Austin College will host Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the 2016 co-recipients of the Austin College Posey Leadership Award, for a public lecture Tuesday, March 22, at 11 a.m. in Wynne Chapel. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and social activists have reached millions of people through initiatives addressing global issues of human trafficking, poverty, and gender-based violence. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information about the honorees and events, see the GO! Forum website.
The day’s local events are sponsored by Bank of Texas, Texoma Medical Center, and the Sherman Economic Development Corp. (SEDCO).
That evening, the honorees will speak at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science at 7:30 p.m. At the close of the evening, Kristof and WuDunn will receive the award from Austin College President Marjorie Hass and David Corrigan, chair of the Austin College Board of Trustees. Tickets for the Dallas event start at $50 and are available online.
“Austin College has cultivated new leaders in education, art, research, and global service for more than a century in North Texas, so we have a special appreciation for Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s efforts to end global mistreatment of women,” said President Hass. “They have shed new light on worldwide problems and created a new path for everyone to help transform today’s world.”
Kristof and WuDunn have written several bestselling books, including their most recent book A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity. The book provides research-based solutions to issues facing women and girls worldwide. Kristof and WuDunn are also the founders of the Half the Sky Movement, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges facing women and girls. The Half the Sky Movement uses interactive elements of social media and partners with nonprofits such as TOSTAN, Women for Women International, Grameen Foundation, and others.
About the Austin College Posey Leadership Award
The Austin College Leadership Award was created in March 2005 through the generosity of Sally and Lee Posey, founder of Palm Harbor Homes; the Posey name was added to the award upon Lee Posey’s death in 2008. The award honors outstanding individuals who, through their work, have demonstrated the principles of servant leadership. Previous recipients include well-known servant leaders Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For America; Dr. Paul Farmer, medical humanitarian; Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone; Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Grameen Bank; Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund; Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy; Dr. Nathan Wolfe, epidemiologist and author of The Viral Storm; and Shigeru Ban, Pritzker Prize Laureate and founder of the Voluntary Architects’ Network.
About Austin College
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.