Scheduled speakers stomp through Wilkes U.

Two speakers will make stops at Wilkes University during the month of May, continuing two long standing traditions at the institution - the Max Rosenn Lecture in Law and Humanities and the annual spring commencement keynote address.

Zanny Minton Beddoes, U.S. economics editor of The Economist, will present the 28th Annual Max Rosenn Lecture in Law and Humanities at Wilkes on Sunday, May 3.

John Brooks Slaughter, the first African American director of the National Science Foundation, will deliver the keynote address at Wilkes University’s 62nd annual spring commencement on Saturday, May 16.

Minton Beddoes will present her lecture, “Stress-Testing America’s Prosperity,” by examining the economic outlook from the American and global perspective. From pace of productivity growth to the housing bubble, she probes America’s economic strengths and weaknesses.

According to Minton Beddoes,“If there is ever a time that students are interested in the economy, it is now. This is an extraordinary time for the U.S. economy, and the world economy - unprecedented in my lifetime, your lifetime, and probably our parent’s lifetime. This is the most serious downturn this country has seen since the 1930s, and it’s the most serious and complicated downturn the world economy has seen. Everyone is affected by it in some way.”

Based in Washington, D.C., Minton Beddoes will talk about the public’s reaction to the action taken to address the global economic crisis.

She said, “I think there is a sense of absolute aghast amazement that things could have gotten so bad, and that what was suppose to be the most sophisticated financial system in the world could appear to fall apart so dramatically. There is a sense of outrage about Wall Street that the kind of capitalism on Wall Street appears to be ‘heads I win, tales you lose.’ They make huge profits and then get into trouble and we the taxpayers have to bail them out.”

She added,” I think that is an extremely strong sentiment. I think there is a sense of concern about the kinds of deficit spending and the level of debt being taken on to address this. I think people understand that if the economy is plunging the government should step in, but I think there is still a worry when you hear this country is going to run a budget deficit in double digits – you worry.”

Minton Beddoes will speak at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Slaughter will be presented with an honorary doctor of human letters when he speaks at the spring graduation ceremony for Wilkes.

Wilkes University’s President Tim Gilmour served as Slaughter’s executive assistant when Slaughter was president of the University of Maryland, College Park.

According to Gilmour, "It will be great to see my old friend and mentor again. But more importantly, it will be a pleasure for the Wilkes community to hear from a brilliant man who has so successfully dedicated his life to education, science and humanitarian issues.”

Throughout his career, Slaughter has worked to increase the number or minorities participating in the sciences.

Gilmour added, “One of the elements that appealed to John was the opportunity to get to know students and assist them personally. I think he’ll resonate well with the Wilkes mentoring culture.”

Wilkes has also announced that Elie Wiesel will be this year's speaker for the Outstanding Leadership Forum on Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009 at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.