"UB Reads" Author Greg Mortenson and Civic Engagement Fair to Highlight UB Distinguished Speakers Program

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Greg Mortenson, co-author of this year's "UB Reads" selection, "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time," will be the featured guest at the latest installment of the University at Buffalo's Distinguished Speakers Series to be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. in Alumni Arena on the UB North Campus.

The program will include a Civic Engagement Fair starting at 7 p.m. and continuing after Mortenson's lecture on the first floor concourse of Alumni Arena. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about organizations that work locally and globally to increase access to education and improve the future of our youth, particularly girls. The public is invited to learn about these initiatives and how they can get involved.

Mortenson's book, "Three Cups of Tea," describes the journey that led him to establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The UB Office of Student Affairs, a sponsor of the Mortenson event, distributed close to 5,800 copies of his book to UB students, faculty and staff as part of the "UB Reads" program.

Fair participants will include Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of America-Greater Niagara Frontier Council, the Girl Scouts, Literacy Volunteers, the Peace Corps, Pennies for Peace, Reach Out & Read, Read to Succeed Buffalo, The Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies, UB's Center for Educational Collaboration (Buffalo-Tanzania Education Project), UB's Educational Opportunity Center, UB's Office of International Education and UB's Pakistani Student Association.

UB has been conducting a "Pennies for Peace" fundraising campaign this fall to benefit the Central Asia Institute, which was co-founded by Mortenson. Those attending the Nov. 10 event are invited to bring a voluntary donation to the Pennies for Peace table at the fair.

Approximately 6,000 people are expected to attend the lecture, including more than 2,500 students from UB and area high schools. Free lecture tickets are available for UB undergraduate and graduate students in 350 Student Union and in 221 Student Union, respectively. UB faculty and staff can obtain discount vouchers provided by series sponsors United University Professions and TIAA-CREF at http://www.specialevents.buffalo.edu/tickets.

The UB Distinguished Speakers Series sponsors include the Don Davis Auto World Lectureship Fund, the UB Undergraduate and Graduate Student Associations, the University Bookstore, WGRZ-TV, Hodgson Russ LLP and The Buffalo News. UB's Center for Educational Collaboration is a contributing lecture sponsor for the Mortenson event.

For more information about Mortenson, lecture tickets and Civic Engagement Fair updates, visit http://www.specialevents.buffalo.edu.