Diane Rehm will visit Southeast Missouri State University on April 16 as a part of the University Speaker Series.

Rehm, 77, is the host of "The Diane Rehm Show" on National Public Radio and the winner of the Personal Peabody Award.

She has been on the air since 1979 when she became the host of the local morning talk show "Kaleidoscope" on WAMU, Washington D.C.'s NPR member-station.

The talk show was later renamed to "The Diane Rehm Show" in 1984 and became a national broadcast in 1994. Rehm was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological voice disorder that causes strained and difficult speech, in 1998 and nearly lost her career.

Rehm sought treatment and continues to host her show to this day. Rehm did not have a college degree when she started her broadcasting career, though she has received honorary degrees from American University, Virginia Theological Seminary, Washington College, McDaniel College and Shepard University. Rehm has interviewed several prominent people including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and many more.

Dan Woods, the general manager of KRCU and coordinator of the event, said that Rehm won't be lecturing at all and that she would prefer to have a conversation with the audience.

Woods said an email account has been established for people to send Rehm questions ahead of time so that they can be relayed during the event. Emails can be sent to askdiane@krcu.org.

"The KRCU staff have all been working on getting the word out about this event," Woods said. "We've advertised to several public stations here in Cape Girardeau and even up to some in St. Louis."

Woods' ideal turnout would be if the Donald C. Bedell Hall at the River Campus, where the event is taking place, was full, so he has been trying hard to get the word out and encourage people to come to the event. Woods believes this event could be very beneficial for students.

"It's nice to hear a story of overcoming challenges, and that's just what Diane Rehm has to offer. Everybody could benefit from such an encouraging story. This event is beneficial to everybody since it's such a great success story of hard work and perseverance."

Woods isn't the only one excited for Rehm's event. Brad McKee, the station manager of the student-run RAGE 103.7 station on campus, was impressed the university was able to get someone as prominent as Rehm to speak on campus.

"I would like to know what road she took to get to where she is and what kind of traits someone needs in the broadcasting career today," McKee said.

McKee hopes that students will be informed of this event because he believes it will be beneficial for all mass media students. Personally, McKee would like to know out of all of the people Rehm has interviewed, who is her favorite, what questions she asked them and if there is any kind of confidential information that might surprise the audience.

"I hope the university gets more speakers like her in the future because it will be very beneficial for mass media students," McKee said.

Rehm will present at 7:30 p.m. on April 16 at the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus. Woods said that there isn't an underlying reason as to why the event is going to be at the Bedell Hall instead of the Show Me Center like most other Speaker Series events have been in the past.

Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased at the River Campus Box Office or online at RiverCampusEvents.com. Students, faculty and staff with a valid Southeast ID can pick up free tickets at the University Center Room 202, the Center for Student Involvement or the River Campus Box Office.