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FBI special agent to present as Distinguished Alumni Speaker

James Fitzgerald will present 'A Journey to the Center of the Mind' on Oct. 25

Retired FBI agent and Penn State alumnus James Fitzgerald will present "A Journey to the Center of the Mind," on Thursday, Oct. 25, as part of the College of Health and Human Development Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series.  Credit: Dennis Maney / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Retired FBI agent and Penn State alumnus James Fitzgeraldwill present "A Journey to the Center of the Mind," on Thursday, Oct. 25, as part of the College of Health and Human Development Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series.

Fitzgerald was supervisory special agent with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and was a key investigator in numerous high-profile cases, including the Unabomber, using pioneering linguistics that played a critical role in finding clues leading to Ted Kaczynski's capture. He was recently featured in the Discovery Channel series “Manhunt: Unabomber.”

The talk, which is sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society, will be held at 7 p.m. in the Ruth Pike Auditorium, 22 Biobehavioral Health Building. It is free and open to the public.

During his 31-year law enforcement career, Fitzgerald successfully investigated numerous homicides, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes as a profiler and forensic linguist in addition to the Unabomber, including the cases of Jon Benet Ramsey, anthrax, and the Washington, D.C., sniper cases. 

In the spring of 2018, Fitzgerald appeared as one of the forensic experts on the Oxygen Network’s "The Case of: Caylee Anthony." He was also one of several renowned forensic experts on CBS television’s documentary series "The Case of: Jon Benet Ramsey," which aired in September 2016.

Fitzgerald currently serves as adjunct professor at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and Richard Stockton University of New Jersey in Galloway Township, New Jersey. He lectures at other schools and institutions both nationally and internationally.

He also remains an active criminal profiler and forensic linguist with his company, James R. Fitzgerald Associates LLC, after retiring in 2007 with 20 years with the FBI. Prior to his position at the FBI, Fitzgerald served as a police officer, detective and sergeant for 11 years at the Bensalem Township Police Department in Pennsylvania. 

Fitzgerald is a 1975 Penn State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and corrections. He holds a master of science degree in human organizational science from Villanova University, and master of science degree in linguistics from Georgetown University.

The Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series was established by the board of directors of the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society in order to feature prominent graduates of the college who are leaders in their fields. The board's mission is to promote the engagement and interaction of alumni with students, faculty, staff and fellow alumni through innovative programs and activities.

Last Updated October 9, 2018

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