Jackson Katz, an activist working to help end violence against women, will talk at 7:30 p.m. today in the Duke Ellington Ballroom in the Holmes Student Center about how men can help prevent sexual assault.

“It’s about getting men involved, but it’s not just for men,” said Diane Pospisil-Kinney, a counselor for the counseling and student development center. “We are expecting a big turnout – at least several hundred.”

Tonight’s presentation is part of Katz’s two-day stint on campus, which also includes a professional forum and two small group workshops.

Katz will hold a professional forum on the same topic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

He also will hold two small workshops for student leaders, which are by invitation only. The sessions will be from 11 to 11:50 a.m. and noon to 12:50 p.m. on Thursday in the Heritage Room of the Holmes Student Center.

As part of his work to stop violence, Katz has produced three videos: “Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity,” “Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies and Alcohol” and “Wrestling with Manhood.”

“People might recognize his films more than his name right away,” Pospisil-Kinney said.

As a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Katz became the first male student to earn a minor in women’s studies. He also holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Currently, he is working on a doctoral degree from UCLA. Safe Passage, the DeKalb County domestic violence and sexual assault center, worked together with the CSDC to bring Katz to NIU. Other sponsors include the NCAA, fraternity and sorority life, the Student Association, the Residence Hall Association and the DeKalb County Mental Health Board.

Who: Jackson Katz

What: Presentation on working to end violence against women

When: Professional forum, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium; presentation, 7:30 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom

Cost: Free