A variety of presentations — including lectures by the university's Ralph H. Metcalfe Chairs and a panel discussion on education — will take place throughout today on campus.

Nationally recognized author to give public reading

David Haynes, a critically acclaimed author of five children's books and six novels and one of the Metcalfe chairs, will give a public reading at 7 p.m. in the Beaumier Suite of John P. Raynor, S.J. Library. A reception and book signing will follow the reading, which is sponsored by the English Department and the School of Education, according to C.J. Hribal, professor and director of undergraduate studies in the English department.

Individuals are nominated for the Metcalfe Chair by departments across campus. The honor is bestowed once per semester, though this semester two individuals are being honored because there were "extra funds available," Hribal said.

The idea of the honor is "to bring in famous scholars and improve diversity on campus," said Hribal, who nominated Haynes for his national stature.

"His works are both funny and moving and it's a pretty rare combination to get both," Hribal said.

Haynes, who is the director of creative writing at Southern Methodist University, will be on campus until Wednesday, Hribal said.

Computer science scholar to discuss software, affirmative action

Juan Gilbert, a nationally recognized scholar in computer science and software engineering, will give a lecture at 3 p.m. in the Beaumier Suite in Raynor Library. He will discuss college admissions following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the University of Michigan affirmative action cases, according to Brigid O'Brien Miller, director of university communication.

The Supreme Court's decision "talked about how colleges consider race and ethnicity in admissions decisions," O'Brien Miller said.

During his lecture, Gilbert — who is also president of the Brothers of the Academy, an organization that helps its members gain promotion and tenure — will discuss a software program he developed for college admissions offices, according to a press release on the Marquette Web site.

'Equality in Education' focus of experts pane

A panel of experts, sponsored by the College Republicans, will discuss "Equality in Education" at 8 p.m. in Alumni Memorial Union 227.

The College Republicans are "trying to foster intellectually honest, respectable discourse on the important issues of our times," said College Republicans Secretary Robert Fafinski III, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences.

With a balanced panel of people from every side of the issue, the organization encourages people to have an informed discussion, Fafinski said.

According to a press release, panelists include Gerard Robinson, representative from the Institute on the Transformation of Learning; Deborah McGriff, chair of the Black Alliance for Educational Options; Dennis Oulahan, president of the Milwaukee Teacher's Education Association; and Leah Vukmir, chair of the Assembly Education Reform Committee.

The event is a College Republicans meeting, but Fafinski said everyone is welcome to attend.

The goal is to "let the ideas be out there on the table for people to chew on and let them digest the information, and make up their own independent mind," he said.,”James A. Molnar”

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