WHAT:          The 13th Annual Disabilities Symposium, hosted by the Weingarten Learning Resources Center, University of Pennsylvania, will welcome guest speakers Angela Duckworth and Adam Taliaferro.
 
                    Taliaferro’s inspirational remarks, “Navigating Life’s Challenges Through Belief in One’s Self,” will focus on the strength of the human spirit and how we all have the ability to overcome obstacles.
 
                    In remarks entitled “True Grit,” Dr. Duckworth will focus on self-control and grit. She will discuss how these competencies play out in children and adults.
 
WHO:            Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania professor and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient
                    Adam Taliaferro, former Penn State football player
 
                    Adam Taliaferro sustained a life-altering spinal cord injury in a 2000 at a Penn State football game and made a miraculous recovery. A South Jersey native, Taliaferro’s journey was chronicled in the 2001 book Miracle in the Making. He graduated from Penn State in 2005 and earned a law degree from Rutgers-Camden. He works as a health care advocate and is a member of the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders. His Adam Taliaferro Foundation raises money to provide financial assistance to people affected by spinal cord injuries.
 
                    Angela Lee Duckworth is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2013 MacArthur Fellow, known internationally as the “Genius” grant. She studies non-IQ competencies, including self-control and grit, factors that predict success both academically and professionally. Her research populations have included West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee finalists, novice teachers, salespeople and students.
 
 
 
WHEN:          April 11, 2014
                    8:15 a.m.- 4:45 p.m.
 
                    8:30-9:45 a.m.            Adam Taliaferro
                    12:15-1:45 p.m.          Angela Duckworth
 
 
WHERE:        University of Pennsylvania
                    Houston Hall
                    3417 Spruce St.
 
 
A complete list of program speakers and sessions can be found at www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc/sds/currentsymposium