Embry-Riddle Professor Speaks on Heroes

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Embry-Riddle Professor and Author Discusses Lost and Heroes TV Series

Daytona Beach, Fla., Nov. 13, 2007 -- Noted pop-culture scholar and author Dr. Lynnette Porter will speak on “What it Means to be a Hero: Unlikely Heroes from Lost and Heroes” on Monday, Nov. 26, as part of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s 2007-2008 Arts & Letters Series.

Presenting her research in a multimedia format that is thought-provoking, audience-friendly, and fun, Dr. Porter will examine the surprising new kind of hero depicted in the television series “Lost” and “Heroes.”

In “Lost,” a blend of suspense and action with a science-fiction twist, the survivors of a jetliner crash cope with existence on an unidentified island that offers no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. In the sci-fi drama “Heroes,” several ordinary people realize they have incredible abilities and an important role to play in preventing a catastrophe that threatens the world.

Dr. Porter is the author of the popular Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide, now in its second edition, Lost’s Buried Treasures, and Saving the World: A Guide to Heroes, and has provided analysis of “Lost” to television and radio stations. In addition, she’s a contributing writer for the official “Lost” Fan Club’s website and answers questions for fans in About.com’s “Lost” section. A book sale and signing will follow her presentation.

An associate professor in Embry-Riddle’s Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Dr. Porter is a nationally recognized expert on hero literature and films, such as The Odyssey and The Lord of the Rings. Her Unsung Heroes of The Lord of the Rings: From the Page to the Screen was nominated as the best Tolkien-themed book published in 2005 for the One Ring Celebration.

Dr. Porter’s presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. in the Miller Instructional Center auditorium on Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd. Donations are gratefully accepted and parking is free. For more information, call the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at (386) 226-6668 or visit www.erau.edu/arts.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.