Robin Wright, a foreign correspondent, television commentator and author of “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World,” will speak Nov. 14 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Wright comes to campus as the Frey Foundation Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. At 5:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall, Wright will discuss the diverse political, social, cultural and grassroots forces changing the Middle East and the Islamic world, including the Arab Spring uprisings. The discussion will be moderated by Hodding Carter III, UNC’s University Professor of Leadership and Public Policy.
Prior to the lecture, there will be a book-signing and reception in Gerrard Hall at 4 p.m. The events are free to the public and no tickets are required. Parking is available in commercial lots on Rosemary Street.
Wright is the author of five books, including “Rock the Casbah,” which Publishers Weekly called “an accessible and riveting account for readers looking to learn more about the post-9/11 Islamic world.”
She has reported from more than 140 countries on six continents for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time magazine, The Sunday Times of London, Foreign Affairs, the International Herald Tribune and others. She also has appeared on “Meet the Press,” “This Week,” “Face the Nation” and broadcast news programs on every major network.
Among many awards, she won the U.N. Correspondents Association Gold Medal for coverage of foreign affairs, the National Magazine Award and the Overseas Press Club Award for “best reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and initiative.” She was named journalist of the year in 2004 by the American Academy of Diplomacy. She has been the recipient of a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation grant and has been a fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Brookings Institution.
The Huffington Post wrote: “…Wright is one of the most capable observers of the Middle East. … her chronicles of counter-jihad, anti-militancy and women’s mobilization are a timely contribution.”
Carter, an Emmy award-winning journalist, was the State Department spokesperson for President Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis. He joined the UNC faculty in 2006.
The Frey Foundation Professorship was established in 1989 to bring to campus distinguished leaders from government, public policy and the arts. Alumnus David Gardner Frey chairs the foundation established by his parents, Edward J. and Frances Frey of Grand Rapids, Mich.
For more information: http://www.robinwright.net and http://tinyurl.com/3zcgolp
