On the Trial of Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs," and "Minister of Rage," on the banning of Louis Farrakhan from the UK.

For additional information about Gary Younge's visit, contact Stanlie James, professor of African and African American studies and women and gender studies, or the School of Social Transformation at 480-965-7682.

Editor's Note: This story is part of an ongoing series about student excellence at the university. To read more about some of ASU's outstanding students, click here.

Emery Tahy left his home at age 16 after his high school counselor told him he’d be better off learning a trade since he was failing in school. Now he’s finishing his master’s degree at ASU while working toward his goal of becoming a tribal leader. Download Full Image

Tahy’s journey through life has taken him from the small Navajo reservation community of Westwater, Utah, to Job Corps, where he learned the value of working hard, and then to the university where he discovered a passion for American Indian Studies.

Learning electrician and iron worker skills through Job Corps served him well after high school, but he always felt like there was something missing from his life. Then, the bottom fell out of the economy.

“I learned a lot from that experience, and I will always have a trade, but I felt that there was a void. There was something missing,” Tahy said.

When construction work dried up during the recession, he worked for Native American Connections in Phoenix that introduced him to research and aiding American Indians in the city.

“I felt like I would have more opportunities if I had a degree,” he added. “I feel like education is the key to being successful.”

Taking classes at a community college began to fill that void, as did transferring to ASU to earn his bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in American Indian Studies.

“I’m really passionate about politics,” he said. “I felt like I was always engaged in what was going on in the world while doing construction, but I felt left out. Education was what was missing.”

American Indian Studies classes taught him about tribal governance and led him to the realization that he could give back to his people and his nation through education. He’ll finish his master’s degree this December.

“The classes really drove home the importance of culture and language, and who I was as a person. It showed me how I can be a leader in tribal leadership and be of service to my people who are lacking educated leaders. There’s no program like it,” he said. “I feel a sense of responsibility to my elders and my community.”

Tahy would like to serve elders after he graduates, like he did his grandparents while he was growing up on the Navajo reservation. He remembers translating from English into Navajo letters that his grandfather received regarding a settlement for uranium miners. His grandparents also taught him how to speak Navajo while he learned English in school.

“Many elders' first language is Navajo. They need someone to talk on their behalf,” he said. ”I really want to help those elders who cannot read and understand the legal jargon.”

During his years at ASU, Tahy has completed Navajo language courses that polished his reading and writing skills.

“I love my language. I think that is what really grounded me here,” he said. “My grandparents have passed on, but it seems like their teaching still echoes through my memory, to be educated and not forget about language and culture.”

Part of his cultural teachings included remembering the clans he was born to – Bitter Water Clan, born for Mexican Clan; Edge Water Clan, maternal; and Red-Running-Into-The-Water-Clan, paternal.

While he is finishing his degree, Tahy is also learning invaluable practical skills by interacting with tribes in his current role working on the Tribal Indicators Project for the American Indian Policy Institute at ASU. The multifaceted project consists of gathering, preparing and analyzing American Indian census data.

“I’ve been meeting wonderful tribal leaders while I’m in this position. It’s preparing me to become effective working in tribal leadership. It’s paving that road for me,” he said. “I’d like to help Native American people throughout the nation. This program is getting me ready to do that.”

World renowned Edgar Heap of Birds will headline the annual Simon Ortiz and Labriola Center Lecture on Indigenous Land, Culture, and Community at the Heard Museum at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 20.

ASU News spoke with him about his inspiration and ground-breaking work. Download Full Image

What first attracted you to the arts?

I was attracted to arts as a young child via drawing – to make up what I wondered about: cars, airplanes, I guess boy stuff. Kiowa/Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin was a huge influence for me growing up in Wichita, Kan., during my teen years. He made art about Native life and was a popular figure locally. He mainly showed me that a native person could live and work as an artist. His subject matter was not very challenging, but to be a contemporary artist was a true challenge in America at that time, for an Indian. Later in graduate school, I was heavily influenced by New York City performance artist Vito Acconci.

You use a variety of mediums to express your art. Which one is your favorite?

