Westminster College English Professor to Give Her "Last Lecture"

Dr. Deborah C. Mitchell, assistant professor of English and public relations at Westminster College, will give her "Last Lecture" Tuesday, March 20, at 4 p.m. in Phillips Lecture Hall in Hoyt Sciences Resources Center.

During this academic year, several of the Westminster College professors were asked to give a lecture on their "passion" as if it were the last lecture they were ever to give. Mitchell's topic is "Citizen Jane: Hitting the Celluloid Ceiling."

Mitchell has two passions that intertwine: movies and the depiction of women in the movies. "I'm talking about how sexual attraction on screen is complicated and/or enhanced by the conflict between marriage and work for the professional woman," said Mitchell.

She will be discussing and showing scenes from His Girl Friday, Woman of the Year, Lover Come Back, Annie Hall, The Color Purple, Broadcast News, Baby Boom, Working Girl, Something to Talk About, My Best Friend's Wedding, and Erin Brockovich.

Mitchell earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Youngstown State University, and her Ph.D. in film studies from Case Western Reserve University.

The Last Lecture series is part of Westminster College's Residence Life education program. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Erin Heasley, coordinator for the Last Lecture Series, at (724) 946-7913.