FOCIS lecture series
More than 1,000 people recently
packed Wayne State's Community
Arts Auditorium to hear Vicente Fox,
the outspoken former president
of Mexico, discuss issues in
globalization and immigration. Fox
was the third guest speaker — and
the first former head of state — in
the university's acclaimed Forum
on Contemporary Issues in Society
(FOCIS) lecture series.
Jonathan Kozol writes about the continuing
segregation of public schools in America.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of Waterkeeper
Alliance, spoke on "Our Environmental Destiny."
FOCIS is a special initiative designed
to focus the university's problem-
solving resources on an eclectic
range of topics important to the
campus community and beyond.
FOCIS lectures and related events
bring together the institution's
teaching, research and service
missions to advance the frontiers
of knowledge, promote informed
debate and encourage responsible
citizenship in an increasingly fast-
paced, interconnected and complex
world. FOCIS welcomed its first
speaker in 2007, when Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. spoke to a capacity
crowd on the topic of sustainability.
The discussion then shifted to
politics, as FOCIS presented award-
winning journalist Bob Woodward
for an election-year address covering
everything from Watergate to the
Bush White House.
Prior to his lecture, Fox met with
nearly 100 Wayne State students
during a special seminar at the
Detroit Institute of Arts and later
signed copies of his book, Revolution
of Hope: The Life, Faith and Dreams
of a Mexican President.
FOCIS is an outreach program of
the Eugene Applebaum Chair in
Community Engagement, created
through the generosity of alumnus
Eugene Applebaum, chair of the
Wayne State University Foundation.
"Through the university's unique
resources, the Applebaum chair
will help accelerate Wayne State's
emergence as a leading urban center
for scholarship and community
service," said former WSU President
Irvin D. Reid, FOCIS director and
holder of the Eugene Applebaum
Chair in Community Engagement.
The Applebaum chair is intended
to be a catalyst for collaboration
between the university and
community organizations on issues
in economic development, children
and families, education, health
and other areas. In collaboration
with the WSU Children's Bridge,
FOCIS recently hosted a special
appearance by author, educator and
activist Jonathan Kozol, a passionate
advocate of integrated public
education and critic of the voucher
movement. Kozol spoke on the topic
of "Still Separate, Still Unequal: A
Teacher's Struggle to Transform our
Public Schools."
FOCIS and the Applebaum
chair continue the university's
longstanding commitment to the
economic, social and cultural well-
being of Detroit and southeast
Michigan. During the next year,
the office will seek partnerships
with community organizations and
university departments to expand
its public programming. "These are
challenging times — especially for
our cities," Applebaum said. "Under
Dr. Reid's leadership, the chair
can be an invaluable resource in
developing solutions to some of our
most significant urban issues."
While FOCIS lectures may remain
the most visible of the Applebaum
chair's offerings, an array of adjunct
projects including youth mentoring,
international exchanges, research
and more discussions are being
planned. For more information, visit
focis.wayne.edu .
Photo Credit: Monica Morgan Photograpl4 LLCM
Irvin D. Reid, Applebaum Chair and director of FOCIS,
with alumnus Eugene Applebaum.
Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, met with students during a
special seminar at the Detroit Institute of Arts.