South Pole cancer survivor to speak at luncheon

Dr. Jerri Nielsen, who captured the world's attention in 1999 when she was stranded at the South Pole with breast cancer, will speak at the Murphy Enterprise Center's Leadership Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Addison.

Tickets for the event are now available. Individual tickets are $150 each and tables of 10 are $1,250. Sponsorships are also still available.

While serving as the doctor for a South Pole expedition, Nielsen discovered a lump in her breast. Isolated from medical treatment due to the severe weather conditions, she performed her own biopsy and treatment using correspondence via e-mail with an oncologist in the United States.

Her struggle against death earned her worldwide recognition. Nielsen's address is titled "Seizing Life in Difficult Times."

At the luncheon, geared for Dallas-Fort Worth business leaders but open to the public, winners of the $50,000 Shirley Murphy Business Plan Contest will be announced. Student-led teams from across Texas have competed for cash awards of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for first, second and third place.

"With this seed money, students are able to participate in entrepreneurial endeavors and make their dreams into a reality," says Eileen Curry Resnik, director of the Murphy Enterprise Center.

Also at the luncheon, an individual will be honored with the Murphy Award presented for a lifetime of achievement in entrepreneurship. A select group of UNT students who have participated in the Kauffman Entrepreneurship Internships program will also be recognized. The Jerry Durant Family of Dealerships in Weatherford is the main sponsor of the luncheon.

Proceeds from the luncheon will be used to create awards for student entrepreneurs, provide scholarships and develop programs offered through the Murphy Enterprise Center. For more information, visit the center's web site at www.murphycenter.unt.edu.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

Other web references

• Murphy Enterprise Center web site

Other featured articles in this issue

• It's not too late to participate in SECC
• UNT study questions sizing methods in women's apparel
• UNT historian says familiar Halloween icon came from history's witch hunts
• Staff members honored at annual convocation
• UNT crime statistics available online
• Campus events planned for Halloween
• UNT to host conference on green building
• Faculty, staff encouraged to participate in parking and transportation survey
• Competition at UNT to rival TV's popular robot wars

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