Campus Life

Patrick and Amy Kennedy to speak on campus March 22

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Student Programming Association Lectures Committee is excited to present Patrick and Amy Kennedy on March 22 at 8 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium in collaboration with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).

Students interested in attending the lecture will be able to pick up tickets at all Center for the Performing Arts ticket locations at a date closer to the event. If there are remaining tickets, they will be available to the general public a week prior to the event.

The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and is the nation’s leading political voice on mental illness, addiction, and other brain diseases. During his 16‑year career representing Rhode Island in Congress, he fought a national battle to end medical and societal discrimination against these illnesses, highlighted by his lead sponsorship of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and his brave openness about his own health challenges.  

The son of Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy decided to leave Congress not long after his father’s death to devote his career to advocacy for brain diseases and to create a new, healthier life and start a family. He has since founded the Kennedy Forum, which unites the community of mental health, and co-founded One Mind for Research, a global leader in open science collaboration in brain research. Kennedy is also the coauthor of “A Common Struggle,” which outlines both his personal story and a bold plan for the future of mental health in America.

Amy L. Kennedy, is currently the Education Director for The Kennedy Forum, providing consultation services that emphasize evidence‑based research and programming to facilitate policy change in the areas of education and mental health. She also sits on the Board of Mental Health America, a leading national advocacy organization based in the Washington, DC area, focused on giving a voice to all people with mental health conditions and addictions.

Amy Kennedy has a lifelong interest in education policy, practice and politics. An educator by training, she has over 15 years of experience working in public schools in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Penn State, and a Master of Science in environmental education from Nova Southeastern University.

Amy and Patrick Kennedy live in New Jersey with their four children.

Last Updated June 2, 2021