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Conversations – The Future of Education 1:00:40

About the Event

The Danforth Center has joined forces with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to launch the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition (JJK FAN) Innovation Center in East St. Louis. This new initiative provides youth a clear pathway from pre-K to careers in the agriculture and food sciences. Students will be empowered to transform their lives through plant science and agriculture while simultaneously transforming their community from a food desert into a food oasis. Join four-time Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Chancellor Dr. Robert Jones, and President Dr. Jim Carrington at the Danforth Center to learn more about this groundbreaking project!

This event is free to the public, but reservations are required. Virtual option is available.

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Schedule

5:15 PM Networking Reception • Cash Bar
(Danforth Center donors receive complimentary drink tickets)

6:00-7:00 PM Presentation

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Named the “greatest female athlete of the 20^th century” by Sports Illustrated magazine, Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a four-time Olympian with six medals, whose record for the heptathlon set in 1988 has never been surpassed. She is the founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation which seeks to instill youth in East St. Louis (her hometown) with the dream, drive, and determination to succeed in academics, athletics, and leadership. Robert J. Jones, PhD Robert J. Jones, PhD, was named chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2016, the first Black person to hold the role. A Georgia native, Dr. Jones began his academic career at the University of Minnesota in 1978, where he became an internationally respected authority on plant physiology. Throughout his career, Jones has worked to make education affordable and accessible to promising young scholars around the world. James C. Carrington, PhD Named president of the Danforth Center in 2011, Jim Carrington is one of the most highly cited plant scientists in the world. He is recognized for his research on gene silencing, small RNA, and virus-host interactions. Prior to joining the Danforth Center, Jim served as director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, the Stewart Professor for Gene Research, and Distinguished Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. Sarah Fenske Sarah Fenske is the executive editor of Euclid Media Group, overseeing newspapers in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland and Louisville. She is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including stints as the editor in chief of the LA Weekly and the Riverfront Times. Most recently, Sarah served as host of St. Louis on the Air on St. Louis Public Radio. She and her husband, John, are raising their two daughters in the city of St. Louis.

Media Sponsor

Panelists

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Olympian; Founder

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation

Robert J. Jones, PhD

Chancellor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Jim Carrington, PhD

President and CEO

Danforth Center

Sarah Fenske (moderator)

Executive Editor

Euclid Media Group

What to expect

Conversations is a series of free panel discussions organized by the Danforth Center Friends Committee. Since 2003, Conversations has offered the public the opportunity to learn about the world of the Center and its partners.

Attendee Notice of Release
By entering the Danforth Center for this event, you acknowledge that you are providing your consent to be photographed, filmed, and otherwise have your likeness or voice recorded for use by the Danforth Center in any and all media materials, including websites and in other marketing or educational materials, in perpetuity.

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