Dr. Diana Sorrentino, who is the director of security and intelligence operations of Lehigh Valley Paladin, will present the address “Looking Forward While Reflecting Back” as this year’s annual LGBTQ+ History Month Lecture at Hope College on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 4 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium.

The public is invited. Admission is free. Members of the campus community who cannot attend the event may request access to a link to the recording by using this form: https://forms.gle/JgdqHDuxPSATTEic8.

The keynote address will focus on a historical and personal overview of the LGBTQ+ movement and the positive changes Sorrentino has witnessed and personally experienced over the previous 25 years. She will share how very different it is today for those in the LGBTQ+ community in regard to credible information and access to viable resources when compared to when she began experiencing gender dysphoria in the 1960s. Sorrentino will explore who the LGBTQ+ community is and the influences which drive their lives and influence their behaviors and decisions. She will review the impact and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community using credible and factual aspects associated with the physiological, biological, emotional and psychological elements.

Sorrentino’s academic credentials include doctorates in sociology and psychology. The breadth and depth of her knowledge, experience, skills and resources are as comprehensive as they are diverse. She has enjoyed an eclectic professional career with a portfolio of real-world experiences and expertise which have been attained and enhanced through the diversity of her career. This career; which encompasses a period of more than 40 years, includes: service as an intelligence officer, researcher and analyst for the U.S. military with responsibilities for counter terrorism and counter intelligence operations for the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

Sorrentino is a regular media contributor as a security consultant.  She also provides behavioral analysis, threat assessment and in-depth interrogation services in the criminal defense cases as well as for the prosecution of capital murder cases.  Sorrentino designs, develops, implements and presents customized programs, in-service training and seminars.

The event is being co-sponsored by the college’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Prism and the campus-wide GROW (Growing Relationships through diverse Opportunities to strengthen involvement in an ever-changing World) initiative.

Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar

Due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion requests and encourages wearing masks indoors.