Dr. Lester Thurow, MIT Professor of Management and Economics and best-selling author, will give the lecture, "Ensuring a Solid Foundation for Education, the Stakes for America and Our Future" covering the importance of educational funding to our overall economy. Thurow's lecture will take place at Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. Tickets are currently available through Ticketmaster, for approximately $26.50, $32.00 or $42.50. Thurow's lecture is hosted by CollegeNET, a Portland-based technology company providing admissions, event scheduling, and other Internet systems for colleges and universities.

Thurow is known for his ability to make economics not only clear but also compelling for lay audiences. During his hour-long lecture, he will address issues such as whether there is a correlation between spending per pupil and educational achievement and how Oregon ranks with other states on both of these measures; what the charter school movement implies; and how other states insulate education funding from cyclical economic changes. Thurow will also comment on the tension between funding for seniors versus funding for education and how education funding is liable to be impacted by the graying of our population. Following the lecture, Thurow will open the floor to questions from the audience.

According to Thurow, "More than ever, funding education has become a critical issue - particularly in Oregon. Looking beyond present budget challenges to the effect our economic decisions have on the future of not just students, but America as a whole, is crucial."

"Oregonians are very worried about the hardships placed on our schools by the current economic situation," said CollegeNET President Jim Wolfston. "We are very pleased Prof. Thurow has agreed to speak, as his perspectives should be timely, helpful and motivating."

Thurow has been hailed as "one of the sharpest intelligences currently dissecting economic policy" by the Financial Times. A prolific writer, Thurow is the author of several books including Head to Head: The Coming Economic Battle Among Japan, Europe and America, which stayed on The New York Times best seller list for more than six months. Thurow was a former staff economist on President Lyndon Johnson's Council of Economic Advisors. He has also served on the editorial board of The New York Times, as contributing editor for Newsweek and as a member of Time magazine's Board of Economists. Thurow's writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and Technology Review. He also provides regular commentary on "The Nightly Business Report" television program.

About CollegeNET, Inc.
CollegeNET, Inc. (corp.collegenet.com) is focused on providing technologies that save institutions money and improve educational access and affordability for citizens. The company provides innovations in event and academic scheduling, admissions, web-based tuition processing, prospect management, alumni development and email management to colleges, universities and nonprofits worldwide. More than 1,000 institutions including M.I.T., University of Nebraska, University of Washington and Virginia Tech now use CollegeNET e-solutions. The company is headquartered in Portland, Ore.