Ambassador, UT Alumna to Speak on Middle East Diplomacy

Please join us at the Baker Center’s Toyota Auditorium on Friday, September 10^th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for a luncheon and lecture featuring U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and UT alumna Margaret Scobey.  Ambassador Scobey will speak on “Challenges in Middle East Diplomacy in the Age of Instant Communications,” a discussion on the evolution of diplomatic practice in the Middle East in light of the stunning advances in information technology over the past 30 years.  In addition to her lecture, Ambassador Scobey will also be receiving a “Notable Alumni Award” from the UT Alumni Board and the College of Arts & Sciences Board.

Ambassador Scobey was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1973 with a Master’s Degree in History.  A career Foreign Service Officer, she was nominated in 2008 to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and was confirmed to that position later that year.  She previously served as ambassador to Syria and completed other critical postings for the State Department in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Kuwait, Yemen, Pakistan, and Peru prior to her ambassadorships.  Her presentation at the Baker Center will draw on her vast knowledge of the Middle East and her experience on the front lines of U.S. diplomatic efforts in that region.

Thanks to the generous contributions of the UT Office of Alumni Affairs, there is no charge for you to attend the luncheon, but you must make a reservation IN ADVANCE as space is very limited for this event.  To register, call the Baker Center at (865) 974-0931 or email Betsy Harrell at [log in to unmask].  The deadline to reserve a seat is Tuesday, September 7, 2010 or until the auditorium is full.  Don’t delay—call or email today!