Stephen Fried is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of seven acclaimed books, including Rush: Revolution, Madness & The Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father (a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize), Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the West—One Meal at a Time, and Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia (which introduced the word “fashionista” into the English language.) A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, Fried has written for Vanity Fair, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian, Rolling Stone, Glamour, and Philadelphia magazine. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres.

In his address, Fried will discuss the process of giving voice to American mental health care through its long history to the present day—from the perspective of patients, families, treatment professionals, and politicians.