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January 14, 2007
Thought Leader Forum Designed to Promote Public Discussion
SIOUX FALLS - Augustana College once again reaches out to the public with the introduction of the Augustana Thought Leader Forum.
Tapping the resources of its faculty and alumni, Augustana will target a broad range of issues to be presented in a public forum. The series will be launched with a three-part program entitled “Islam and the West.”
The public is invited to attend these forums at the Holiday Inn City Centre’s International Room. Each program begins at 11:30 a.m. and will end at approximately 1:00 p.m. The format includes lunch, 30 minutes of prepared remarks, and a moderated question and answer session with the audience.
KELOLAND Television joins Augustana as a co-sponsor and will moderate each event. Each speaker will be featured on “Inside KELOLAND,” the 30-minute magazine show which airs Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. and again Sunday evenings following KELOLAND News at Ten.
Dr. Joe Dondelinger, professor of Government and International Affairs at Augustana, opens the “Islam and the West” program on Wednesday, February 13. His topic is “Jihad.”
Retired Vice Admiral Lyle Bien, a 1967 graduate of Augustana and a participant in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, speaks Wednesday, March 12 from “A Military Perspective.”
Dr. Jarret Brachman, who graduated from Augustana in 2000, caps the three-part series with an in-depth examination of “Terrorism” on Wednesday, May 14. Dr. Brachman is director of research in the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
Reservations are required. The cost to attend is $20 per event, or $50 for all three. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Tables of eight may be reserved for $150 for one forum or $450 for the series. Call the Office of Marketing and Communications at (605) 274-4404, or go to www.augie.edu/thoughtleaderforum for reservations. The registration deadline is approximately one week prior to the event.
Meet the speakers:
Dr. Joe Dondelinger is the recipient of the Burlington Northern Foundation’s Faculty Achievement for Outstanding College Teaching, and the Frederick C. Kohlmeyer Distinguished Professorship for 2006-2008. In addition to his teaching duties at Augustana, Dr. Dondelinger lectures frequently at the Federal Executive Institute, the U.S. government’s Senior Executive Training Institute in Charlottesville, Va. Topics he has addressed include “From Russia to Bin Laden and Beyond,” and “From the Balkans, to Bin Laden, Baghdad and Beyond.” A native of Luxembourg and a former member of that country’s United Nations delegation, he is proficient in six languages and considered an authority on international affairs.
Vice Admiral Lyle Bien (Ret.) is a native of Hillhead, S.D., and majored in biology at Augustana. His distinguished Naval career includes 5,500 hours in fighter aircraft, 1,300 carrier landings, and 225 combat missions over South and North Vietnam. From October, 1990, to March, 1991, the former “Top Gun” flight instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School in Miramar, Calif., was assigned to the Naval Central Command in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He served as the senior Navy strike planner under General Norman Schwartzkopff during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He has also served as the Naval advisor to General Colin Powell, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the recipient of 23 medals and citations in recognition of his military service.
Dr. Jarret Brachman studied government/international affairs at Augustana and graduated magna cum laude. In 2006, he received the Horizon Award from Augustana, an honor recognizing young alumni who have quickly demonstrated outstanding vocational achievement. He is an assistant professor in the department of social science at West Point Military Academy. His expertise in terrorism has received coverage in the Washington Post, London Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald and USA Today. He has appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes, has been interviewed by Al Jazeera television, and has been featured on CNN and CNN International. His book, “Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice,” will be released in May, 2008, by Rutledge Press.
Inspired by Lutheran scholarly tradition and the liberal arts, Augustana provides an education of enduring worth that challenges the intellect, fosters integrity and integrates faith with learning and service in a diverse world.
Contact: Bruce Conley
Director of News Information
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
www.augie.edu