February 25, 2009 EPA Administrator to Deliver Women's History Month Keynote Address on March 5

To honor women who have taken the lead in the environmental or “green” movement, the National Women’s History Project has chosen “Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet” as the 2009 theme for National Women’s History Month. In keeping with the theme, the Library of Congress has invited Administrator Lisa Perez Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver its keynote address at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, in the Mumford Room, located on the sixth floor of the Library’s James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; tickets are not required. Jackson, the first African American to head the EPA, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate on Jan. 23, 2009. As head of the EPA, Jackson manages a staff of approximately 18,000 professionals dedicated to protecting the public health and environment for all Americans. Born in Pennsylvania, Jackson was raised in New Orleans. A summa cum laude graduate of Tulane University’s School of Chemical Engineering, Jackson earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University. She began her career at EPA, where she worked for 16 years, initially at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and later at its regional office in New York City. She joined New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection in 2002, serving as assistant commissioner for compliance and enforcement, and as assistant commissioner for land-use management. New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine appointed her as the department’s commissioner in 2006. Prior to her recent appointment at EPA, Jackson served as Corzine’s chief of staff. In conjunction with Women’s History Month, the Library will also present several discussions, a film, a display and a Web site. A panel discussion on “Women in Science and Engineering” will be held at noon on Thursday, March 12, in Dining Room A, located on the sixth floor of the Madison Building. The moderator and featured panelist will be Carol Burger, associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Virginia Tech and coordinator of the university’s Science and Gender Equity Program. The Law Library of Congress will present a lecture by former Maryland Rep. Constance Morella 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, in the Whittall Pavilion, located on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First Street S.E. The lecture is titled “Legislating in Heels: An Anecdotal Journey.” A film titled “A Sense of Wonder” will be shown at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 19, in the Madison Building’s West Dining Room. The 55-minute film, which features pioneer environmentalist Rachel Carson’s struggle to defend the natural world, will be introduced and discussed by Diana Post, executive director of the Rachel Carson Council. Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library’s extensive holdings include millions of items pertaining to women’s history and culture. A display featuring items from the Library’s collections that reflect women’s contributions to the environmental movement will be on view through March 31 in the foyer of the James Madison Building. The Library also will launch an online resource page at www.womenshistorymonth.gov to highlight its collections about women and their accomplishments. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its Web site at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a new, personalized Web site at myLOC.gov.