SEARCY, Ark. – The 2009-10 American Studies Institute Distinguished
Lecture Series will kick off September 17 and includes a diverse
line-up of speakers.
Nonie Darwish – September 17, 2009
Benson Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
Born in Cairo, Nonie Darwish grew up in the Gaza strip where her
father was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer who led the
Fedayeen guerilla operations against Israel. A graduate of American
University in Cairo, Darwish went on to become an editor and
translator for the Middle East News Agency and later moved to the U.S.
in 1978. Today, she travels the country speaking out against the
violence and anti-Semitic indoctrination she experienced as a child.
She is the founder of Arabs for Israel and author of Now They Call Me
Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on
Terror, and Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global
Implications of Islamic Law.
Cynthia Cooper – November 12, 2009
Benson Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
Former MCI vice president and chief audit executive Cynthia Cooper led
the team that uncovered the WorldCom fraud in 2002 – the largest
corporate fraud case in history to date. The accomplishment earned her
recognition as one of Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year in 2002.
After helping MCI move forward and successfully emerge from
bankruptcy, she left the company in July 2004 to launch her own
consulting firm, The CooperGroup. With more than 20 years of corporate
experience, she is a consultant, internationally recognized speaker
and author of Extraordinary Circumstances. She serves on advisory
boards for Louisiana State University, Lehigh University and
Mississippi State University, and travels the globe, speaking to
professionals and students with an emphasis on the importance of
strong ethical leadership.
Laura Ingraham – February 16, 2010
Benson Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
Nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham can be heard on her
self-titled show on more than 325 stations coast to coast. In
addition, she is also an author, frequent columnist and television
commentator. Her latest book, Power to the People, debuted at No. 1 on
the New York Times Best Seller List and outlines traditional family
values, education and American patriotism. She is a regular Fox News
contributor and has filled in as guest host for Bill O’Reilly and Sean
Hannity. A graduate of Dartmouth College and University of Virginia
School of Law, Ingraham worked as a speechwriter during the final two
years of the Reagan Administration. She went on to serve as a law
clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before becoming a
defense attorney at one of the nation’s premiere law firms.
The final spring speaker is yet to be announced. All presentations are
free and open to the public. For more information, contact the
American Studies Institute Office at 501-279-4497.
