The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech honors Molly Ivins, the widely syndicated political columnist and best-selling author, with the 2003 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Progress and Service on Thursday, March 27 at 1 p.m. After the award ceremony, Ivins will give a talk entitled, "Molly Ivins Can't Say that Can She?" also the title of her best selling book. The program takes place in the Student Center Ballroom on the Georgia Tech campus. Doors will open at 12:50 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

"Since we are celebrating 50 years of women at Georgia Tech, it is especially appropriate to honor Ms. Ivins, who has blazed a trail in the largely male-dominated arena of political journalism," said Usha Nair-Reichert, co-chair of the Founder's Day Committee and associate professor of Economics. "We want to recognize Ms. Ivins for her years of exceptional political commentary and her ability to use humor to critique both state and national politics and politicians."
Last year, former President Jimmy Carter received the 2002 Prize, named in honor of former Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. (Class of 1933) and the College's namesake. Senator Zell Miller received the first Prize in 2001.

In addition, Ivan Allen College celebrates its Founder's Day on March 27 by presenting a panel discussion on "Academic Transitions: Lessons for the Future" at 9:30 a.m. in the Clary Theater in the Student Success Center. Panelists include former female faculty at Georgia Tech who will discuss their experiences and challenges as one of a small number of female professors on campus.

Panel participants include: Miriam Drake, dean emerita, Library; Helen Grenga, professor emerita, Materials Science and Engineering; Annibel Jenkins, professor emerita, English Department; and Dorothy Cowser Yancy, president of Johnson C. Smith University and former professor of History, Technology and Society and in the School of Management at Georgia Tech. Sue Rosser, dean of Ivan Allen College will moderate the panel.

Ivins is known for her wit and irreverence for all things political. She has authored two best-selling books, "Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?" and "Nothin' But Good Times Ahead," both collections of essays on politics and journalism. She has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times and was the winner of the 1992 Headliners Award for best column in Texas.

Ivins' freelance work has appeared in Esquire, Atlantic, The Nation, Harper's, TV Guide and numerous other publications. She also does occasional commentary for National Public Radio and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. She served for three years on the board of the National News Council, is active in Amnesty International's Journalism Network and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She writes about press issues for the American Civil Liberties Union and several journalism reviews. She has received a number of journalism awards and in 1976 was named Outstanding Alumna by Columbia University's School of Journalism.

Ivins is from Houston, has a B.A. from Smith College, a Master's in journalism from Columbia University and studied for a year at the Institute of Political Science in Paris. She speaks both French and Spanish. She began her career in journalism at the Houston Chronicle and has also written for the Minneapolis Tribune, the New York Times, and The Texas Observer.

Ivan Allen College, the liberal arts college of Georgia Tech, is named for Atlanta's legendary mayor, businessman, and Tech alumnus, Ivan Allen Jr. The College was founded in 1990 to provide a strong liberal arts dimension for all Tech students and to permit focused majors in humanities and social sciences, with an international technological and professional emphasis. Ivan Allen College includes the Schools of Economics; History, Technology and Society; the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; Literature, Communication and Culture; Modern Languages; and Public Policy as well as Air Force, Army, and Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units.

Note: Media are invited to cover Molly Ivins' remarks and the presentation of the 2003 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize in the Student Center Ballroom on campus at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 27. The Prize presentation is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Ivins speaking shortly thereafter. Please call Elizabeth Campell at 404-894-4233 for assistance or more information about this event.