ITHACA, N.Y. -- Shirin Ebadi, the first Muslim woman to be a Nobel laureate and the first female to serve as a judge in Iran, will give the Kaplan Family Distinguished Lecture in Public Service on May 4 at Cornell University.

Ebadi's talk, "Democracy and Public Service," will focus on the role public service plays in sustaining democratic values. The lecture is at 5 p.m. in the David L. Call Alumni Auditorium of Kennedy Hall and is free and open to the public. However, tickets are required and are available at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office on campus, (607) 255-3450.

Ebadi, who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts on behalf of democracy and human rights, is renowned for her consistent use of the law to fight for women, children and victims of government repression. She has been a leader in efforts to change Iran's discriminatory laws against women, to provide more protection for street children and to free those detained for expressing their opposition to the government. She has continued her advocacy despite detention, suspension from legal practice and threats to her personal safety.

While visiting Cornell, Ebadi will meet with undergraduate leaders from Cornell's Public Service Center, Iranian students, faculty members and administrators.

The Kaplan Family Distinguished Lecture in Public Service was created from a gift to Cornell by alumna Barbara Kaplan '59, her husband, Leslie Kaplan, son Douglas Kaplan '88 and daughter Emily Kaplan '91, in recognition of the importance of the national movement in higher education for greater involvement in civic engagement.