ISSUED: 10 January 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — When the President’s Lecture Series at Shepherd University continues Monday, January 30, those in attendance will get a “View from Capitol Hill: Congress and Challenges Facing the Aerospace Industry” from Roncevert “Ronce” Ganan Almond, senior counsel at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Almond’s lecture, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium, is free and open to the public.
Almond will discuss the role of Congress in addressing challenges facing the aerospace industry following a difficult period that included the COVID-19 pandemic and a crisis in aviation safety. Issues that Congress will need to address include rapid technological innovation, workforce development, infrastructure demands, increased global competition, and sustainable aviation concerns.
Through legislation, hearings, investigations, confirmation proceedings, and floor debates, Congress will shape future U.S. aerospace policy. Almond will also offer insights into his pathway to Washington, D.C., and discuss opportunities for the next generation of policymakers.
A native of West Virginia, Almond is also an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University, where his course work focuses on U.S. policy, international law, and national security. He has published widely as a contributor to The Diplomat and at leading journals at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Virginia, and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Two other President’s Lectures are planned this semester. Monday, February 20, is the annual Nobel Prize lecture. This year, six Shepherd professors will delve into topics related to each 2022 Nobel Prize, including physics, chemistry, the human genome, literature, peace, and the financial crisis.
Retired Rear Admiral William “Bill” Stubblefield will present “Management Lessons Learned Through Life Experiences” on Monday, March 27. Both lectures take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education.
For more information about the President’s Lecture Series, visit the President’s Lecture Series webpage.
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