COLUMBUS, Miss.-- Mississippi University for Women’s fall Forum Series hosted by the Gordy Honors College will focus on global travel and cross-cultural awareness.
The series will kick off Thursday, Aug. 31 with a panel discussion on the benefits and logistics of travel for study, service and adventure. Faculty and students who have recently visited Ireland, Cambodia, Mexico and the American Southwest will share advice based on their own experiences.
On Thursday, Sept. 14, the series will feature Dr. Mona Tajali, professor of international relations and women's studies at Agnes Scott College. A native of Tehran, Tajali studies women’s political representation in Muslim contexts and will speak on the status of women and women’s rights movements in pre- and post-revolutionary Iran. This event is in conjunction with The W’s Common Reading Initiative focus on the award-winning graphic novel “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of coming of age during in Tehran during the revolution.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, the series will screen the award-winning documentary “Gringo Trails,” which charts the damaging impacts of tourism in South America, Africa and Asia and explores sustainable alternatives. Conde Nast Traveler says the film is “required viewing for all thoughtful travelers.”
L. Patricia Ice, the featured speaker Thursday, Nov. 2, will discuss her years living abroad for service. After two years as a Peace Corps English teacher in Benin, she taught English in the Philippines, Haiti and Honduras before returning to the United States to begin her career as an immigration lawyer. She is currently legal director for the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance.
On Thursday, Nov. 16, Dr. Seetha Srinivasan, director emeritus of the University Press of Mississippi, will present “Fault Lines: Living in Two Cultures,” discussing the challenges, frustrations and rewards of becoming part of the American mainstream while retaining one’s ethnic identity. A native of India, Srinivasan has lived in the U.S. since 1967.
The Series will also feature senior Honors research presentations Thursday, Nov. 30 and Thursday, Dec. 7.
All presentations are free and open to the community and begin at 6 p.m. in Nissan Auditorium. For more information, contact Kim Whitehead, director of the Honors College, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (662) 241-6850, or visit http://web.muw.edu/honors/forum.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 23, 2017