MOUNT VERNON — Mark Grey, a University of Northern Iowa anthropology professor who helps communities and businesses accommodate immigrants and refugees, will speak Wednesday, March 9, at Cornell College.
His lecture, “Welcoming Iowa’s Future and the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration,” is at 7 p.m. in Hedges Conference Room of The Commons. Admission is free.
Grey helped develop the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration at UNI. The center sponsors research, provides consultation to communities, conducts training programs and educates Iowans about challenges and opportunities of the state’s newest immigrants.
Grey also wrote a handbook, “Welcoming New Iowans — A Guide for Citizens and Communities.” The book discusses three issues most commonly associated with immigration – language, health and education – and advises community leaders on preparing for the change immigration brings. Success stories from Iowa communities are included in the book.
Grey’s lecture is part of Cornell’s ongoing series “Social Change in the New Century,” organized by the department of sociology and anthropology. Co-sponsors are the ethnic studies program, the Latin American studies program, the Office of Intercultural Life and the Lecutre, Artists and Cultural Events (LACE) consortium.
