Kent State University at Stark Announces Featured Speakers Series' 25th Anniversary Lineup
Join us for exciting lectures by music industry strategist Troy Carter; acclaimed journalist Soledad O’Brien; Supreme Court Justice Alan Page; and distinguished astronaut Mark Kelly. For the past 25 years, this popular Kent State Stark series has been attracting thousands of campus and community members who take advantage of a rare opportunity to be introduced to national and international experts on a wide range of topics and issues that shape our society.
Each program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the 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. A limited number of tickets per person will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 8 a.m. each weekday, on the date listed with each speaker, while they last. No phone or email reservations will be taken. The Conference Center will open at 6:45 p.m. prior to each event.
2015-2016 Featured Speakers
TROY CARTER
Community, Connection, Consumption: A Business Case for Social Media
Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets available September 14. Limit four (4) tickets per person.
The award-winning careers of Lady Gaga and John Legend, among others, are accredited to music industry professional Troy Carter. In 2010, the brand marketing strategist and entrepreneur founded the Atom Factory, a multidimensional, entertainment, media and music management company, regarded as an industry paradigm by his peers. Carter’s ability to predict trends, coupled with an uncanny understanding of content consumption and brand loyalty, has produced and nurtured many musical artists and thriving corporations. Atom Factory’s angel fund and technology division, AF Square, holds interest in more than 60 companies, including Spotify, Uber and Pinterest.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN
Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes and In Our Lives
Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets available October 26.
Journalist Soledad O’Brien, one of today’s most respected and recognized broadcasting personalities, has eloquently covered the world’s breaking news at various networks, including NBC News, CNN, HBO and Al Jazeera, over the past 25 years. Deeply passionate about U.S. race relations, her critically acclaimed documentary series, Black in America and Latino in America, are among CNN’s most successful franchises. O’Brien’s authentic coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the Haitian earthquake, BP’s oil spill and other high-profile stories has earned her many awards. Her multiplatform company, Starfish Media Group, exposes challenging issues of race, class, wealth and poverty through personal narratives.
ALAN PAGE
Mentoring and Role Models: Two Things Youth Cannot Live Without
Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets available February 1.
Alan Page became Minnesota’s first African-American supreme court justice in 1992. Prior to his legal career, he was renowned as a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, playing in all four Vikings’ Super Bowl appearances and voted league MVP in 1971. A native of Canton, Ohio, and graduate of Central Catholic High School, he worked on a construction team that erected the Pro Football Hall of Fame more than two decades before his 1988 induction. His devotion for helping children prompted the Page Education Foundation which has awarded $12 million in grants to 6,000 students of color in exchange for their volunteered community service.
MARK KELLY
Endeavour to Succeed
Wednesday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets available March 7.
Retired astronaut Mark Kelly’s life exemplifies leadership, teamwork and courage under pressure. In his naval career, he flew Gulf War combat missions, earning two Defense Superior Service Medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and other military awards. Selected to fly for NASA in 1996, he piloted the Endeavour and Discovery space shuttles, as well as visited the International Space Station on four occasions. He is involved in ground-breaking research with twin brother and fellow astronaut, Scott, making them the only siblings to have traveled in space. Kelly and his wife, former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-authored the best-selling memoir of hope and resilience, following her 2011 assassination attempt.
For additional information about the 2015-16 Featured Speakers Series, contact Cynthia Williams at 330-244-3262 or cdwillia@kent.edu.