Findlay, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2001 – The University of Findlay’s faculty and the Center for Terrorism Preparedness will hold a forum on terrorism Wednesday, Sept. 19, at noon in Egner Theatre on the UF campus.

Forum members will be John Winowich, director of UF’s Center for Terrorism Preparedness; Jeff Richey, assistant professor of religious studies; and Cindy Reagan-Kuhr, a consultant with the Center for Terrorism Preparedness. Steve Beck, associate professor of communication, will be the moderator.

Winowich will speak on "Terrorism Defined." He has been the director of the Center for Terrorism Preparedness, which is part of UF’s National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management, since 2000. From 1971-00, Winowich served in numerous capacities with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, most recently as deputy director of the Criminal Intelligence and Advanced Technology Section. He also was a special agent, special agent supervisor and criminal information administrator.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from The Ohio State University and has done work toward his law degree at Capital University. He has had special training in terrorism activities. Before coming to UF, Winowich represented the Bureau in a cooperative project with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency in developing an operational plan that would be implemented in the event a terrorist act occurs.

Speaking on the topic "Religion and Terrorism" will be Jeff Richey, Ph.D., assistant professor of religious studies at UF since 2000. Previously, Richey was a Bogard Fellow in the history of religions at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 1999-00.

Richey earned his doctorate degree in the cultural and historical study of religions from Graduate Theological Union in 2000. He also has a master’s degree in religions of the world from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Cindy Reagan-Kuhr will speak on the topic "Social Responses to Terrorism." A consultant with the Center for Terrorism Preparedness, Reagan-Kuhr is director of direct services and statewide outreach for the Ohio Victim Witness Association, headquartered at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. She is responsible for directing services to victims and survivors of violent crimes.

Reagan-Kuhr is also a co-coordinator for the Ohio Crisis Response Team and is associated with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). As a member of NOVA, she responded to the Paducah, Ky., school shooting and the Birmingham, Ala., bombing. She has provided training to law enforcement and other judicial advocates on issues involving victim sensitivity, adult sexual assault, child sexual abuse and the aftermath of terrorism.

She earned a master’s degree in counseling, with a criminology emphasis, from the University of Dayton and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Wright State University.

The forum is free and open to the public.