“Insight Forum” speaker series resumes in the spring
A talk on Pennsylvania politics by pollster Terry Madonna at Penn State New Kensington has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for Oct. 10, the talk was a part of the “Insight Forum,’ the campus’ speaker series. The series will resume in the spring.
Pollster Terry Madonna will bring his insights on the political landscape of Pennsylvania to Penn State New Kensington at 6:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in the campus Forum Theatre.
Madonna, professor of public affairs and director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., is the guest speaker for "Insight Forum," the campus' lecture and discussion program that is geared to the local community.
The event is sponsored by the Faculty Speaker Series Endowment. The endowment was created in 2009 through the generosity of campus faculty, as well as alumni and friends of Penn State. The series brings matters of interest to the campus and the community. Local, regional and nationally-known guests talk about various aspects of American life and take questions from the audience.
Tickets for the Madonna talk are $10. Students with college or high school identification are admitted for free. The series is open to the public. General admission seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For tickets, call 724-334-6056 or contact tms57@psu.edu via email.
ABOUT TERRY MADONNA
Whether it's breaking down the electability of Republican presidential aspirants, dissecting the re-election of President Obama or scrutinizing the elected representatives of the commonwealth, pollster Terry Madonna utilizes the current data and opinions at his disposal.
A regular commentator on radio and TV political shows, and a quotable source for newspapers and magazines, Madonna brings his insights on the 2011 political landscape of Pennsylvania to Penn State New Kensington at 6:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in the campus Forum Theatre. A reception to meet the speaker follows the program.
Madonna, director of the Franklin and Marshall Keystone Poll, makes a return engagement for "Insight Forum," the campus' lecture and discussion program that is geared to the local community. He spoke previously at the campus in spring 2010.
A professor of public affairs and director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., Madonna earned a national reputation as founder of the 20-year old Keystone poll, the oldest survey produced exclusively in Pennsylvania. He polls for the Philadelphia Daily News, Times-Shamrock Newspapers, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, WGAL-TV (Lancaster), and WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh).
For more than 30 years, Madonna has taught and written about his academic specialties: American presidency, and American political parties and political behavior. As a pollster, he has written extensively about voters and voting behavior. In 2008, Franklin and Marshall College began a partnership with Hearst-Argyle Television to conduct national polls. Hearst owns 26 television stations, manages two others, and owns two radio stations. Madonna directs the poll.
Before joining the faculty at Franklin and Marshall in 2004, Madonna was professor and chair of the Government Department at Millersville University. He holds a doctorate in political history from the University of Delaware.
Madonna is the host of "Pennsylvania Newsmakers," a weekly statewide news and commentary program. He writes a biweekly political commentary column, “Politically Uncorrected,” for Politicspa.com, the state’s leading political Web site. Co-authored by Michael Young, the column appears in many state and national newspapers and on two national websites: stateline.org and realclearpolitics.com.
He is a regular panelist on the WPVI-TV (Philadelphia) commentary program, "Inside Story," and a frequent guest on many talk radio programs throughout the state and nation. In addition to his political analysis, Madonna is a public affair's commentator for the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, CNN, ABC News and CBS News. He has appeared on CNN, CBS News, ABC News, C-Span, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC News.
Madonna has appeared in seminars and discussions with diplomats and newspaper reporters from around the world. In addition, Madonna has moderated gubernatorial, congressional, state legislative and school board forums, and debates for various organizations. He is the author of numerous publications in the fields of American history, American government, and American politics.
Madonna has served on numerous governmental boards and commissions: Governor Edward Rendell’s Higher Education Advisory Board, the Benjamin Franklin Partnership Board (appointed by former Governor Dick Thornburgh), and the Board of Embreeville State Hospital (appointed by former Governor Milton Shapp). He served in the early 1970's as a Lancaster County Commissioner. Currently, he serves on the Education Policy and Leadership Center board.
Madonna has received numerous awards and honors, including Distinguished Professor award by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the President’s Medallion at Millersville University, and a special commendation for scholarship and leadership from the Board of Governors of the State System of Higher Education.
Additionally, he has been named an “Outstanding Speaker of the Year” by the Speech Communication Society of Pennsylvania, has served as a Commonwealth Speaker for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and was given the Daniel Roselle Award by the Middle States Council for the Social Studies.