Maverick Speakers include Emmy winner, space shuttle pilot, Edward R. Murrow winner

By: Kristin Sullivan, UTA -- 08/23/2012

UT Arlington’s 2012-2013 Maverick Speakers Series kicks off Sept. 25 with a lecture by legendary sportswriter and novelist Frank Deford (upper left) and features Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers (upper right) and Animal Planet host Jeff Corwin (lower right). In its fifth season, the Maverick Speakers Series brings some of the brightest minds of our time to UT Arlington to feature the people, ideas, actions and solutions that have an impact on the world around us. General admission tickets are free, and the lectures are open to the public. Patrons may purchase a Premium Seating package for $25 for any of the lectures. The package includes a front-of-house seat, reserved parking near the venue, front-of-line access to book-signings and more. Premium Seating packages are available exclusively at www.utatickets.com. As in previous seasons, free general admission tickets also may be obtained through the website. All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in either College Park Center, 601 S. Pecan St., or Texas Hall at 701 W. Nedderman Drive. Visit www.uta.edu/maverickspeakers to learn more. Frank Deford Deford kicks off the series Sept. 25 at Texas Hall. Tickets will be available Aug. 28. With a 50-year tenure at Sports Illustrated, Deford is a senior contributing writer. As a commentator, he appears regularly on National Public Radio and HBO’s “Real Sports” with Bryant Gumbel. Deford has authored 17 novels; his latest is “Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter.” He has written several television documentaries, and his novel “Everybody’s All-American” was turned into a feature film. Among his journalism honors are a Peabody, CableACE, and an Emmy. Deford also serves as chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The 2012-2013 Maverick Speakers Series also includes: Cokie Roberts Oct. 4 – ABC News political commentator Cokie Roberts (middle upper photo) discusses “An Insider’s View of Washington, D.C.” at Texas Hall. Tickets will be available Sept. 6. Roberts provides analysis for all ABC News programming. She also serves as a contributing senior news analyst for National Public Radio and is a regular roundtable analyst for “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” In her more than 40 years in broadcasting, Roberts has won many prestigious awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award and an Emmy. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and American Women in Radio and Television has cited her as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. Seth Meyers Nov. 19 – Actor and comedian Seth Meyers at College Park Center. Tickets will be available Oct. 25. A fan favorite on “Saturday Night Live,” Meyers is in his sixth season as head writer and “Weekend Update”anchor. This year marks his 11th season as part of the SNL cast. Before “Update,” Meyers was a regular player in SNL sketches and performed numerous characters and impressions. He has hosted the Webby Awards twice. Most recently, he hosted the 2011 ESPY Awards and headlined the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. He co-created “The Awesomes” with Mike Shoemaker of SNL. The half-hour series was picked up by Hulu.com and will premiere in 2013. Mark Kelly Feb. 19, 2013 – Astronaut, retired U.S. Navy captain, and best-selling author Mark Kelly (pictured lower left) discusses “Endeavoring to Build a Better America” at Texas Hall. Tickets will be available Jan. 22, 2013. An experienced naval aviator, Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War. As an astronaut, he flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. Kelly became the center of international attention after the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Kelly’s identical twin brother is also an astronaut, and they are the only twins and only siblings to have both traveled in space. Jeff Corwin March 27, 2013 – Television host and nature conservationist Jeff Corwin closes the season with “100 Heartbeats: A Global Movement” at College Park Center. Tickets will be available Feb. 28, 2013. Corwin has been working for the protection of endangered species and ecosystems around the world for nearly three decades, but he is best known as the host of the Animal Planet show, “The Jeff Corwin Experience.” For his conservation efforts, he was named ambassador of climate change and endangered species on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, a prominent conservation organization. Corwin’s well-reviewed book, “100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species,” was published in 2010.