Updated: Author Greg Mortenson to speak about building schools in Pakistan, Afghanistan Aug. 27

HOUGHTON -- Greg Mortenson, hero and co-author with David Oliver Relin of the New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, will give three presentations at Michigan Tech University on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Mortenson, an American mountain climber, turned his failure to climb the second highest peak in the world, K2, in the Karkoram mountains of Pakistan, into a humanitarian success. Lost in the mountains, he stumbled into a remote village where impoverished people nursed him back to health. Their only request in return was that he build them a school. Through incredible obstacles, harrowing adventures and cultural challenges, he has been building schools -- especially for girls -- ever since.

Greg Mortenson (standing, far right) is pictured here with a village leader and students in a girls' school he built. Click on photo for larger version. (Image courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute)

Students from both MTU and Finlandia University have been reading and discussing this award-winning book as part of MTU's summer Reading as Inquiry program for first-year students.

Ted Alder, an MTU student orientation leader, will be assisting in one of the small-group student discussions on the book to be held Wednesday morning before Mortenson's presentation.

"I definitely love the concepts that (Mortenson) brings up," Alder said. "I think what he's doing is great. Now, since the whole presidential race is based on this idea of change, he sets good examples for making change (such as) educating girls in countries where it's forbidden or not encouraged."

Building a school near the top of the world. Click on photo for larger version. (Image courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute)

Mortenson will first speak to Finlandia students in a public session open to all from 11 a.m. to Noon in Dow 641 on the MTU campus. Buses will bring Finlandia students to Michigan Tech for the talk.

From 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mortenson will hold a Question/Answer session for MTU faculty, graduate students and staff in Dow 641.

Finally, he will give a public presentation to MTU students and interested persons from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. It will be followed by a Book Signing from 8 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby.

Update: All three of Mortenson's presentations are free and open to the public. His evening talk will also be broadcast on TV monitors in the Horner Lobby of the Rozsa Center, should there be an overflow crowd and standing room only.

Visit Greg Mortenson's Web site to read about his work.

Editor's Notes: Students at MTU last week -- in a few hours -- raised nearly $3000 for Mortenson's schools to meet a matching challenge that doubled their contribution. Read the article on the MTU Web site.

Image of book cover is also courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute.