Nicholas Kristof to deliver keynote speech at PSU Weekend���

This evening, the Portland State Alumni Association will host PSU Weekend with New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof as the keynote speaker. Kristof has won two Pulitzer Prizes with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. 

Kristof’s articles and blogs cover a range of content, from the recent imprisonment of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo to genocide in the Sudan. According to the New York Times’ website, Kristof has lived on four continents and traveled to more than 140 countries, including every Chinese province and every main Japanese island. 

Before graduating from Harvard University, Kristof grew up in Yamhill, Ore. He then went on to study law at Oxford University. He has also studied Chinese in Taipei, Taiwan and Arabic in Cairo, Egypt. 

According to Sarah Haley, the events coordinator in the Office of Alumni Relations, Kristof is the son of two Portland State professors: Jane Kristof, a professor emeritus of art history, and Ladis Kristof, a professor emeritus of Eastern European politics. 

“He’s definitely an activist,” said Pat Squire, director of Alumni Relations. “He was particularly disturbed by the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.”  

Last year, Kristof and his wife released a book titled “Half the Sky: From Oppression to Opportunity for Women Worldwide.” The book—which won the couple their second Pulitzer Prize—examines the pressing issues facing women around the world and how to go about solving these problems in the future. 

“‘Half the Sky’ is a compelling picture of the trials and triumphs of women struggling for opportunity and equality,” Haley said. 

Kristof and WuDunn earned their first Pulitzer Prize from their coverage of the Tiananmen Square and student democracy movement in Beijing, according to Haley. They were the first married couple to win the award. 

“The keynote address will focus on the worldwide maltreatment, marginalization and brutality towards women, captured in his book,” Haley said. 

Kristof was also the focus of the 2009 documentary “Reporter.” The film follows him into the Democratic Republic of Congo and the jungle hideout of a rebel warlord, General Nkunda. 

In addition to his keynote speech this evening, there will also be a free student session at 3 p.m. in the Multicultural Room of Smith Memorial Student Union. This session is open to all students to listen to Kristof and ask questions. After the student session, the Alumni Association will be hosting a VIP party for paying attendees.

The Alumni Association is in its 20th year of operation, according to Squire. 

“One of the main goals of the Alumni Association is to provide opportunities for alumni to stay connected with PSU, the people and what is currently going on at the university,” Squire said. “PSU Weekend, a fall event, works hand-in-hand with this goal by continuing education through community-wide events.”  

In addition to hosting Kristof, the program will include 12 free seminars on Saturday led by mostly PSU faculty. On Sunday there will also be a number of faculty-led tours around and beyond Portland, ranging in topics from the geology of the wine country to a tour of a Native American plank house.  

Kristof’s keynote address will take place in Lincoln Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $22 for PSU Alumni Association members. Attendees may purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or by calling 503-725-3307.  

Starting at 6:30 p.m., student rush tickets will be available for $10 to all students with a PSU ID at the box office in Lincoln Hall. ?