CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — A former member of the White House Press Corps and a true-crime writer kick off the Penn State Lehigh Valley Criminal Justice Lecture Series this fall.

Veteran journalist Steven L. Herman recounts his days working on the front lines of the White House Press Corps in his new book, "Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President — and Why It Matters." In it, Herman shares his own experiences and includes anecdotes about the "love/hate relationship" between the president and the press dating back to George Washington.

Debra Dreisbach, assistant teaching professor and criminal justice program coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV), said Herman will give students and community members a rare “behind the scenes” glimpse of how journalists cover the president. “There needs to be transparency, and of course truth in what the president talks about,” Dreisbach said.

Herman will also discuss the small but critical logistical details of a presidential press event, such as how microphones are placed, and “the inner workings of being a press person,” Dreisbach said.

Herman will speak at PSU-LV on Monday, Sept. 9, at 12:15 p.m. in room 135.

Author Peter Houlahan’s new book, "Reap the Whirlwind: Violence, Race, Justice, and the True Story of Sagon Penn" recounts a criminal case from the 1980s involving a young man named Sagon Penn. According to Houlihan, the incident forever changed how San Diego would respond to incidents involving police and communities of color. Penn died in 2002; Houlahan never had the chance to interview him. The book’s information comes from court transcripts, personal interviews, and archival police reports.

Dreisbach said, “The book is very timely and relevant in that it talks about police officers and racial bias. The book is getting a lot of traction, and it’s a great tie-in to the Critical Race Theory class that’s running on campus in the near future."

Houlahan’s presentation is Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 12:15 p.m. in room 135.

The goal of the speaker lecture series is to offer students and the wider community the opportunity to listen to presenters and topics they might not normally be exposed to. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Visit the Criminal Justice Lecture Series website for more information on upcoming programs.