Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News, will deliver "A View from Washington on Current World Affairs" on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Mitchell's talk is part of Open VISIONS Forum, a program of University College.

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Mitchell has become one of the most recognized and respected names in television news among viewers across the nation and around the world. Twice nominated for an Emmy Award, she's held her current post for nearly 10 years, reporting on evolving foreign policy issues for all NBC News and MSNBC broadcasts, including "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" and "Today."

Mitchell's extensive and varied reports have included traveling to Havana, Cuba for an exclusive interview with Fidel Castro for the Elian Gonzalez story and coverage of air strikes in Kosovo and Yugoslavia. She was the only network correspondent to travel to Belgrade with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and she reported exclusively on the release of American POWs during the NATO/Yugoslav conflict. She has covered the Middle East peace process, the Hong Kong handover, civil war in Afghanistan, U.S.-China relations, nuclear proliferation in Pakistan and India and terrorism.

"At a moment when the nation and the world is awaiting the future direction to be taken by the White House and the president's advisors, we are indeed fortunate to be hosting Andrea Mitchell, whose penetrating insights into the inner workings of the State Department have clarified the muddy waters of global relations," said Philip Eliasoph, Ph.D., founder and director of Open VISIONS Forum.

Mitchell was one of the top NBC political correspondents during the 2000 election, hosting MSNBC's "The Mitchell Report," the network's election broadcast of record. She was also the lead reporter covering the hotly contested New York state senate race between Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio.

While she specializes in foreign affairs, Mitchell has reported on a wide variety of issues during her tenure at NBC. She's examined many of the major domestic and political issues of the day - from Medicaid fraud and sex discrimination in the military to campaign finance reform and gun control.

Before taking her current post, Mitchell had been NBC News Chief White House Correspondent, a post she held after covering Bill Clinton from the New Hampshire primary through the 1992 election. During her tenure at the White House, Mitchell consistently broke stories, including reports on gays in the military and military intervention in Bosnia and Haiti.

From 1988 through 1992, Mitchell was NBC's Chief Congressional Correspondent, turning her attention to the budget, the saving and loan bailout, the Clarence Thomas hearings and other legislative issues. She was also a regular political analysis for "Today."

Mitchell joined the NBC news team in 1978, having started her career in 1967 working at a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia radio and television stations.

Mitchell has covered every presidential election since 1976 and reported on several U.S. presidencies, beginning with Ronald Reagan's first term in 1981. She covered the Iran-contra issue, arms control and the budget and traveled extensively with President Reagan to summits with Mikhail Gorbachev and other world leaders.

Over the years, Mitchell has gained a reputation as an astute political commentator, having served as a regular guest and substitute host on "Meet the Press." She was also a panelist in the final Bush-Dukakis presidential debate.

According to a Southern Illinois University annual study, Mitchell was the most visible woman in network television, reporting 98 stories for "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" in 1999. That summer she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for outstanding instant news coverage for her reporting on the crisis in Iraq and the embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya.

Born in New York, Mitchell holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a trustee. She is also a member of the executive committee and chairman of the Annenberg School Advisory Board. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Tickets are $22, with discounts for students and senior citizens. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website, www.quickcenter.com

Posted On: 01-07-2004 10:01 AM

Volume: 36 Number: 144