Food for Thought
Ice cream entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield highlight Maverick Speakers Series
The fourth season of UT Arlington鈥檚 marquee lectures, the , continues in November with the men behind one of the most talked about and least conventional success stories in American business.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry鈥檚 Homemade, will speak Nov. 17 about how they built a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream empire by harnessing the power of social responsibility and creative management.
Dallas Cowboys legend and NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmitt Smith (see p. 7) kicked off the 2011-12 series in October by discussing 鈥淎 Championship Vision.鈥� Smith, the NFL鈥檚 all-time leading rusher, is the majority partner and co-chairman of ESmith Legacy, a Dallas-based commercial real estate company.
The spring 2012 semester will showcase CNN anchor Soledad O鈥橞rien on 鈥淒iversity in America,鈥� oceanographer Robert Ballard on 鈥淎dventures in Deep Sea Exploration,鈥� and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on 鈥淎chieving Excellence in Education.鈥�
Since joining CNN in 2003, O鈥橞rien has reported breaking news from around the globe and produced critically acclaimed documentaries on some of the world鈥檚 most compelling topics, including education, diversity, the Royal Wedding, economics, and natural disasters.
A deep sea explorer, Ballard has made startling discoveries in recent years, including finding the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985. He has led or participated in more than 65 underwater expeditions, written 16 books, and is the pioneer of the JASON Project, which enables schoolchildren to explore the oceans virtually.
Bush closes the season with the first lecture in the new 7,000-seat College Park Center. He is the son of President George H.W. Bush and brother of President George W. Bush. In his two terms as Florida governor (1998鈥�2007), Jeb Bush worked to improve Florida鈥檚 education system, protect its environment, and boost its economy. An advocate for charter schools, vouchers, and standardized testing, he heads the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which he started in聽2007.
New this year for any Maverick Speakers Series lecture is a Premium Seating package featuring a front-of-house seat, reserved parking near the venue, and front-of-line access to book signings (participating speakers only). Premium Seating packages are $25 and available at . As in the past, free general admission tickets also may be obtained at the website.
Upcoming Maverick Speakers Series Lectures
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, ice cream entrepreneurs
Nov. 17, 2011 鈥� 7:30 p.m., 糖心Vlog视频聽Hall
Soledad O鈥橞rien, CNN anchor
Feb. 7, 2012 鈥� 7:30 p.m., 糖心Vlog视频聽Hall
Robert Ballard, deep sea explorer
March 6, 2012 鈥� 7:30 p.m., 糖心Vlog视频聽Hall
Jeb Bush, former Florida governor
March 23, 2012 鈥� 7:30 p.m., College Park Center