Mary McConnell, JMC/MSU alumna IR '77) attended Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship, earning an M. Phil in International Relations. After finishing her graduate degree she worked as Congressman Jack Kemp's chief legislative assistant, developing his enterprise zone legislation, and then as the chief Pentagon speechwriter, writing speeches and policy papers for Secretary Caspar Weinberger and President Ronald Reagan. When her husband, Michael (JMCD-1976) joined the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School she became Public Issues Director at FMC Corporation, a Fortune 200 manufacturing company and major defense contractor. A visiting stint at the University of Utah turned into a 14 year stay, during which Ms. McConnell first home-school their three children, and then moved into a high school teaching career with a Catholic high school in Salt Lake City. When still another academic move (this time to Stanford University) took the family to Palo Alto, she continued working as a curriculum consultant and teacher, and began putting concurrent enrollment and AP courses online for her school. A self-described "Paleo" teacher, Mary McConnell has become intrigued by the potential of online education, but also concerned that its proponents may be promising more than online teaching can deliver.

Location:	Case Hall Library, 3rd floor South [map]
Price:	free
Sponsor:	public
Contact:	Kim Allan ALLANK@MSU.EDU 353-3381
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