Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy announces fall lecture

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Source: Erika Imbody, 785-532-6485, erika@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Megan Wilson, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Friday, October 13, 2006

INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC DISCOURSE AND DEMOCRACY ANNOUNCES FALL LECTURE

MANHATTAN -- The annual fall lecture of Kansas State University's Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the K-State Alumni Center Ballroom.

Jose Alfredo Miranda-Lopez, rector of the Independent Popular University of the State of Puebla in Mexico, will give this year's lecture. Miranda-Lopez will present "Appreciative Inquiry as a Process for Visioning UPAEP 2015." UPAEP is an acronym for the Spanish name of the university, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla.

Miranda-Lopez's current research projects deal with appreciative inquiry and organizational development. He used the process of appreciative inquiry to develop a vision for the university and identify strategies for accomplishing that vision. Appreciative inquiry is about the search for the best in people, their organizations and the relevant world around them.

Miranda-Lopez was born in Puebla, Mexico, and studied business administration at the University of the Americas in Puebla. He has a master's degree in business administration from the University of the Americas and a doctorate degree in business management from UPAEP.

The lecture series of the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy is in its second year and features a lecture each fall and each spring.

"The goal for the series is to invite speakers to discuss the importance of civic discourse in public deliberations," said Erika Imbody, project coordinator for the institute. "We're interested in a discussion on how citizen engagement can take place in communities through civic and civil discourse."