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* Purdue College of Engineering

July 10, 2008

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to speak at Purdue in February

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
Robert F.
Kennedy Jr

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., one of the country's leading environmental attorneys and co-host of the AirAmerica radio program "Ring of Fire," will speak at Purdue's Elliott Hall of Music on Feb. 19 as part of National Engineers Week.

Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy, will speak on the topic "Our Environmental Destiny." His talk is being sponsored by the College of Engineering.

The evening event will be free and open to the public, but tickets will be required. Information on how to get tickets will be released at a later date.

Kennedy has spent his much of his adult life working on environmental concerns through his leadership with the National Resources Defense Council and Hudson Riverkeepers. His work as president of the Waterkeeper Alliance brings together a coalition of more than 160 national and international environmental organizations focusing on clean water.

"The theme for National Engineers Week is that 'engineers make a world of difference,'" said Leah H. Jamieson, John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. "Bringing Kennedy to campus during this week highlights the message that all of us – engineers, environmentalists, lawyers, policy-makers – share the responsibility of addressing environmental issues."

Kennedy is a clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University School of Law's Environmental Litigation Clinic in White Plains, N.Y. A senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council, he was named one of TIME magazine's "Heroes for the Planet" for his success in helping Riverkeepers, as its chief prosecuting attorney, lead the fight to clean the Hudson River.

He has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in negotiating treaties to protect traditional homelands and helped negotiate the New York City watershed agreement to protect the city's waterways from pollution.

Kennedy co-hosts the "Ring of Fire" radio show every Saturday at 3 p.m. on AirAmerica with attorney Mike Papantonio. The show focuses on environmental, political and media issues.

Among Kennedy's published books are the New York Times bestseller "Crimes Against Nature" (2004), "The Riverkeepers" (1997) and "Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr.: A Biography "(1977). His articles have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Nation and the Village Voice. His award-winning articles have been included in anthologies of America's best crime writing, best political writing and best science writing.

Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University, and he also studied at the London School of Economics. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and master's degree in environmental law from Pace University.

The National Engineers Week Foundation is a formal coalition of more than 75 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies. It was formed to ensure a diverse and well-educated future engineering work force by increasing the understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting precollege literacy in math and science. National Engineers Week is celebrated in February each year.

The College of Engineering is made up of 11 schools (aeronautics and astronautics, agricultural and biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, engineering education, industrial, materials, mechanical, and nuclear) and three divisions (construction engineering and management, engineering professional education, and environmental and ecological engineering). The college also has programs such as Engineering Projects In Community Service (EPICS), Global Engineering Program, Minority Engineering Program, Professional Practice Program and Women in Engineering Program.

In addition to the more than 6,379 undergraduate students, the college enrolls 2,277 graduate students.

Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu

Source:  Leah Jamieson, (765) 494-5346, lhj@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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