Cynthia McKinney, who served as the first African-American woman from the state of Georgia to be elected to the U.S. Congress, will make two public appearances during her first visit to Cornell as a Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor.

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, McKinney will deliver a talk titled "Frontline Females: Military Women and Civilian America" at 7:30 p.m. in Statler Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, but it requires tickets, available starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office; limit two per person.

On Thursday, Nov. 20, McKinney will join a panel discussion with faculty from the government department and the Africana Studies and Research Center titled "U.S. Foreign Policy: What We Are and What Are We to Become?" The discussion, to be held at 7 p.m. in room 265 of Statler Hall, is free and open to the public and will be moderated by Salah Hassan, Cornell associate professor of Africana studies and chair of the Department of History of Art.

During her inaugural visit, McKinney also will participate in classes in history, government policy analysis and management and Africana studies. She will meet with students involved with the Institute for Public Policy at Cornell and attend a reception organized by members of Ujamaa residential college.

McKinney was appointed to a three-year tenure as a Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor in July after her selection by a 13-member faculty committee.

"Cynthia McKinney is a person of great experience in public life," said Hassan. "During her 16 years in Congress, she served on several important committees and was an influential advocate for economic justice in Africa, social justice issues – especially prison reform in the United States – and a balanced foreign policy. Her visit will be of benefit to undergraduates and graduates who have an interest in public service or for those seeking a career in public life."

McKinney was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 4th congressional district in 1992, the only female member of the state's congressional delegation. After being re-elected for five consecutive terms, she lost her district's primary election in August 2002 after a contentious campaign that drew national attention.

McKinney's leadership skills were quickly recognized in the House of Representatives and were acknowledged with an appointment to the influential Armed Services Committee. She also served as a member of the International Relations Committee and was a ranking member of the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee.

McKinney began her political career in 1988 when she was elected to the Georgia legislature. A native of Atlanta, she earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Southern California in 1978 and a master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

The Rhodes Class of '56 professorship is overseen by the Cornell A.D. White Professors-at-Large Program. Rhodes professors appointed since the program was inaugurated in 2000 include: architect Richard Meier, a 1956 Cornell alumnus; biomedical scientist Edward M. Scolnick, president of Merck Research Laboratories; former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; and television personality Bill Nye '77, "The Science Guy."