Outward Bound Oman director and explorer Mark Evans will speak at Penn State on September 18 and 19 to share his unique experiences.  He will discuss the importance of mending cross-cultural differences with the Middle East.

On September 18, Pete Allison, an associate professor of values and experiential learning, will moderate a talk with Evans about cultural values and stereotypes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in 233 HUB. The following day, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Evans will lead a lecture titled ‘Into The Abode of Death’ in the Paterno Library’s Foster Auditorium.

Outward Bound Oman, established in 1941, is an organization that strives to promote personal discovery through unique outdoor experiences. The group attempts to help others develop an appreciation of cultural differences as well as the surrounding world.

Evans is coming to campus as a part of Penn State Reads, and he’s certainly a bona fide explorer. He once spent 49 days crossing the Empty Quarter of Arabia — the largest continuous sand desert in the world — by foot and camel. If that’s not enough to convince you, Queen Elizabeth honored Evans with an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2011 for his promotion of cultural diversity.

Evans will also discuss his ‘Connecting Cultures’ project during his visit, which is an initiative that has brought together ambitious young people from Europe and the Middle East for desert expeditions. This project will soon be open to U.S. applicants, which Evans hopes Penn State students will take advantage of.