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The three winners of the online university's Public Service Challenge will be recognized and awarded for their accomplishments

MINNEAPOLIS, October 19, 2010 – Capella University (http://www.capella.edu), an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing high quality online degree programs for working adults, will host a discussion panel with public service leaders from multiple disciplines to highlight the effective preparations and responses of public service leaders during a pandemic crisis situation. The discussion will be held on Friday, Oct. 22, 2010, at 7 p.m. in conjunction with the online university's PhD colloquium at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. The panelists include:

• Aaron Brown; Facilitator/Moderator
  A recipient of numerous awards for journalism, Brown has covered some of the world's most memorable news stories. He is the first Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism at Arizona State University in Tempe, and is an anchor on PBS' Wide Angle.
• John Hawkins, PhD; Lothian & Borders Police
  A recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, Hawkins is a senior British police officer and an adjunct member of faculty at Capella University. His areas of interest are leadership and leadership development within the public service arena.
• Theresa Kyzar, RN, MSN, MBA; Northwestern State University (NSU)
  Kyzar is a frequent speaker at national and international professional nursing organizations. She is an assistant professor at NSU's College of Nursing in Shreveport, Louisiana; and a health management consultant to long term care companies in the southeastern U.S. Kyzar is earning her PhD in Health Care Administration at Capella University.
• Charles Little, DO, FACEP; University of Colorado Denver
  As medical director of emergency preparedness at the University of Colorado and The Center for Integrated Health and Disaster Preparedness, Little led the hospital response during the H1N1 outbreak. He developed the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment pandemic triage and treatment policies.
• Justin Lombardo, PhD; VP & CLO Children's Medical Center, Dallas
  Lombardo has more than 10 years of experience building integrated learning and development systems for large academic medical centers in adult and pediatric settings. He has served on advisory boards on workforce development at the regional, national and international level.
• Joyce Anne Wainio, MHA; VP National Center of Healthcare Leadership (NCHL)
  Wainio is responsible for supporting the work of NCHL Councils and networks, program development, and coordinating content for the NCHL's external communications. Her career has spanned work in innovative non-profit healthcare organizations, the Federal government, national and state associations, and hospital management.
• Tyler Zerwekh, MPH, DrPH; Memphis & Shelby County Health Department
  Zerwekh oversees the pollution control, vector control, environmental sanitation, and emergency preparedness programs as the deputy administrator for the Environmental Health Services Bureau at the Memphis and Shelby Health Department.

"The challenges in today's public sector call for leaders with the skills and abilities to collaborate across jurisdictional and organizational lines," said Aaron Brown. "Capella University is educating its students to become successful public service leaders who will benefit their individual organizations, the public as a whole, and their own careers."

A special ceremony will follow the panel discussion to celebrate the three winners from the online university's Public Service Challenge. They will each receive either a $10,000 scholarship to Capella University, or a $10,000 charitable donation to an approved organization of their choice. In addition, each will be invited to serve on Capella's Public Service Advisory Council, which helps shape Capella's educational offerings to best meet the needs of public service professionals.

Recognized for its quality programs, Capella University's School of Public Service Leadership multidisciplinary approach is designed to expose learners to parallel disciplines, so that they can partner with health care, public safety, and public administration professionals to solve public service challenges. Programs are developed and taught by expert faculty who are recognized within their field. More than 38,000 students are pursuing an online degree at Capella University, with 31 percent enrolled in Capella's doctoral degree programs, and 47 percent enrolled in Capella's master's degree programs.

About Capella University
Capella University is an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing quality online degree programs for working adults. Nearly 80 percent of Capella students are currently enrolled in master's or doctoral online degree programs in the fields of business, counseling, education, human services, information technology, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work. Capella also offers bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, public administration, and public safety. Within those areas, Capella currently offers 137 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs. More than 38,000 learners were enrolled as of June 30, 2010, from all 50 states and 52 other countries. Capella is committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Founded in 1993, Capella University is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552).

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* Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org.
Capella University, Capella Tower, 225 South Sixth Street, Ninth Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552), www.capella.edu.

Learn more about earning an online degree:

• online education (http://www.capella.edu/online_education.aspx)
• online degree (http://www.capella.edu)
• accredited online university (http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/accreditation.aspx)
• online college (http://www.capella.edu/online_college_degree_programs.aspx)