West Virginia University will mark the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with food, fellowship and a timeless message on the life and times of the slain civil rights leader.

WVU ’s annual MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast will be at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, in the Mountainlair Ballrooms. The gathering, hosted by WVU ’s Center for Black Culture and Research, is traditionally one of the opening events of campus observances of the national holiday which bears King’s name.

Keynote speaker will be Dean Mary Ellen Mazey, of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Mazey is a West Virginia native and WVU alumnain 2004 she received the Eberly College’sOutstanding AlumnusAwardwho joined the University last October after several years as a professor and dean at Wright State University , in Dayton , Ohio .

Finding the right fit between academia and the community came easy to the urban affairs and geography professor, who stepped in front of her first Wright State classroom in 1979 and went on to serve as dean of the school’s College of Liberal Arts before coming home to WVU .

From 1996-97, she held an inter-governmental personal appointment, serving as director of the Office of University Partnerships for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

She was also founding director of Wright State’s Center for Urban and Public Affairs and held the title of Wright State University Distinguished Professor of Professional Service from 1993-96.

Mazey is a graduate of Harvard’s Management Development Program and earned a doctorate in urban geography from the University of Cincinnati . She also holds a master’s degree in geology and bachelor’s in sociology from WVU .

Her history of public service, CBC &R Assistant Director Todd McFadden said, made her a natural choice as the keynote for this year’s gathering.

Dr. Mazey is an educator and an innovator,McFadden said,and we’re honored to have her as our guest. She’s built a lot of positive bridges between academia and the community, and that’s a good message and a good exampleMartin Luther King Jr. was obviously about the whole idea ofcommunity,’too.

Other presentations will include the announcement of the recipient of the 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award and the 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship winner.

The achievement award is presented to a West Virginia resident who is working to fulfill the commitment of the civil rights leader and has made a substantial contribution in the advancement of such concerns as civil rights, humanitarianism and social action and advocacy.

The scholarship is awarded to a WVU student selected by the Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr. Program Committee in coordination with the WVU Foundation and WVU Office of Student Financial Aid.

Don’t look for any somber memorials, McFadden said. The gathering, he said, will be both a celebration and a call to action to reaffirm the University’s commitment to the ideals associated with King’s legacy.

“We’re hoping the Unity Breakfast will spark personal reflection and community dialogue,she said.We’re hoping that it will inspire people to community service.

Sponsored by the WVU President’s Office, the breakfast is free and open to the public. R.S.V.P. by calling 304-293-7029, ext. 110.

Monday’s breakfast follows this week’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration in Morgantown . Yolanda King, the eldest daughter of Dr. King, will discussAchieving the Dream!at 7 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 12), in Spruce Street United Methodist Church .

She’s an author, activist and actress who has traveled the world as a proponent of her late father’s principles. Her talk, which is also free and open to the public, is sponsored by WVU ’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Programs Committee, the City of Morgantown and the Dominion Foundation.