Dr. Carlos Cortés, a nationally respected author and professor, will present lectures, workshops and a one-man play about growing up as a person of mixed ancestry at a special two-day event at the University of Washington, Tacoma, May 16 and 17.

The play, “A Conversation with Alana: One Boy’s Multicultural Rite of Passage,” will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 in the Washington State History Museum, across the street from the UW Tacoma campus. A student discussion, community leaders meeting and lecture on diversity and equity in schools will

Cortés, professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Riverside, has lectured widely throughout the world on the implications of diversity for education, government and business. He has authored television and film documentaries on the subject and is a cultural consultant for Nickelodeon’s pre-school cartoon series “Dora the Explorer.” He is the author of the book “The Making and Remaking of a Multiculturalist.”

In addition to his public presentations, Cortés will also meet with UWT and community leaders to discuss constructive multiculturalism in the UWT community.

C-STEP exists to improve the educational experiences of poor children. To meet this goal, faculty members at UW Tacoma collaborate with local K-12 educators and community organizations and engage in research to identify effective instructional strategies and learning environments.