Regional Resilience Expert Kathryn A. Foster to Speak at Pitt March 24

Innovative local and regional governance will be the subject of a lecture at the University of Pittsburgh to be delivered by Kathryn A. Foster, professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, and director of that university’s Regional Institute. Titled “The Art and Science of Regional Resilience,” the lecture will take place at 9 a.m. March 24 in Ballroom A of the University Club. It is a part of the Spring 2011 Wherrett Lecture Series and is sponsored by Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA).

Foster’s areas of expertise include regions, governance, and regional decision making. Her current work examines regional resilience, focusing on the role of governance in shaping outcomes. In 2007, Foster was selected by Business First as its Woman of Influence in public policy, and she was appointed to the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness.

Cosponsored by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Congress of Neighboring Communities, among others, the GSPIA Center for Metropolitan Studies’ Wherrett Lecture Series brings together government, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector leaders in an effort to identify, address, and solve regional public affairs issues.

The event is free and open to the public, though an RSVP is requested. A continental breakfast will be provided 30 minutes prior to the event. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Center for Metropolitan Studies at 412-648-2282 or gspiaic@pitt.edu.