The University of Massachusetts Amherst will host the campus community and area organizations, elected officials and residents as it honors retiring Rep. John Olver during a symposium on Monday, Nov. 19. For a full schedule of the day’s events, click here.
Through panel discussions, lunchtime tributes and a reception, this symposium will highlight the many contributions that Olver has made to the western Massachusetts region during his 21 years in Congress. In particular, the event will focus on the areas of transit-oriented economic development, environmental conservation and sustainability, renewable energy, human rights and the Knowledge Corridor, the swath of the Connecticut River Valley that runs roughly from Amherst, Mass., to Hartford, Conn. The symposium will also recognize Olver’s donation of his papers to the W.E.B. Dubois Library at UMass Amherst.
CPPA Director M.V. Lee Badgett will speak about Olver’s strong record at home and abroad when it comes to fighting for social justice and defending human rights. Earlier this year, for example, Olver was arrested with actor George Clooney while protesting in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. Olver, Clooney and other entertainers and elected officials were speaking out against the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
CPPA faculty members Jane Fountain (political science), Michael Ash (economics) and Charles Schweik (environmental conservation) will moderate the panels and introduce those participating.
Registration for the symposium is required and space is limited. To reserve your space, please contact the Office of External Relations and University Events at (413) 577-1101 or events@admin.umass.edu by Tuesday, November 13, 2012.