UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Forum Speaker Series returns this fall with a lecture by Patrick Evans, 1990 Penn State alumnus and special assistant for public affairs for the secretary of the U.S. Navy, on Oct. 23 in the Dean’s Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center. Evans' talk is titled, "Communicating a Culture of Belonging."

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for a buffet luncheon, with the lecture beginning at noon and ending at 1 p.m.

Evans is currently a captain in the U.S. Navy and serves as the special assistant for public affairs for the secretary of the Navy. Previously, Evans served as deputy chief of information, heading the office that develops and leads communication campaigns and guides the voice of the Navy.

Before returning to the Pentagon, he served as a director for strategic communications and assistant press secretary at the National Security Council (NSC) in the White House. At the NSC, he served as the principal strategic communication advisor assistant to the national security adviser, as well as to coordinators and senior directors for the following areas of responsibility and directorates: Defense Policy, Hostages and Detainees, Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and Nuclear Posture Review. His advice, counsel and leadership on a vast range of complex and time-sensitive matters were indispensable to the Press Office’s ability to advise the national security adviser, National Security Council Directorates, and respective staffs within the offices of the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security, as well as the offices of the Attorney General, the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Director of National Intelligence.

Before becoming a full-time, active duty Naval officer, Evans enjoyed a civilian career in broadcast journalism and public relations, holding positions in radio and television, as well as a position as director of communications for the City of New Orleans. In the community, Evans has served as a board member of the Washington, D.C., and Hampton Roads Chapters of the Public Relations Society of America, as well as a board member of the National Naval Officers Association.

Evans received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Penn State and a master’s degree in mass communication and media studies from San Diego State University, where he successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. 

All Penn State Forum events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Tickets are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch. Tickets can be purchased for Evans' talk at this event link.

The Penn State Forum Speaker Series is modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series, which includes a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions.

Additional speakers in the 2023-24 series include:

• Feb. 21, 2024 — Lori Hepner, 2023-24 Penn State Laureate and professor of arts at Penn State Greater Allegheny
• March 29, 2024 — Lisa Salters, Emmy-winning sports reporter and ESPN sideline reporter