West Virginia Universitys Festival of Ideas lecture series, now in its 10 th year, will host seven dynamic speakers, including the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the NAACP chairman and an acclaimed forensic expert. The series begins Monday, Feb. 21, and continues through April 25.

The Festival of Ideas lecture series is designed to expose students to a variety oftimely, thought-provoking issues presented by speakers from todays headlines,explained WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. Hardesty initiated the series in the 1960s as a student and brought the idea back to campus during his administration.

Ambassador Contance Morella will open the free series on Monday, Feb. 21, and mark the opening of The Marshall Plan exhibit on the WVU campus.

A presentation by veteran civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond will follow on Wednesday, March 2.

Carolyn Kepcher of Donald Trumps hit NBC showThe Apprenticeand executive vice president of the Trump Organization will speak on March 7.

On March 21, Cyril Wecht, coroner and expert forensic science consultant, will speak on theRole of Forensic Pathology in Modern Day Society.

Jonah Goldberg and Peter Beinart will face off inReds vs. Blues: The Question of Moral Values in Americaon March 28.

Native West Virginian andSupersize Mefilmmaker Morgan Spurlock will visit campus on April 18.

Prominent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh will close the series on Monday, April 25, with his presentationThe Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.

Ambassador and former congresswoman for Maryland, Constance A. Morella, the first presenter in this years series, is the U.S. permanent representative to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Morellas presentation,The Marshall Plan: The Gift That Keeps on Giving, The Legacy of the Marshall Plan,will discuss the long legacy of international cooperation instigated by the United Statespost-World War II Marshall Plan. A public reception immediately following the presentation will open the touring exhibitThe Marshall Plan: A Vision of a Family of Nationson the WVU campus in the Mountaineer Room of the Mountainlair student union.

All Festival of Ideas presentations begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballroom. Seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Festival of Ideas is produced by WVU Arts&Entertainment. For more information, call 293-SHOW or visitwww.events.wvu.edu.