UB lecture series brings diversity

The 2006-07 Distinguished Speakers Series at the University at Buffalo opened on Sept. 19 with a special 20th anniversary lecture by the 14th Dalai Lama, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

Later in the season, the series will host a second Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Wangari Maathai, an activist and environmentalist. Also scheduled to appear are newscaster Anderson Cooper, ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau and writer-director Nora Ephron. Former Vice President Al Gore will speak on April 27 to cap the series.

All lectures in the series will be held at 8 p.m. in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts, North Amherst Campus, unless otherwise noted.

"The Distinguished Speakers Series embodies one of our core functions as a public research university - to contribute to public knowledge, to engage in the issues shaping today's world and to serve as a forum where those issues can be discussed and debated," UB President John B. Simpson said. "Serving a regional, national and global public, UB provides the ideal site for exchanging thoughts and perspectives with some of the foremost public figures, artists and thinkers of our time." William Regan, director of the Office of Special

Events, added that UB is pleased "to present lineup that follows the Dalai Lama's message compassion and peace across borders, with speakers noted for their own compassion, activism and commitment to help shape a better future for our world."

The next speaker in the series will be journalist and CNN host Anderson Cooper, who will appear Nov. 11 in Alumni Arena, North Campus.

Cooper, the host of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," presents an unconventional, wide-ranging news program covering the world's top stories. He also is a contributor to CBS's "60 Minutes."

Tickets for individual lectures will go on sale Oct. 4. For tickets to the Anderson Cooper and Al Gore lectures, visit the Alumni Arena Ticket Office or log onto www.tickets.com.

Tickets to the Wangari Maathai, Jean-Michel Cousteau and Nora Ephron lectures can be purchased at the Center for the Arts box office or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Those interested in purchasing series subscriptions should go to www.specialevents.buffalo.edu to download an order form, or call 645-6147, ext. 227.