The Ocean County College Foundation will host a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maureen Dowd as part of the Blauvelt Speaker Series. Dowd, a longtime columnist for The New York Times, will share insights from her distinguished career covering American politics, culture, and the media.
Dowd has been a prominent voice in journalism for decades, known for her work on the Opinion Pages and in the Styles and Arts & Leisure sections of The Times. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1999 for her coverage of the Clinton impeachment and has reported on ten presidential campaigns. Her career includes roles as White House correspondent and metropolitan reporter, with previous positions at Time magazine and The Washington Star.
In addition to her journalism, Dowd is the author of several best-selling books, including “Bushworld,” “Are Men Necessary?” and “The Year of Voting Dangerously.” Her latest work, “Notorious,” a collection of celebrity profiles, was released in March 2025.
Join the OCC Foundation at the Grunin Center’s Main Stage (Building #11A) at 6 p.m. on September 16 for this very special in-person event. Tickets are $20 and available now at grunincenter.org. A free livestream is also available; advance registration is required.
For more information on all of the Foundation’s upcoming events, visit occfoundation.org.
The Blauvelt Speaker Series is funded in part by the generosity of the late Bradford Thomas & Eleanor G. Blauvelt and the Wintrode Family Foundation. This year’s 2025-2026 additional sponsors include Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle, Gutman & Petro, LLC, Arlene and Frank Dupignac, Jr., and Novins, York, Jacobus & Dooley, P.A.
About the Ocean County College Foundation Since 1965, the OCC Foundation has proudly served the Ocean County College community, awarding over $22 million in scholarships and special program funding for deserving students. The generosity of our donors continues to make a lasting impact, supporting initiatives like the Helping Hands Food Pantry, the Blauvelt Speaker Series, the Grunin Center for the Arts, the Global Travel Experience, the Veteran and Military Resource Center (VMRC), the Robert J. Novins Planetarium, Viking Athletics, and many more college and student-led initiatives.