Centofanti speaker series advances with $500,000 boost

If you enjoyed recent campus lectures by Gloria Steinem, Ben Carson and W. Kamau Bell, then get ready, because there are more like those on the way.

The James and Coralie Centofanti Charitable Foundation has pledged an additional $500,000 to help support the successful Centofanti Symposium at YSU.

The symposium has brought an array of nationally- and internationally-recognized speakers to Youngstown over the last five years, and this additional funding will allow that to continue.

“The Centofanti Symposium has attracted thousands of people from across the region to YSU and to Youngstown to hear some of the most intriguing, influential and entertaining people in the country today,” YSU President Jim Tressel said. “Our continued thanks to the Centofanti Foundation for its commitment to making such events available free of charge to this area.”

The gift is part of YSU’s $100 million “We See Tomorrow” fundraising campaign.

The Centofanti Foundation donated $1 million to YSU in 2012 to establish the James and Coralie Centofanti Center of Health and Welfare for Vulnerable Populations at the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services. The center focuses on providing support for educational initiatives, student scholarships, research, and workforce development that promotes the well-being of individuals affected by debilitating illness, poverty, disability and discrimination.