| RELATED INFO |
| * Purdue College of Engineering |
August 21, 2008
Former Jordan deputy prime minister to speak at Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
Marwan Muasher, a Purdue University alumnus, will speak at 8 p.m. in Fowler Hall. His lecture is sponsored by the College of Engineering and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in conjunction with the College of Liberal Arts as part of its Experience Liberal Arts month.
Muasher will sign books after his lecture. The book signing is sponsored by Eta Kappa Nu, the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering's honor society. His book, "The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation," addresses the successes and failures of the Arab political center to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and how the tactics of Western governments in regard to the Middle East should be re-thought. The book will be on sale during the book signing.
"Marwan Muasher has been a participant in the changing dynamics of Jordan and the Middle East over the past two decades," said Mark Smith, head of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "He gives our students a role model on how their education and knowledge can impact a country and the world."
In recognition of his international leadership, Purdue awarded Muasher an honorary doctoral degree in 1999. He currently serves on the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board, which provides counsel on the school's education and research initiatives, and is a member of Eta Kappa Nu.
Muasher, a Jordan native, served in the Jordanian senate from 2005-2007 and was chief of staff for King Abdullah II and deputy prime minister and government spokesman in 2005. He served as deputy prime minister in charge of reform and government performance from 2004-2005.
He was Jordan's ambassador to the U.S. from 1997-2002 and was the country's foreign minister from 2002-04.
Muasher was Jordan's first ambassador to Israel, serving from 1995-96. His participation in the Jordanian government dates back to the mid-1980s when he served as director of the socio-economic information center for the ministry of planning from 1985-90.
Muasher attended the American University of Beirut before earning his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1977. He went on to earn his master's (1978) and doctorate degrees (1981) in computer engineering at Purdue, as well.
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with more than 1,500 students and 85 faculty members, is the largest department/school at Purdue and one of the largest in the nation. The school has the highest volume of research among all schools and departments at the university. It is the birthplace of the national Engineering Projects in Community Service program and the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Electrical and Computer Engineering is part of the College of Engineering, which also houses Aeronautics and Astronautics, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management, Engineering Education, Engineering Professional Education, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering.
Purdue's Global Engineering Program was established in 2005 to address the need to better educate students about engineering in multicultural environments. More than 300 students have taken courses and worked internships in 29 countries through the program.
Experience Liberal Arts month will feature a variety of lectures, films, performances, events and exhibits that reflect the college's ongoing coursework and research in the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. Information about events during October will be available at: www.cla.purdue.edu/experience by mid-August.
The College of Liberal Arts is home to the departments of anthropology, communication, English, foreign languages and literatures, health and kinesiology, history, philosophy, psychological sciences, sociology, speech, language and hearing sciences, and visual and performing arts. The college's other programs are: African American studies, American studies, Asian studies, Asian American studies, classical studies, comparative literature, film studies, Italian studies, Jewish studies, linguistics, medieval studies, philosophy and literature, religious studies and women's studies.
Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu
Sources: Mark J.T. Smith, (765) 494-3539, mjts@purdue.edu
John Contreni, John S. Morrill Dean, College of Liberal Arts, (765) 494-3661, contreni@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Media can contact Judi Austin, communication and marketing specialist at (765) 494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu to request an interview with Marwan Muasher.
To the News Service home page