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More Centofanti Symposium speakers
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State University’s Centofanti Symposium will continue to bring internationally known speakers to campus thanks to a $500,000 gift.
University President Jim Tressel said he was beyond grateful for the gift from The James and Coralie Centofanti Charitable Foundation.
“The additional $500,000 will help support success at the successful Centofanti Symposium at YSU,” Tressel said.
The gift is part of YSU’s $100 million “We See Tomorrow” fundraising campaign.
“The symposium has brought an array of nationally known speakers to our region and institution including [political] satirist W. Kamau Bell, Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta, Ben Carson, former presidential candidate and current U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, along with Gloria Steinem, who filled Stambaugh Auditorium, and [journalist] Soledad O’Brien,” Tressel said. “This gift will allow us to continue to bring great voices to our valley.”
Joseph Mosca, Bitonte College of Health and Human Services dean, said those great voices will help ensure quality engagement in the surrounding community.
“This is a very, very powerful gift that reaches thousands of people annually with goals of promoting sensitivity to human differences, promoting tolerance, stability and social responsibility,” he said. “This gift will help promote a positive impact on the quality of life for at-risk populations ... The idea is to enhance, enlighten, bring ideas and go do some good – like a pay it forward.”
Mark Graham, executive vice president of Farmers National Bank and chairman of the Centofanti Foundation distribution committee, said he is honored to help promote the symposium mission: to increase community awareness of many issues facing out society today.
The Centofanti Foundation donated $1 million to YSU in 2012 to establish the James and Coralie Centofanti Center of Health and Welfare for Vulnerable Populations at the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services. The center focuses on providing support for educational initiatives, student scholarships, research and workforce development that promotes the well-being of individuals affected by debilitating illness, poverty, disability and discrimination.
Since its inception, the center has provided $150,000 in student scholarships, offered more than 20 continuing education workshops to more than 150 community human service professionals, provided monetary support for numerous community educational initiatives directed at quality of life issues affecting vulnerable populations, supported research grants to study social and economic factors affecting vulnerable populations, and sponsored five symposiums.