United Nations Foundation Advocate Gillian Sorensen to Headline Third Day of NAFSA Conference

LOS ANGELES, May 27, 2009 - Gillian Sorensen, senior adviser and national advocate for the United Nations Foundation, will give tomorrow's plenary address at the 61st Annual Conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, taking place this week in Los Angeles. The plenary event begins at 10:45 AM on Thursday, May 28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Early arrival is strongly advised for reporters interested in covering this event.

Prior to joining the United Nations Foundation, Sorensen served as assistant secretary-general for external relations under Kofi Annan from 1997 to 2003. She also served as a special adviser to former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and as New York City Commissioner for the United Nations and Consular Corps. Sorensen travels widely educating Americans about the work of the United Nations and fostering public-private partnerships to address the world's most pressing problems.

NAFSA's annual conference is the world's largest gathering of professionals in international educational exchange. More than 7,000 participants from 100 countries are expected this year. The conference runs through Friday, May 29.

Other conference highlights for Thursday, May 28:

• Conference concurrent sessions will run from 8:00 AM to 5:15 PM. These sessions are open to the news media. No reserved seating will be available, and prompt arrival is advised.
• Over 400 organizations are exhibiting at the conference's International Education Expo. The Expo, located at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will be open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on Wednesday.
• Pre-registration is closed. Reporters may register on-site, 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM.

The NAFSA Press Pass includes admission to the NAFSA Conference and Expo between Tuesday, May 26, and Friday, May 29, for the plenary speeches, the opening and closing celebrations, the International Education Expo, and the concurrent sessions. In many session and seminar rooms, seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. No reserved seating for news media will be available, and prompt arrival is advised. Conference workshops, private events, special events that require pre-registration or payment of a fee, and meetings of NAFSA leadership and member groups are closed to the news media.

For advance or on-site help, to schedule interviews, or to arrange a quick guided orientation to the conference, contact andya@nafsa.org.