Marsh and O'Donnell to Speak Sept. 14 at Launch of Center for Civic Engagement at University of Richmond

September 9, 2004

State Sen. Henry L. Marsh III and Kimberly B. O'Donnell, Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge, will speak at dedication ceremonies Sept. 14 for the University of Richmond's Bonner Center for Civic Engagement.

The ceremonies will begin at 5:15 p.m. The center for civic engagement brings together campus and community members to work on major social problems facing the Greater Richmond region and beyond through service, reflection and research.

Located in renovated offices in Tyler Haynes Commons, the center provides space and resources to students, faculty, staff and community leaders actively engaged in addressing a wide variety of local issues such as inequality, poverty, education reform, and homelessness.

The center is named in honor of the founders of the Bonner Foundation, which funds the Bonner Scholars program at Richmond and several other universities throughout the nation. The program awards four-year scholarships to qualified students, enabling them to perform ongoing community service.

Also speaking will be University President William E. Cooper and Wayne Meisel, president of the Bonner Foundation.

Earlier in the day, the center will sponsor concurrent panel discussions by experts from the university and Washington, D.C., from 3:45-5 p.m. The topics will be "NASCAR Dads and Soccer Moms: Voter Participation in an Election Year," "International Development and U.S.Responsibility" and "American Dreaming: Richmond Housing Issues."

All events will be held in the Tyler Haynes Commons.

The center also is sponsoring, along with the Richmond and Westhampton Colleges' dean's offices, a UniverCity Day on Sept. 11 during which 200 University of Richmond first-year students will meet with political and civic leaders downtown to learn about the City of Richmond, its social issues and community service opportunities.