Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, World-Renowned Paralympian, to Speak at Walden University Academic Residency

Author, advocate and inspirational speaker will address students Saturday, Feb. 23, in Atlanta

Minneapolis—February 19, 2013—World champion, Paralympian, advocate and author Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt will speak to more than 500 doctoral students at Walden University’s academic residency on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Sheraton Atlanta. In her plenary address, “Dream. Drive. Do.,”Dr. Forber-Pratt will share her inspirational story and explain why everyone has the potential to succeed.

Adopted as an infant from Calcutta, India, Dr. Forber-Pratt was only in the U.S. for two months when she developed a neurological disorder that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She credits seeing wheelchair athletes compete in the Boston Marathon when she was 5 with inspiring her to see beyond her disability. At 9, she began wheelchair racing at the national level, earning two bronze medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and eventually setting a world record in the 200m. Although at 14 she had to fight her school district for the right to a public education, today she holds a Ph.D. in human resource education.

Co-author of an educational coloring book for children, Color. Learn & Play: All About Sports for Athletes With Physical Disabilities, Dr. Forber-Pratt frequently speaks to school-age audiences, encouraging both aspiring Paralympians and their classmates to see beyond limitations. Outside the classroom, she is dedicated to transforming the way society perceives individuals with disabilities.

Academic residencies at Walden, an accredited online university, support students’ academic and professional goals by connecting them with individual faculty mentors, student support staff and hundreds of peers. During academic residencies, students from select doctoral and master’s degree programs have the opportunity to conceptualize and develop research that contributes to positive social change.

Walden’s plenary sessions are an integral part of the residencies and are led by speakers from around the world who share an array of experiences and viewpoints with the hope of inspiring debate and lively conversation. These sessions are intended to provide Walden students and faculty and staff members with the opportunity to hear perspectives on a variety of topics that are meaningful and relevant to their lives as scholars and practitioners.

About Walden University
For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 46,500 students from all 50 states and more than 145 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 65 campus-based and online universities in 29 countries.

Walden offers more than 75 degree programs with more than 345 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org.