For Immediate Release: September 9, 2005

UMW TO HOLD PUBLIC FORUM ON HURRICANE KATRINA

Fredericksburg, Va. – The University of Mary Washington will hold a public forum, “Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans: A Natural Disaster?” on Tuesday, September 13 at 7 p.m. in Jepson Science Center, Room 100. 

The event is open to the public without charge, and Hurricane Katrina relief donations will be collected at the door by Community Outreach and Resources (COAR).

Organized by the departments of English, Linguistics and Speech, Geography, and History, the forum will bring together a panel of faculty members, including those with personal ties to New Orleans.  Stephen Hanna, associate professor of geography, will moderate the panel. 

Panelists include Nabil Al-Tikriti, instructor of history and former New Orleans resident; Michael Bibler, assistant professor of English and former New Orleans resident; Elizabeth Lewis from the University of New Orleans Department of English; Joe Nicholas, associate professor of geography; Melina Patterson, assistant professor of geography; and Donald Rallis, associate professor of geography. 

The forum will look beyond the devastating storm to consider factors such as location, planning for disasters, poverty and a legacy of segregation as they apply to the catastrophe in New Orleans. 

For more information on the forum, contact Dr. Hanna at (540) 654-1490.

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News release prepared by: Amy Jessee