IU President Michael A. McRobbie and First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie hosted a dinner honoring Nobel Prize winner Nadia Murad during her Oct. 8 visit to campus. 

Murad received the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to end sexual violence as a weapon of war. She is a member of the Yazidi minority in Iraq and detailed her experience in her memoir "The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State." 

Murad also founded a non-profit, Nadia's Initiative, that helps rebuild communities in crisis and works to stop sexual violence and genocide.

"Laurie and I were extremely honored and pleased to welcome Nadia Murad to Indiana University and to hear her extraordinary story of courage, perseverance, grace under unconscionable circumstances and activism," McRobbie said. "Her efforts at such a young age to draw global attention to the tragedy of human trafficking and slavery, advocate for survivors of sexual violence and create a world free from genocide and sexual violence are truly inspiring."

Murad came to campus as a guest of the Hutton Honors College's Many Worlds, One Globe initiative and spoke to students in the IMU Solarium. 

"Our faculty and staff work every day to instill in our students the wisdom they need to solve the world's greatest problems, the courage to respond when they are called upon to advance the common good and the understanding that, in today's society, their future success will be measured in how well they transform knowledge and ideas into helping people," McRobbie said. "It is our sincere hope that the IU students who were fortunate to get to hear Nadia's remarkable story will be further inspired to confront and conquer today's most difficult challenges and to devote themselves to public service and making the world a better place for everyone."