Expert on gender, politics will speak in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- An expert in analyzing how the role of gender affects power and politics will speak in Grand Rapids in February at a lecture sponsored by the West Michigan Women's Studies Council.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, author, political commentator and communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will present "Gender, Power, Politics and the Media in the 2008 Presidential Election" on Tuesday, February 3, at 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids. The event is free and open to the public.

Jamieson is considered one of the country's leading experts on political advertising and campaigns. She has written 15 books, including two published last year: "Presidents Creating the Presidency," and "Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment." During the fall election, she appeared regularly on PBS' "Bill Moyers Journal."

The West Michigan Women's Studies Council was established in 2001 as a way to bring together people with an interest in women's issues in the West Michigan community. The group includes representatives from Aquinas College, Calvin College, Davenport University, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University and Hope College, as well as the Delta Strategy, Community Media Center, and Grand Rapids Public Library. Since 2001, the council has brought to West Michigan such thought-provoking speakers as Molly Ivins, Mira Nair, Wangari Maathai and Eve Ensler.

For more information, call 616-331-2748 or visit www.wmwsc.org. For more about Jamieson, vist www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org. The Nokomis Foundation provided funding for this lecture.