Pitt American Experience Program to Explore Liberal Education in the 21st Century Nov. 17

PITTSBURGH-Local leaders in business, medicine, and journalism will participate in a debate, titled "Liberal Education in the 21st Century: Dead or Still Desirable?" at 8 p.m. Nov. 17, in Benedum Hall's Benedum Auditorium, O'Hara Street, Oakland. The event is part of the American Experience Lecture Series hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Honors College.

The six distinguished guests include Georgia Berner, president and CEO of Berner International Corp.; Gregory Curtis, managing director and chair of Greycourt & Co. Inc.; Schuyler Foerster, president of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh; Robert Hazo, director of the American Experience Lecture Series; Arthur Levine, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and vice chancellor of Health Sciences; and David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Berner has been at the helm of the Berner International manufacturing firm for more than 20 years. She recently announced her candidacy for U.S. Congress in the 4th District of Pennsylvania.

Curtis is founder of Greycourt & Co. Inc. Previously, he was a president of a family office for the Mellon family as well as president of the Laurel Foundation. He also is the author of Creating Capital: Managing Private Wealth in a Complex World (iUniverse.com, 2004).

Before joining the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Foerster spent most of his career in the Air Force where he was in political military policy and taught courses in international relations. He is an adjunct professor in Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Levine is dean of Pitt's School of Medicine, where he has held that post since 1998. Before joining Pitt, Levine was scientific director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Throughout his career, Levine has devoted his time to molecular biological research.

At the Post-Gazette since 2003, Shribman came to Pittsburgh from The Boston Globe, where he was assistant managing editor, columnist, and Washington Bureau Chief. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in journalism in 1995 for his coverage of Washington and the American political scene.

A complimentary ticket is required at the door. To request a ticket, call 412-648-2653 or e-mail amexp@pitt.edu. For more information on the American Experience Program, visit www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/ae/.

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