2009 Levin Family Dean’s Forum
A Celebration of Intellectual Excellence
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University
“Genetics & Genealogy”
Thursday, April 2
4:30 PM
Harrison Auditorium, Penn Museum
This program is free and open to the public.
About Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
The Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is the author of several award-winning works of literary criticism, including Figures in Black and The Signifying Monkey, as well as the memoir Colored People. Host and executive producer of the critically acclaimed documentary series African American Lives, Professor Gates is also editor-in-chief of The Root, a daily online magazine published by the Washington Post Company featuring news commentary from a variety of black perspectives. Named a MacArthur Fellow in 1981 and one of Time magazine’s “25 Most Influential Americans” in 1997, Professor Gates is the recipient of a National Humanities Medal and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is also the writer and presenter of the recently aired PBS documentary film Looking for Lincoln. His latest book, In Search of Our Roots, combines rigorous historical research with DNA analysis to recreate the family trees of 19 notable African Americans.
About the Levin Family Dean’s Forum
The Levin Family Dean’s Forum is a celebration of the arts and sciences. Initiated in 1984, the Forum presents leading intellectual figures who exemplify the richness of the liberal arts. It also recognizes outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for their academic achievement and intellectual promise. The Levin Family Dean’s Forum is made possible by a generous gift from Stephen A. Levin, C’67, in honor of his son Eric T. Levin, C’92.
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