Indiana State University Newsroom

Award-winning NPR journalist Michele Norris will take the stage Feb. 22 in Indiana State University's Tilson Auditorium in conjunction with the University Speakers Series. Her presentation is being co-sponsored by the African-American Alumni Council and WFIU.

As co-host of NPR's longest-running national program, "All Things Considered," Norris has a voice that is undeniably recognizable and that embodies both authority and calm. Captivating and astute on air, Norris has presented leading news, weighing in on American culture including race and the influence of new media since joining NPR in 2002. Prior to her tenure at NPR, she served as an ABC News correspondent where she covered education, America's inner cities, the national drug problem, poverty, and most recognizably, the aftermath of 9/11.

Norris has stepped away from her All Things Considered duties until after the 2012 presidential campaign, though she is not leaving NPR's airwaves. She continues to report and produce projects for the organization.

Norris has received many honors in journalism for her insight into American culture and social issues including: the Peabody Award, duPont Award, and Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. She was recently named Essence magazine's "25 Most Influential Black Americans."

In 2010, Norris published her first book, "The Grace of Silence: A Memoir." The book focuses on how America talks about race in the wake of the Obama presidency, and how her own complex legacy has shaped her dedication to informing others through sound and voice.

A book signing and reception will follow her presentation, which will begin at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

Now in its 31st season, the University Speakers Series has brought the likes of Ralph Nadar, Gerald Ford, Sister Helen Prejean, Amy Tan, Nancy Grace, Andy Rooney, Robert Ballard, Carole Simpson, Marlee Matlin, Maya Angelou, Jim Lovell, Garrison Keillor, Bob Woodward, Robert Osborne, Mitch Albom and Andrew Young to the campus of Indiana State.

More information about the 2011-12 University Speakers Series can be found at http://www.indstate.edu/speaker/  or by calling 812-237-3783.

Media contact and writer: Paula Meyer, ISU Communications and Marketing, 812-237-3783 or paula.meyer@indstate.edu