Peace Studies Coffeehouse to Host Western Galilee College President

The Westminster College Peace Studies Coffeehouse will host Dr. Gideon Fishman, president of Western Galilee College in Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 4:30 p.m. in the Witherspoon Rooms of the McKelvey Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Fishman will speak on "An Island of Sanity in a Sea of Madness - Jews and Arabs at Western Galilee College." He will address his role as the president and the ongoing challenges of providing higher education to a diverse student body in the midst of conflict.

Located in northern Israel, Western Galilee College was founded in 1972 to meet the needs of a student body that reflects the diverse Arab, Jewish, and Druze population of the surrounding area.

Dr. Sherri Pataki, Westminster assistant professor of psychology and coordinator of the coffeehouse, said, "Dr. Amy Camardese [Westminster associate professor of education] and I had the opportunity to spend time at Western Galilee College and meet Dr. Fishman last June when we were invited to attend a faculty workshop there. We are really looking forward to Dr. Fishman's visit and hoping this will lead to more collaboration between our colleges in both teaching and research."

Contact Pataki at (724) 946-7361 or e-mail patakisp@westminster.edu for additional information.

Dr. Gideon Fishman