Nationally renowned speaker on urban studies, social and economic theory Richard Florida will present the inaugural keynote address of the PNC Thought Leaders Lecture Series at Penn State Harrisburg, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, Student Enrichment Center theater on campus.
The presentation is free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required. For tickets, visit here.
The director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Global Research professor at New York University, and the founder of the Creative Class Group, which works closely with governments and companies worldwide, Florida is perhaps the world’s leading urbanist, “as close to a household name as it is possible for an urban theorist to be in America,” according to The Economist.
Esquire has included him on its annual list of “The Best and the Brightest,” and Fast Company dubbed him an “intellectual rock star.” MIT Technology Review named him one of the world’s most influential thinkers. GDI also named him one of the world’s global thought leaders of 2013 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science named him among 100 of the most followed scientists.
The lecture series is a partnership between PNC and Penn State Harrisburg with the goal of spurring economic development in Pennsylvania by creating a forum to translate innovation into economic impact, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, and corporate best practices
“We are very pleased to join with PNC in welcoming renowned urbanist and scholar Richard Florida as we kick off the Thought Leaders Lectures Series at Penn State Harrisburg,” said Chancellor Mukund Kulkarni. “Dr. Florida is a leading thinker whose expertise bridges public and private sectors and numerous academic disciplines. As such, he is a very fitting first speaker in a series that aims to foster creative thinking in all areas to drive prosperity in Pennsylvania.”
“The speaker series will cultivate a culture of innovative thinking where we can challenge and inspire residents, students, business owners and government officials,” said Jim Hoehn, regional president for PNC Bank. “We hope the experience will spark our regional economy, help create jobs and improve financial security.”
Florida is the author of several global best sellers, including the award-winning The Rise of the Creative Class (“one of the best business books of all time”— 800-CEO-READ), and is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he co-founded and serves as editor-at-large for Atlantic Cities, the world’s leading media site devoted to cities and urban affairs. He appears regularly on CNN and other news programs and is a regular contributor to the op-ed pages of major newspapers and magazines. TIME magazine recognized his Twitter feed as one of the 140 most influential in the world.
He is a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Creative Economy, World Economic Forum. He is also an appointed member of the United Nations Global Network for Digital Technologies and Sustainable Urbanization for UN Habitat and counsels the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Florida previously taught at Carnegie Mellon and George Mason University, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard and MIT. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College and a doctor of philosophy degree from Columbia University.
Florida’s presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a book signing. Penn State Harrisburg is located at 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057.
For information, call 717-948-6366, email: hbgdevelopment@psu.edu, or visit pnc-thought-leaders.eventbrite.com