OSU will host Margot Lee Shetterly in Detrick Hall for the annual Provost’s lecture on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. 

The lecture is free for the public and will be a hybrid event hosted in-person with an online option.

Shetterly is the author of the bestselling non-fiction book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” 

The book — later adapted into the blockbuster film “Hidden Figures” — follows the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three female African American mathematicians who worked for NASA during the space race. 

Hidden Figures not only follows the women’s work at NASA but also the discrimination and other barriers they faced on their path to making widely recognized contributions to science and engineering.

According to the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts website, Shetterly will discuss “race, gender, science, the history of technology, and the surprising ways women and people of color have contributed to American innovation.” 

The provost’s lecture series is an annual event bringing prominent individuals to speak at OSU.

According to Kayleen Eng, the manager of executive events and communications for the office of the provost and executive vice president, “The Provost’s Lecture Series brings prominent scientists, acclaimed writers, and key policymakers to Oregon State University to present on matters of national and international importance.”

Last year, the provost’s lecture with Margaret Atwood was moved online due to an anonymous threat of violence. 

According to Eng, there have not been any safety concerns or threats ahead of this year’s lecture with Shetterly.

More information about the Provost lecture and how to reserve tickets can be found on PRAx’s website. 

The lecture will also be recorded and posted online after the lecture. The recording will remain available for viewing until mid-November.