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For more information, contact Barb Steadman - 843.857.4199

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Jan. 31, 2011 – Coker College President Robert Wyatt announced today that the college is establishing a new program, The Last Lecture Series, to celebrate academic excellence and individual achievements of Coker faculty.

“It has been several years since computer science professor Randy Pausch gave his now-famous lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. His presentation drew millions to his story and to a greater appreciation for the importance of taking full advantage of individual opportunities—regardless of one’s challenges—in the quest for achievement,” Wyatt said.

“Colleges are not immune from the tendency to take more note of obstacles than opportunities.  It is incumbent on an institution as blessed as Coker College is with talented, accomplished faculty to look beyond the obvious boundaries, to redefine what it means to be ready for tomorrow’s challenges.  In establishing this forum for retiring faculty presentations, we invite students of all ages to pay tribute to excellence and step into stories that will inspire greater individual and shared successes than we have yet imagined,” he said.

In its inaugural year, The Last Lecture Series will include four presentations, each held in the in the Watson Theater in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

• Joseph H. Rubinstein, Professor of Education – Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m.
• Russell R. Hamby, Professor of Sociology – Mar. 22, 7 p.m.
• Deborah I. Bloodworth, Associate Professor of Theater – April 1, 3:30 p.m. (cancelled)
• Patricia G. Lincoln, Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Biology – April 18, 7:30 p.m.

The Last Lecture Series is free and open to the public.  An informal reception will follow each lecture.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.