Diversity Training Leader Ismail Speaks on Islam in the U.S.

SALISBURY, MD---“Multicultural” isn’t just about ethnicity. It also includes religion. Lobna “Luby” Ismail, founder and president of the diversity training organization Connecting Cultures, Inc., addresses that truth as part of Salisbury University’s Multicultural Festival Week. She presents “Understanding Islam and Muslims in the U.S.” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri University Center. The author of Doing Business in the Middle East and North Africa and Finding Diversity: A Directory of Recruiting Resources, Ismail has appeared as an expert on national and international news programs. Selected as a Peace Fellow for Seeds of Peace and a Malone Fellow in Middle East and Islamic Studies by the National Council for U.S. and Arab Relations, she participated in a study visit to Saudi Arabia. Most recently, she was selected to present at the Arabian Society for Human Resource Management conference in Bahrain and the Society for Human Resources' Workplace Diversity and annual conference as a professional on the cutting edge of emerging religious diversity issues and Islamic awareness. Ismail has conducted training for Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and private corporations including AETNA, Walt Disney World, Department of the Army and Navy, Convergys, Department of Justice, Fairfax and Montgomery County Public Schools, Foreign Service Institute, Institute of International Education, ExxonMobil, Marriott International, NIKE and DuPont Merck. As an advocate and volunteer to teach diversity and inclusion in schools, she was presented with the 1999 Parent of the Year award by the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Multicultural Festival events continue 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, in the Wicomico Room with an Asian and Pacific Islander adoption issues panel, allowing Asian and Pacific Islander students adopted by non-Asian families and raised in the United States to share their experiences. Thursday, April 29, is Multicultural Festival Day, featuring samples of multicultural food and entertainment from noon-3 p.m. at the Devilbiss Hall mall area and Pergola. The SU Dance Company hosts a children’s matinee featuring flamenco and African dances at 1 p.m. in Holloway Hall Auditorium, open to children, parents and teachers. Advance reservations for the matinee are required by Thursday, April 22, and may be made by calling 410-548-4183. Multicultural Week events conclude with a Ritmo Latino (Latin rhythm) dance from 7-11 p.m. Friday, April 30, in the Gull’s Nest of the Guerrieri Center. Admission to all activities is free and the public is cordially invited. For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.