Altoona to host psychotherapist Nura Mowzoon and Penn Badgley of 'Gossip Girl'

ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn Badgley, of "Gossip Girl" fame, and psychotherapist Nura Mowzoon will speak on campus at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, in the Wolf Kuhn Theatre of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts.

Free tickets for students can be reserved on DiscoverWest. On a first-come, first-served basis, free tickets for faculty, staff and community members can be picked up in the Student Affairs Office, 103 Slep Student Center, Monday through Wednesday, April 6 through 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In "Can We Talk: Engaging in Cohesive and Collaborative Conversations," Badgley and Mowzoon will unpack and analyze the interplay of media and social science. They will explore how we are having conversations with those in our immediate circles and in wider society and engage in a constructive dialogue about how to shift our style of discourse from one of contention to one of cohesion and collaboration.

Penn Badgley is an actor, director, producer and writer for television and film. Known most commonly for his roles in "Gossip Girl" and "YOU," he has been working as a professional in media for over 25 years, and engages in discourse around the influence of media on young people. Penn is also the co-founder of Ninth Mode, a production company that premiered "PODCRUSHED," a podcast focusing on the period of adolescence as an opener to deeper conversations about youth and formative experiences.

Psychotherapist Nura Mowzoon has been helping couples and individuals with their relationships for more than a decade. She holds a bachelor's degree in family studies and child development and master's and doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy. Mowzoon is also an instructor at Arizona State University, where she teaches courses in social sciences.

This event is sponsored by Student Affairs at Penn State Altoona and funded through the Student Initiated Fee Activities Fund.