News Release

Final diversity series lecture to feature Dauphin County judge

April 16, 2009

Dauphin County Judge Jeannine Turgeon will make the final presentation in Penn State Harrisburg’s year-long Diversity Lecture Series April 21.

Turgeon will deliver her lecture focusing on diverse issues in judicial affairs at noon in the Gallery Lounge of the Olmsted Building. The discussion is free and open to the public. For information, phone 717-948-6180.

Hosted by Penn State Harrisburg’s Diversity and Educational Equity Committee, the series entitled “The Anatomy of Social Justice: A Call to Action” is designed to support the college’s commitment to foster community dialog on issues while providing a forum for the exchange of diverse perspectives. Dedicated to enhance the University and community climate for diversity, Penn State Harrisburg hosts a variety of programs throughout the year designed to foster collaboration and communication among all racial and ethnic groups to improve the quality of life and an appreciation of all cultures in the region and on campus.

Born in Ephrata, Turgeon is a graduate of Central Dauphin East High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from Chatham College and attended the University Pittsburgh School of Law where she was class president. In 1991, she became the first woman to be elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County and only the third Democrat since its inception more than 200 years ago.

She is vice chair of the Judicial Security Committee, a member of the Governor’s Residence Preservation Committee, Pennsylvania Task Force on Parenting Coordination, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, and a member of the Steering Committee of Dauphin County Capital Beginnings Early Childhood Initiative and the Governor’s Pre-K Leadership Council.