UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI PRESIDENT NANCY ZIMPHER TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT UNIVERSITY PARK ALLIANCE AWARDS LUNCHEON MAY 11

CONTACT:        Beth Houseman, 330-972-8859 

SUMMARY:       UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI PRESIDENT NANCY ZIMPHER TODELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT UNIVERSITY PARK ALLIANCE AWARDS LUNCHEON MAY 11

Akron, Ohio, April 10, 2009 — Nancy Zimpher will deliver the keynote address at University Park Alliance's (UPA) community engagement and real estate development awards luncheon on Monday, May 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in The University of Akron's Student Union Ballroom. Currently serving as the President of the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Zimpher will become Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) System on June 1, 2009.

The annual UPA awards, sponsored by Dominion Foundation, recognize outstanding community members, businesses, institutions and service agencies, as well as UA students, faculty and staff, for their contributions to the revitalization of the University Park neighborhood surrounding the university. Proceeds will benefit UPA’s scholarship fund for long-term residents of the University Park neighborhood.

Luis M. Proenza, UA president; Elizabeth J. Stroble, UA senior vice president, provost and chief operating officer; and Thomas Strauss, president and CEO of Summa Health System, will present the awards. This year's luncheon program will also showcase UPA's present, planned and potential sustainable urban living projects, focused particularly around locally grown food. Tickets are $35 for the general public, $15 for community residents and students,  $800 for corporate tables of eight and $400 for community-based non-profit tables of eight. As in prior years, sell-out attendance at 500 is expected. Tickets can be purchased online at www.uakron.edu/upa or by calling 330-972-8859.

The mission of University Park Alliance is to revitalize and transform the diverse University Park neighborhood, a 50-block area immediately surrounding The University of Akron, through engaging the community and leveraging real estate & business investment. UPA was established through a major grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is comprised of partners including The University of Akron, City of Akron, Summa Health System, Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Health System, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, the Greater Akron Chamber, Akron Public Schools, and the University Park Development Corporation. The University of Akron is the public research university for Northern Ohio. It is the only public university in Ohio with a science and engineering program ranked in the top five nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Serving 24,700 students, the university offers approximately 300 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina and Holmes counties. For more information, visit www.uakron.edu.

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