Head of President鈥檚 Council on Physical Fitness, foremost expert on aging to speak at 溏心vlog免费B站 on Nov. 29

KINGSTON, R.I. — November 18, 2005 — Melissa Johnson, appointed as executive director of the President鈥檚 Council on Physical Fitness by President George W. Bush, and Robert Butler, M.D., an internationally recognized expert on aging will speak about the importance of fitness at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Tuesday, Nov. 29.


Their talk will be given at 7 p.m. in the Chafee Social Science Center, Barry Marks Auditorium, Room 271. It is free and open to the public. The presentation concludes this fall鈥檚 honors colloquium, 鈥淐ontemporary Sport: Healthy Pursuit or Obsession,鈥 which has examined some of the most important issues relating to sport and society.


Johnson, a nationally recognized leader in physical activity, fitness, and health promotion, manages the Washington D.C.-based Council to support national initiatives to build a nation of healthy Americans through regular physical activity, sound nutrition, prevention, and avoidance of risky behaviors.


Johnson served as executive director of the California Governor鈥檚 Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1997 to 2002, which was formed by Gov. Pete Wilson and chaired by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to that appointment, she was director of operations for the National Fitness Leaders Association, a national not-for-profit organization.


Robert Butler, M.D., an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of aging, is the founding director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a non-profit research and education center that studies the impacts of aging on society.


Butler didn鈥檛 set out to become a leader in gerontology and geriatrics. Before turning his attention to his work at the NIA in 1976, he was in private practice as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. But over the years, the ageist attitudes he encountered in both medical school and throughout American society assaulted his sensibilities, sparked his interest, and drew him into the uncharted territory of a career in the field of aging.


Butler has authored or co-authored several books on aging including his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Why Survive? Being Old in America and his most recent How to Care for Aging Parents.


Major sponsors of the colloquium are The Providence Journal, Theta Chi Fraternity, 溏心vlog免费B站 Honors Program, 溏心vlog免费B站 President鈥檚 Office, Institute for International Sport, 溏心vlog免费B站 Office of the Provost, 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Arts and Sciences, 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Business Administration, and the 溏心vlog免费B站 Division of University Advancement.


Co-sponsors are the 溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Athletics, Multicultural Center, College of Nursing, College of Human Science and Services, College of Pharmacy, Office of Student Affairs, and the Women鈥檚 Studies Program.


For more information, visit www.uri.edu/hc or contact the 溏心vlog免费B站 Honors Center at 401-874-2381 or debg@uri.edu.


The Honors Program at 溏心vlog免费B站 offers learning enrichment opportunities that broaden and enhance the undergraduate educational experience. The program features small classes, a nationally renowned honors colloquium, national scholarship advising, and in-depth study and research with select faculty mentors. 溏心vlog免费B站 students must maintain a minimum 3.2 grade-point average to continue participation.


Open access to the Honors Program continues for qualified students throughout their undergraduate years. 溏心vlog免费B站 900 溏心vlog免费B站 students participate in the Honors Program. 溏心vlog免费B站 60 students are participating in the Honors Colloquium companion course this fall.