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Distributed May 1, 2006
Contact Deborah Goldstein

Well-known sports figures Julie Foudy, Mary Carillo and Donna de Varona will take part in Brown University’s inaugural Sports in Society Colloquium, “Changing the Landscape of Women’s Athletics,” on Friday, May 5, 2006. The night before the Colloquium, there will be special screening of Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team. Both events are open to the public.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Olympic soccer star Julie Foudy, veteran sports broadcaster Mary Carillo, and gold-medalist swimmer Donna de Varona will lead a discussion on “Changing the Landscape of Women’s Athletics” during Brown University’s inaugural Sports in Society Colloquium on Friday, May 5, 2006. The event begins at 4 p.m. in the Salomon Center for Teaching, Room 101. Doors open at 3:15 p.m.

“Athletics plays an important role at Brown, in the Ivy League, and in our larger society,” said David Greene, vice president of Campus Life and Student Services. “The Colloquium will allow for a regular and careful examination of the social and economic impact of athletics. We are delighted to launch this series with such a distinguished group of pioneering athletes whose efforts have led to innumerable opportunities for women in sports.”

The panelists are:

• Julie Foudy, founding member of the first-ever Women’s Professional Soccer League. After securing two Women’s World Cup championships, as well as Olympic and Goodwill games gold medals, Foudy has been a staunch public advocate for gender equity and social issues.
• Mary Carillo, a veteran sports broadcaster who has provided commentary and analysis for a range of high-profile events, such as the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Games. A former competitor on the women’s professional tennis circuit, Carillo won the French Open mixed doubles title with John McEnroe.
• Donna de Varona, the winner of two gold medals in swimming at the 1964 Olympic Games, went on to become one of the first female sportscasters. A founding member of the Women’s Sports Foundation, de Varona was instrumental in Congress’ passage of the 1978 Amateur Sports Act and the landmark Title IX legislation.

Also taking part in the Colloquium will be Ross Greenburg, a 1977 Brown graduate and president of HBO Sports, and Brown senior Sarah Hayes, the 2006 Ivy League Player of the Year in basketball.

A special screening of the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team will be shown the night before the Colloquium, on Thursday, May 5, 2006. Greenberg will introduce the film, which begins at 7 p.m. in List Art Center, located at 64 College St.

Both events are sponsored by Campus Life and Student Services, the Department of Athletics, the Brown Sports Foundation, and the President’s Advisory Council on Athletics.

For more information, contact (401) 863-9447.

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