Rob King, vice president and editor in chief of ESPN.com, will present this year's Axthelm lecture on Thursday, October 11.

King, whose professional career includes that of cartoonist, graphic artist and reporter, will present the Axthelm lecture at 7 p.m. in Cudahy 001.

About the lecturer:
Rob King is vice president/editor in chief of ESPN.com. In this role, he is responsible for supervising all content and the overall editorial direction for the leading online sports destination and its related properties. King also manages an award-winning team of more than 200 editors, writers, designers and producers across ESPN.com and its network of related sites.

King joined ESPN four years ago as a senior coordinating producer in Studio Production, where his duties included oversight of the network's NBA studio shows, the ESPNEWS network, Outside the Lines, ESPN's golf coverage, and its news research department.

Prior to joining ESPN, King spent nearly 22 years in newspapers, a run that included stops in Danville, IL., Cherry Hill, NJ, Louisville, KY and Philadelphia. Along the way, his job titles included editorial cartoonist, graphic artist, general assignment reporter, graphics editor, director of photography, presentation editor, deputy sports editor, assistant managing editor and ultimately, deputy managing editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer. All of which is to say he can't hold a steady job. One notable exception: Fourteen years after a spectacular lapse in judgment, his wife hasn't yet sent him packing. His three-year-old son Elijah and infant daughter Amani are thus far undecided on the matter.