<p>GAINESVILLE, Fla. The Bob Graham Center for Public Service has organized a lecture series on civic engagement this year as the first in what is to become a host of public events the Gainesville community can look forward to from the new University of Florida center.</p>
<p>The Graham Center Forum on Civic Engagement kicks off at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 in Dauer Halls Keene Faculty Center. Stephen Ortiz, an assistant professor of history at Bowling Green State University and a UF history alumnus, will present Soldier-Citizens: Veteran Activism and the Expansion of the Twentieth-Century Veteran Welfare Center. </p>
<p>I am very excited that Dr. Ortiz is able to kick off the forum, said Michael Bowen, assistant director of the Graham Center. His work on veterans and their political efforts is a case study in successful civic action.</p>
<p>For fall 2007, the central theme of the Graham Center Forum is civic engagement, highlighting the centers mission of enhancing public leadership. The center plans to focus on rotating topics each semester, covering areas core to its mission of addressing issues related the Americas, homeland security, and public leadership and service.</p>
<p>The Graham Center Forums are designed to bring noteworthy speakers to campus to discuss topics that will appeal to students in our Certificate in Public Leadership program, said Bowen. But they also are meant to appeal to the broader university and local communities. Each semester will have a different focus, allowing the center to bring in scholars and policy makers at the cutting edge of their disciplines, ensuring that the lectures are always timely and poignant.</p>
<p>In addition to the Oct. 4 event, upcoming lectures include:</p>
<p>Nov. 7: Religious Literacy in the Public Sphere, by Steven Prothero, Boston University religion professor and famous media pundit. 7 p.m., Keene Faculty Center, Dauer Hall. </p>
<p>Feb. 5: Civic Engagement and Modern Conservatives, by Donald Critchlow, St. Louis University history professor.</p>
<p>All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.graham.centers.ufl.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.graham.centers.ufl.edu/</a>. </p>