California Attorney General Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. will discuss his 40-year career in politics and answer questions about the state's future during the Jack W. Peltason Lecture, sponsored by the School of Social Sciences' Center for the Study of Democracy.

UCI Student Center, Crystal Cove Auditorium (bldg. 113, grid E8 on campus map)

Free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the event, contact the Center for the Study of Democracy at 949-824-2904. Media should contact Laura Rico at 949-824-9055 or lrico@uci.edu. Parking is available for $8 in the Student Center Parking Structure at the corner of West Peltason and Pereira drives. For more information on the center, visit www.democ.uci.edu.

Jerry Brown's political career began in 1970 when he was elected California secretary of state. Brown was elected governor in 1974 and reelected in 1978. During his tenure as governor, California experienced robust economic growth and strengthened environmental protections. In 1998, Brown was elected mayor of Oakland and focused on housing, crime reduction and education. He is a firm advocate of tough criminal penalties such as the three-strikes law and has long sought to improve students' math and science training. Brown was elected attorney general in 2006.

UCI's Center for the Study of Democracy fosters academic research and education to provide a better understanding of the democratic process and includes scholars from the departments of political science, sociology and economics.

The Peltason Lecture, established in 1999, honors the contributions of Jack W. Peltason, UC president and UCI chancellor emeritus, and his wife, Suzanne, to higher education and the study of the democratic process. Past Peltason lecturers include leading politicians, dignitaries and journalists. Learn more at www.democ.uci.edu/ education/peltason.php.