Impact

Sheryl WuDunn to speak on why students should care about the world and change it

Pulitzer Prize-winner visit part of Women’s History Month and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Week

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian-American journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize, has traveled the world researching global issues and the impact on the world as a whole. Joined by her husband, Nicholas D. Kristof, the couple co-wrote the popular and powerful book "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," a No. 1 New York Times best-seller about the challenges facing women around the globe. WuDunn speaks at 6:30 p.m. March 20, in Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center.

WuDunn’s visit is a collaboration among Penn State’s Center for Women Students, a unit of Student Affairs; Global Programs; World Campus; Presidential Leadership Academy; and the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA). Her visit is part of the Center for Women Students month of programming for Women’s History Month and is also a featured event of UPUA’s Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, which features diverse programs by entities like the Center for Women Students, Stand for State, the LGBTQA Student Resource Center, and others.

“Sheryl WuDunn is an example of a woman who has used her influence to create positive change for others and empower people to stretch their thinking to connect with issues around the world,” said Jennifer Pencek, programming coordinator of the Center for Women Students. “Her keynote talk will be multifaceted, focusing on issues she has witnessed in her travels and work, as well as the importance in students in particular connecting to global issues and knowing they have the power to change the world for the better.”

Along with co-writing "Half the Sky," WuDunn and Kristof also co-wrote "A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity," a New York Times best-seller about altruism and how to bring about change in our society using evidence-based strategies. WuDunn also helped launch the development of the "Half the Sky" multi-platform digital effort, creating a thoughtful, effective awareness strategy that included a highly popular documentary series, mobile games, and an online social media game on Facebook that hit No. 9 in its second week on the platform.

For more information about WuDunn, visit http://www.halftheskymovement.org. You can learn more about this and other exciting events at studentaffairs.psu.edu/womenscenter.

WuDunn’s visit is funded, in part, by UPAC (University Park Allocation Committee).

Last Updated April 20, 2017

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