Dr. triumphs over troubled past

The College of Education and Human Services will be hosting a lecture next week in the University Center.

For those interested in attending, here are some quick facts.

Who
Dr. Jarik Conrad, president of Conrad Consulting Group, LLC. Conrad grew up in a housing project in East St. Louis, Ill., an area that has been described as the most distressed small city in America.

Conrad recently led the Blueprint for Prosperity, an initiative to improve Jacksonville’s quality of life.

What
Conrad will speak about his new book, “The Fragile Mind: How It Has Produced and Unwittingly Perpetuated America’s Tragic Disparities,” which is part of his autobiography combined with research findings on racial disparities in America.

When
7:30 p.m., Sept. 23

Where
University Center

Experience
Conrad serves on the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations as well as several non-profit boards. He served in leadership positions with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Union Carbide Corporation, The Pillsbury Company, Citigroup, CSX and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Jacksonville Business Journal named him one of the top-40 professionals less than 40 years old in Jacksonville.

Education
Conrad earned his doctorate in Education from UNF, a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations degree and Master of Business Administration from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois.

Compiled by Holli Welch.