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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Two diversity advocates will speak Friday at Oregon State University on the impact diversity and inclusion has on the economy.

Mark Szollar, an Oregon State alumnus, is the advertising director of diversity, recruitment and sports marketing for the New York Times. He will be joined by Douglas C. Freeman, CEO of Virtcom Consulting and founder of the World Diversity Leadership Summit.

Szollar and Freeman will speak on "The Positive Impact of Diversity and Inclusion on the U.S. Economy and Your Career," at 11:30 a.m., Oct. 1, in Memorial Union Room 109. A reception takes place at 10:30 a.m.

Szollar graduated from OSU in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in Resource Recreation Management, and received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1989.  He has been at The New York Times for 27 years. He is a member of the National Society of Hispanic MBA's, as well as "VOCES," the New York Times Hispanic-American Affinity Group.  Szollar is also on the advisory boards for the National Association of Black Sports Professionals, the Asian MBA Conference, and Veterans Across America.

Freeman holds a master's degree in public policy focused on international trade and finance from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to founding Virtcom, Freeman was head of North American business development and operations for Mondus.com, an Internet company based in the United Kingdom.

The OSU event is sponsored by the Memorial Union Program Council, and is the first installment in this year's MUPC Speaker Series, which is focused on diversity. Warren Washington, Chief Scientist of the Department of Energy/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research will speak Nov. 3.