I choose to work in many mediums because it serves the multiple parts of my existence. As humans, we are all complex people, but modern life and also the “Master Work” model for the artist (based on a classic Euro model) limits us to one form of job or art image. As I move through my diverse forms of art making, I can express myself better. It is hard to pick my favorite, but I guess the use of three-word phrases done in mono print is quick from my mind, and is realized in an almost mystical print medium. The three-word phrases are reminiscent of the new wave band “Talking Heads” and David Byrne, in particular. I was in grad school near New York City during the late 1970s, and their music and lyrics were in the flow then.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from love of our indigenous lands and seas throughout the earth and its indigenous peoples and communities. I work globally, from Zimbabwe to Australia and Bali to Oklahoma, Europe and beyond. With these priorities then, one comes to the political issues which most are pronounced in order to protect the peoples, lands and seas. Thus, the inspiration also becomes subject.

How does your Native American heritage influence your work?

The main way my Native heritage influences my work is to always bear in mind a sense of reciprocity and grace.

What can the audience expect from your presentation at the Ortiz/Labriola Lecture?

For the Ortiz lecture, I will offer a traditional beginning of how Native women carry our past and future, and how as artists we work to protect what they are given. I will share many collaborative art projects from throughout the world, and also share my four or so specific art practices, including painting, public art, glass blowing, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. In addition to the PowerPoint talk, I will present short videos concerning recent art projects from Venice, London and Los Angeles.

What can we expect to see in the future from you as an artist?

At this time, I am painting newer versions of my “Neuf Series” paintings that come from time spent walking in the western Oklahoma landscape. I plan to offer more time to my painting in order for the practice to have a deeper development. I also plan to extend my public art projects, now begun in the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation community halls. These 8- by 16-feet digital murals honor tribal elder artists from our sacred communities.

To learn more about the lecture, please visit the ASU Events calendar.

ASU Sponsors: American Indian Policy Institute; American Indian Studies Program; Department of English and School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, both in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Indian Legal Program in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law; Labriola National American Indian Data Center; School of Art in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; Women and Gender Studies in the School of Social Transformation

Singer and scholar Joanne Shenandoah was raised in an environment where women always had power.

Her mother was an Iroquois clan mother who is responsible for the political, social and spiritual welfare of the people. Similar to an elder or grandmother figure, clan mothers share wisdom and knowledge with the tribe. Iroquois women also choose their leaders. Download Full Image

Shenandoah will present “Women’s Rights: Iroquois Perspective” at ASU on Feb. 13. Subjects that she’ll discuss include women’s roles within the community, clan mother’s rights and responsibilities, the Iroquois influence on the Women’s Rights movement of America, and healing and change for women.

“I grew up with a wonderful identity, which was remarkable,” she said. “But, I found that there are many people around the world who treat women so differently than what the Iroquois believe.”

Shenandoah is also in the Valley for a public hearing that is being held as part of the advisory committee to examine the impact of violence on American Indian and Alaska Native youth violence. The committee that is co-chaired by Shenandoah and former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan was created last November by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Eddie Brown, ASU American Indian studies professor, is also a member of the committee.  

Work that the taskforce is doing is especially important since 69 percent of Native children experience abuse, Shenandoah said. Hearings are informative and emotional.

“They’re intense. We plan to make recommendations to the attorney general on how we can improve the welfare of children across the nation. It will be focused on Natives, but will have impact elsewhere,” she said. “If we’re not respecting one another and our children, how on Earth will we have a world where people live in harmony and balance?”

Shenandoah will also perform her music at the Musical Instrument Museum on Feb. 13. She embarked on her career after working in the computer industry for 14 years. When she noticed a tree being cut down outside of her Washington, D.C., window one day, “it hit me like a ton of bricks.”

Returning to her roots and honoring her Native name, which means “she sings,” was the next logical step in her life as she began to sing contemporary folk and traditional music. She has performed with John Denver, Jackson Browne and Pete Seeger among others. A Grammy winner, she performed an original composition for the canonization celebration of the first Native American Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, at the Vatican in Rome.

“It’s been amazing to travel the world and share music with indigenous people,” she said. “I feel very thankful that I followed my true path.”

Shenandoah and her family provide educational programs worldwide, from elementary schools to universities, on subjects such as Iroquois history, coping with death, and the great law of peace and rituals of death.

Her ASU presentation is slated for noon, Feb. 13, in West Hall, room 135, on the Tempe campus. Seating is limited. Contact Kathleen.Given@asu.edu for information.

Beginning March 1, Arizona State University will join the nation in recognizing the contributions and achievements of women during Women's HERstory Month. The first annual, university-wide celebration will include various events that will highlight women's groups across all four campuses and raise awareness about women’s history.

