At a glance
The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Engineering Technology Building and is open to the public. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. in the lobby of the Engineering Technology Building.
The Alfred State’s New Horizons Forum scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2013, will feature Debra (McQueen) Quinn who will present on Sporadic & Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no known cause or cure. The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Engineering Technology Building and is open to the public. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. in the lobby of the Engineering Technology Building.
Deb began her fight with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) in October 2009. Upon researching her genealogy, she traced the disease through 13 generations of her grandmother’s family to the early 1600s, discovering more than 20 additional family members who suffered from ALS. Deb has brought awareness into her community, working tirelessly with the Hearts for ALS NY organization, speaking at local and national platforms, and most recently speaking before the Food and Drug Administration at a public hearing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She will not settle to keep the door closed and be quiet about this disease. It is hard, but she is the voice for her children, nieces, nephews, and cousins, all of whom have a 50 percent chance of inheriting ALS.
All veterans are encouraged to attend since they are twice as likely to have ALS.
Deb lives on the outskirts of Wellsville with her husband, Mike. She has two adult children, Kristin, 27, and Dustin, 26. Deb holds an associate’s degree in business management from Alfred State.
The New Horizons Forum, sponsored by the School of Arts and Sciences, showcases current scholarly, creative, and public service work by faculty, students, professional staff, and invited guests. It is guided by a campus-wide team of advisers whose goal is to enrich the intellectual life of the institution. Follow the Forum.