Rebecca Skloot is keynote speaker April 24 at Elizabethtown College

New York Times best-selling author is headliner for Scholarship and Creative Arts Day

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Rebecca Skloot

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (03/21/2012)(readMedia)-- Rebecca Skloot, science writer and author of the best-selling book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," is keynote speaker Tuesday, April 24, during Elizabethtown College's 5th annual Scholarship and Creative Arts Day (SCAD). Her visit culminates a year-long program of activities centered on the book and the immortal HeLa cells. Skloot's book served as this year's Open Book selection for first-year students at Elizabethtown College.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, Skloot shares her thoughts on the processes of research and writing and offers insights about how this project contributed to her own personal growth. Following her address, Skloot is joined by David Lacks, son of Henrietta, who provides his unique perspective about HeLa and the larger story of his mother and family through a "question-and-answer" panel discussion with the audience. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Jane Cavender, professor of Biology at Elizabethtown College.

Schedule of events for SCAD:

• 8 a.m.-3 p.m. – SCAD student presentations

• 3-3:30 p.m. –Skloot's address

• 3:30-4:30 p.m.– Lacks joins Skloot, discussion and audience Q&A

• 4:30 p.m. - Book signing with both on the first floor of Leffler

SCAD, now in its fifth year, is an annual two-day conference that celebrates the difference Elizabethtown College students make with their ideas and creativity. Unique to the Elizabethtown College experience is the focus on faculty mentorship of students in tackling academic research. The outcomes of research efforts are prominently featured during SCAD, as more than 400 students present academic research in their discipline, while others showcase talents through recitals and a juried art exhibit.

Through SCAD, students are challenged to:

• Present work, including academic presentations, posters, performances and exhibits, with opportunity for peer and faculty review

• Demonstrate skills and knowledge related to a major and/or minor field of academic study

• Engage in and exchange constructive feedback on presented work with faculty mentors, peers and other members of the college community

• Foster professional growth for future scholarly engagement, employment and/or graduate education

The two-day event-April 23 and 24-closes with Rebecca Skloot's keynote session followed by the panel discussion featuring David Lacks. Skloot's debut book took more than a decade to research and write and instantly became a New York Times best seller. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" tells the story of a poor black woman whose cancer cells-taken without her knowledge at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951-became one of the most important medical tools of our century. The book served as the foundation for myriad student learning activities. Films, panel discussions and viewing of HeLa cells complemented a campuswide, common-reading initiative for first-year students, which began at orientation and progressed through the academic year.

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Elizabethtown College, in south-central Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Through personal attention, creative inspiration and academic challenge, Elizabethtown College students are encouraged to expand their intellectual curiosity and are given the opportunity to become a bigger part of the world through experiential learning-research, internships and study abroad. Elizabethtown College's overall commitment to Educate for Service is fulfilled as students are taught intellectually, socially, aesthetically and ethically for lives of service and leadership.

Visit www.etown.edu for more information about Elizabethtown College.