The student-led initiative is working to cultivate an environment that is conducive to the progression and success of women at the university, local and global level. Download Full Image

“We are hoping that this inaugural year of Women’s HERstory Month will provide women with a greater sense of unity and awareness throughout the ASU community,” said Shelby Lynn, president of the Womyn’s Coalition.

Women's History Month was declared a national celebration in 1987 by congress, according to the National Women’s History Project website.

“'HERstory is OURstory' is the theme our students created to celebrate women past and present," says Lizzie Dement, coordinator for Student & Cultural Engagement. “The students have planned some great activities for the ASU community."

The HERstory is OURstory Festival will kick off the celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 4, on Hayden Lawn at the Tempe campus. The festival will showcase women's organizations across the university through music, dance and food.

Additional events include:

Empowering Transformational Leaders
5-9 p.m., March 5, Memorial Union 202, Tempe campus
Join Tony D’Angelo as he comes to ASU to speak about being a Transformation Leader

Make Your Partner a Real Partner
6-7:15 p.m., March 18, Discovery 150, Tempe campus
Panel discussion based on Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In" chapter, "Make Your Partner a Real Partner"

Common Ground Coffee: Bringing Women of Different Beliefs Together
4:30-6 p.m., March 19, West Hall 130, Tempe campus
Join Sun Devils are Better Together for coffee as women of different beliefs come together across ASU to support and learn from each other

Thinking through Pictures with Temple Grandin
6:30 p.m., March 19, Cooley Ballroom B, Polytechnic campus
Showing of the movie "Temple Grandin"

Film Screening - Frida 
7 p.m., March 20, Memorial Union Art Café, Tempe campus
Showing of the movie "Frida"

Megan Koth: Necessary Objects
8 a.m.-5 p.m., March 24-27, Step Gallery, Downtown Phoenix campus
Necessary Objects is a solo painting exhibition examining feminine gender performance through the lens of beauty products and the commercial imagery through which they’re sold. Most young girls form a feminine identity through the world of beauty products, their related media and the rituals of makeup application. By using still life and pop-inspired colorful imagery, Necessary Objects reveals how the seemingly innocuous act of “putting on one’s face” can result in a complicated, sometimes neurotic relationship to one’s own appearance.

HE(W)R - Honoring Empowered Women Reception
6:30-9 p.m., March 25, A.E. England, Downtown Phoenix campus
Join us at HE(W)R to celebrate women leaders throughout the Greater Phoenix community through music, conversation and food.

Women in Religion
6 p.m., March 27, Memorial Union 229 Santa Cruz Ballroom, Tempe campus
Roundtable discussion about women and religion

ASU vs. Arizona Women’s Softball
7 p.m., March 30, Farrington Softball Stadium, Tempe
Come out and celebrate women in the ASU community as we cheer on the ASU Women’s Softball team against the University of Arizona. 

Arizona State University will celebrate the heritage and traditions of global cultures as it hosts the 26th annual World Festival Week from Feb. 20-28. Showcasing the diverse student enrollment at ASU, World Festival Week celebrates cultures from around the world.

“ASU’s World Festival tradition is a celebration of our international community and our commitment to engage globally as a New American University," says Carol Sumner, senior associate dean of students. "The global presence of the ASU community is a reciprocal effort that celebrates our individual and common cultures, shared humanity and shows who we are as a proud Sun Devil community.” Download Full Image

This year's celebration of activities are jointly planned by student organizations, international offices, community organizations and academic colleges from across the university. The events foster a global perspective and awareness of ASU's local, national and international student communities.

The highlighted events of the week include: 

Undergraduate Student Government’s Passport to Phoenix
5-10 p.m., Feb. 20, Student Center, Civic Space Park and Taylor Mall, Downtown Phoenix campus

International Carnival
7-11 p.m., Feb. 21, Memorial Union, Tempe campus

Dine Around the World
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Feb. 25, Fletcher Lawn, West campus

Community World Festival
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Feb. 27, Student Services Lawn, Tempe campus

College of Technology and Innovation’s Thing on Thursday: World Fest
4:30-6 p.m., Feb. 27, Student Union, Polytechnic campus

This free event is open to the public and is sponsored by ASU’s International Student Engagement Office. Paid parking is available on campus in designated visitor lots. For more information about the event or a complete listing of events, please visit https://students.asu.edu/worldfest.

Ten international journalists and communicators at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication are visiting students and faculty at Yavapai College in central Arizona, Feb. 7, for a daylong event on globalization and international cooperation.

