Marlene Johnson, Minnesota's first woman lieutenant governor, will visit campus this week and speak at the Fayetteville Public Library as part of a tour promoting her new book, "Rise to the Challenge: A Memoir of Politics, Leadership, and Love." 

Johnson, who was elected lieutenant governor in 1982, has been a leader in international and higher education. "Rise to the Challenge" delves into her career in business and politics, as well as her experience as a medical advocate after her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury. 

Gina Shelton, interim director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media's Center for Media Ethics and Literacy, will host a Q&A with Johnson at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, in the Walker Community Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. The event is open to everyone. Johnson will also spend time on campus speaking to students, faculty and administrators while in Fayetteville.

"Marlene's story has so many lessons relevant to students: how to get politically active, how to ethically navigate challenging situations, and how to lead," Shelton said. "And a poignant part of her story is a guidebook to caregiving."

Johnson served as executive director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the world's largest international education nonprofit, where she met DeDe Long, emeritus director of the U of A Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange.

"During the many years I was immersed in international education, Marlene was one of my heroes. She completely broadened my understanding of leadership," Long said. "But until I read her book, I did not fully appreciate the extent of her accomplishments and personal challenges. Her story is truly worth telling and she is very worth meeting."

Current Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan told University of Minnesota Press that Johnson "wasn't just the first woman to be Minnesota's lieutenant governor. She was also the first lieutenant governor to have a specific policy portfolio. She had access and influence in ways that laid the groundwork for me and others to follow." Minnesota has never had a female governor. Current Gov. Tim Walz is the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

"I look forward to engaging with the people of Fayetteville and spending time at the University of Arkansas, an institution with a rich history of international educational exchange and global education more broadly," Johnson said.

 "Rise to the Challenge" was published this fall by the University of Minnesota Press. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the Fayetteville Public Library or at pearlsbooks.com. Find out more about the book.