Allison Pond, a researcher at The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, will give a forum address entitled "A Portrait of Mormons in the US" at Southern Virginia University Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. in the Stoddard Activities Center.

The Pew Forum seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs.

Pond helped design and conduct the “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey”—a landmark study that illuminates the religious makeup, religious beliefs and practices as well as social and political attitudes of the American public. She will address what the study revealed about Latter-day Saints in the U.S.

Prior to joining the Forum, Allison worked for the International and Government Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for the National Crime Prevention Council.

Allison received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University in 2000 and a master's degree in public policy with a focus on education, social and family policy from Georgetown University in 2005.

Local community members are invited to join Southern Virginia students, faculty and staff each Friday morning at 11 a.m. to hear devotional or forum speakers. Recordings of past forum and devotional speeches may be accessed online at http://svu.edu/speeches/forums.aspx.