The international mid-career professionals at Cronkite are part of the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, an initiative of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered by the Institute of International Education. At Yavapai College’s Prescott campus, the Humphrey Fellows will participate in a classroom discussion on religion, interact with faculty and students in a public forum and watch the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games. Download Full Image

The event is part of the Humphrey Associate Campus Partnership Program, which fosters partnerships and engages people from various nations in cross-cultural exchanges. It aims to establish alliances between Humphrey host campuses and colleges, universities and community colleges, especially those with significant minority populations or those in rural areas that serve students who may not regularly have opportunities to interact with international visitors.

“Our relationship with the Humphrey Fellowship Program benefits both colleges,” said Penny Wills, Yavapai College president. “It gives our students the rare opportunity to interact with and gain a deeper appreciation of multiple cultures from around the world. Our international friends learn about this uniquely American phenomenon, community colleges, from one of the best in the country.”

B. William Silcock, Cronkite School associate professor, director of Cronkite Global Initiatives and curator of the Humphrey Fellowship Program at ASU, said the visit gives the fellows the opportunity to learn more about U.S. higher education institutions and the communities they serve.

“Bringing our friends and colleagues – the Cronkite Humphrey Fellows – to Yavapai College is an extraordinary opportunity to connect citizens of the world at a world class college,” Silcock said. “An added bonus is being there on the opening day of the 2014 Olympics – a chance for the Cronkite School to bring the Olympic spirit to our friends around the state.”

The Humphrey Fellows are leading TV reporters, public relations specialists and newspaper editors in their home countries, which include Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Croatia, El Salvador, Malawi, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey. During their 10 months at Cronkite, they study journalism, receive leadership training and forge professional affiliations with news organizations in Arizona and across the country.

Yavapai College is a community college based in Prescott, Ariz., with six campuses in Yavapai County. It offers certificates and associate degrees in 76 areas of study, as well as nationally recognized educational and training programs. The Yavapai name comes from the indigenous group that originally populated the region.

The Cronkite School is one of the nation’s premier journalism schools, grounding students in the time-honored media values espoused by its namesake, Walter Cronkite. It has been recognized as a leader and innovator among mass communication educators nationwide by entities including The New York Times, The Times of London, American Journalism Review and multiple journalism foundations.

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University is holding a series of discussions featuring international journalists giving firsthand accounts from some of journalism’s most dangerous frontiers.

The “Cronkite Global Conversations” series is led by the Cronkite School’s Humphrey Fellows – 10 international journalists and communicators from Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Croatia, El Salvador, Malawi, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey. Download Full Image

The series kicks off Feb. 5 with a discussion on terrorism’s impact on the global environment, and ends March 19 with a talk on success stories from developing countries. Other topics include social media’s role as a global change agent and how international journalists can avoid stereotypes in their reporting.

“Communication is the beginning of understanding,” said associate professor Bill Silcock, director of Cronkite Global Initiatives. “As we hear from the Cronkite Humphrey Fellows on these timely topics, our minds are educated and our hearts enlightened. These fellows draw from amazing personal experiences to share truths that need to be told. They do so in new and exciting ways.”

The fellows are at the Cronkite School as part of the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a U.S. State Department-funded initiative that brings mid-career professionals to take classes, pursue leadership development and engage with professionals in their fields. During their 10 months at Cronkite, the fellows offer a global perspective as they interact with students through “Cronkite Global Conversations” and informal talks.

The one-hour discussions, which are open to the public, begin at noon on select Wednesdays, in room 444 at the Cronkite School on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus.

Spring 2014 “Cronkite Global Conversations” schedule:

Feb. 5, “Terrorism’s Impact on the Global Environment,” Issa Napon, an RTB News anchor from Burkina Faso; Javaria Tareen, a Balochistan Times reporter from Pakistan.

Feb. 19, “Journalism and Social Media as Change Agents,” Maja Čakarun, a public relations professional from Croatia; Rhonda Jaipaul-O’Garro, a marketing and communications professional from Trinidad and Tobago; Derya Kaya, a social entrepreneur and development professional from Turkey.

March 5, “Avoiding Stereotypes in Media Coverage Around the World,” Fernando Aguilar, a social communicator from El Salvador; Hina Ali, a documentary filmmaker from Pakistan; Ivana Braga, a social change agent and journalist from Brazil.

March 19, “Success Stories From Developing Countries,” Wahida Ifat, a health communications manager from Bangladesh; Steven Kapoloma, deputy director of corporate affairs at the Malawi Revenue Authority.