Mary Tupan-Wenno, executive director of the ECHO Center for Diversity Policy in the Netherlands, and J.A.W.J. Leerdam, Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (Dutch House of Representatives), will be among a Dutch delegation visiting Howard University  on Friday, October 5, 2007 in a program sponsored by the Howard Graduate School. ECHO promotes the entry, transfer and graduation of students from ethnic minority backgrounds into higher education in the Netherlands. It works in concert with colleges and universities, ethnic minority organizations, student organizations, and public bodies to achieve these goals.  Further, it focuses on the co-financing, support and guidance of various projects undertaken with higher education institutions. It also underwrites projects that aim to educate ethnic minority students in order to enable them to work professionally in a multicultural society. 

The program at Howard will feature an address by ECHO Executive Director Mary Tupan-Wenno at 10:20 a.m. in the Carnegie Building, Conference Room A, and a panel comprised of graduate students on the topic of “The Life and Experiences of Graduate Students of Color” beginning at 10:40 a.m.  A higher education and leadership development panel, beginning at 1:45 p.m., will consist of Jamie Merisotis, president, Institute for Higher Education Policy; Harold Scott,  assistant executive director, the Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard, Chontrese Doswell, assistant dean, Retention, Mentoring, Support Programs and Co-PI, Ph.D. Completion Project; and Christal Evans, program coordinator, Ronald McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.

            For more information, contact Diane Peoples, 202-806-6157/6800 or visit the Graduate School’s Web site at www.gs.howard.edu