Ambassador Dennis Ross to Present America's Role in Middle East Peace Released: April 27, 2005 Ambassador Dennis Ross, the 2004-2005 Allis-Chalmers Distinguished Professor of International Affairs at Marquette University, will hold a public forum on Tuesday, May 3 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium on the Marquette University campus.  He will present the Dr. Edward D. Simmons Lecture on Society and Human Values entitled “America's Role in Middle East Peace.”  The event is free and open to the public. Ross is director and Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  For more than 12 years, he dealt directly with the parties in Middle East peace negotiations and led U.S. efforts in the administrations of both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.  Ross was instrumental in assisting Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 interim agreement, successfully brokered the Hebron Accord in 1997, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and worked closely on Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations. Ross is a famed scholar and author, whose most recent work, The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for the Middle East, is a comprehensive look at the Middle East peace process.  His list of awards is impressive, including the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, the State Department's highest award, and honorary doctorates from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Syracuse University. Ross is featured regularly on national news shows for his expertise in Middle East politics. This is the second of two public forums held at Marquette University. Office of Public Affairs Contacts Anne Broeker Senior Media Relations Specialist Phone: (414) 288-0286 Send e-mail