Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, visits Syracuse Feb. 26 as part of The University Lectures series

Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, visits Syracuse Feb. 26 as part of The University Lectures seriesFebruary 13, 2008Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the nation’s oldest AIDS service organization, will speak on “HIV/AIDS, 25 Years Later” on Feb. 26 as part of The University Lectures series at Syracuse University.

The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel and is free and open to the public. Parking is available for a reduced rate in the Irving Garage.

Earlier that day, Hill will meet with clinical psychology students in a session moderated by Michael Carey, professor of psychology in The College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Center for Health and Behavior.

On Feb. 27, Hill will be the honored guest at a breakfast celebrating the 25th anniversary of AIDS Community Resources (ACR), a not-for-profit agency that provides prevention, education and support services to those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in a nine-county region in upstate New York.

“From the very beginning, in one of the epicenters of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) has played a pivotal leadership role,” says Andrew London, professor of sociology in SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and former chair of ACR’s board of directors. “We are particularly interested in hearing Dr. Hill’s assessment of the current state of the epidemic in New York and her vision for GMHC’s continued response.”

The New York City-based GMHC has a world-renowned legacy of health care advocacy. GMHC provides a continuum of services to 15,000 men, women and children annually and promotes social justice in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

A licensed clinical psychologist, Hill previously served as GMHC’s managing director for community health, where she had responsibility for the Women’s Institute, the Institute for Gay Men’s Health and the coordination of agency-wide, community-level health promotion initiatives.

Prior to joining GMHC, Hill was the assistant commissioner for the Bureau of HIV/AIDS at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she had administrative oversight for HIV prevention, treatment, research and housing programs. She was responsible for all aspects of federally mandated community planning and for the development of citywide HIV/AIDS policy. During her tenure, syringe exchange programs were historically expanded, New York City inter-agency collaboration was enhanced and more than five million condoms were distributed annually.

Hill served as a commissioner for the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and as a director of the New York City Mayor’s Office for the Lesbian and Gay Community in the David Dinkins administration. In these roles, Hill implemented successful initiatives in public safety and New York City domestic partnership policy.

She has lectured on issues of cultural diversity, HIV/AIDS in communities of color, conflict resolution, organizational devolvement and homophobia, and has held faculty appointments at Yeshiva University, New York Medical College, Pace University and the College of New Rochelle.

About the University Lectures

The University Lectures is a cross-disciplinary lecture series that brings to the University individuals of exceptional accomplishment in the areas of architecture and design; the humanities and the sciences; and public policy, management and communications. The series is supported by the generosity of the University’s trustees, alumni and friends.

Other scheduled speakers in the 2007-08 series are Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (March 18, 2008), and Eboo Patel, founder and director of the Interfaith Youth Core (March 27, 2008).

The Office of University Lectures welcomes suggestions for future speakers. To recommend a speaker, or for additional information about The University Lectures, contact Esther Gray in the Office of Academic Affairs at (315) 443-2941or eegray@syr.edu, or visit http://lectures.syr.edu.