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In celebration of the inauguration of the eighth president of Scripps College, Lori Bettison-Varga, Scripps College will host a President’s Forum of distinguished alumnae leaders on Saturday, March 27, 2010, 10:30 a.m., at Garrison Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

The three-woman alumnae panel will be moderated by National Public Radio senior national correspondent Linda Wertheimer. One of the nation’s most recognizable and respected voices, Wertheimer served as host of NPR’s All Things Considered from 1989-2002.

President’s Forum panelists include:

• Beth Nolan (Scripps College ’73), senior vice president and general counsel of The George Washington University, who served in the Clinton Administration as Counsel to the President of the United States
• Ruth Markowitz Owades (Scripps College ’66), founder and former CEO of Gardeners Eden and Calyx & Corolla, the nation’s first fresh-flower catalog
• Karen Tse (Scripps College ’86), founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice, who has negotiated groundbreaking measures in judicial reform with the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian governments.

The 90-minute forum will include individual opening remarks by each panelist on how “the genius of women” can transform the future, followed by questions from moderator Wertheimer. Panelists will also take questions from the audience.

Scripps College will host an Academic Showcase on Friday, March 26, at various venues on the College campus. Students, faculty, and alumnae will deliver short presentations or performances on academic pursuits and artistic offerings. The formal inauguration of President Bettison-Varga will take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at Bridges Auditorium.

Scripps College was founded in 1926 by Ellen Browning Scripps, a pioneering philanthropist and influential figure in the worlds of education, publishing, and women’s rights. Today, Scripps is a nationally top-ranked liberal arts college and women’s college with approximately 950 students, and is a member of The Claremont Colleges in southern California. The mission of Scripps College is to educate women to develop their intellects and talents through active participation in a community of scholars, so that as graduates they may contribute to society through public and private lives of leadership, service, integrity, and creativity.