Martha J. Kanter, the undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Education, will deliver a lecture at the University of Arizona this month.

Kanter will present the second annual Ernest W. McFarland Lecture from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m on March 31. The lecture will be held in the UA's Gallagher Theater, located in the Student Union Memorial Center.

The UA's College of Education initiated the lecture series last year in honor of the late McFarland, a former U.S. Senate majority leader who co-authored the G.I. Bill. McFarland also served as chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.

U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Kanter last year for the position and she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June.

Reporting directly to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Kanter is responsible for the oversight of policies, programs and activities related to federal student aid and also postsecondary education, vocational and adult education.

From 2003 to 2009, she served as chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, one of the nation's largest community college districts.

Previously, she had served as a director, dean and a vice chancellor for the California Community Colleges system. Kanter has also worked for the San Jose City College and De Anza College, where she previously served as president and chancellor.

Shealso has served as a board member or officer for a number of local and national organizations and has been recognized for her leadership.

Kanter received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Brandeis University and a master's degree in education with a concentration in clinical psychology and public practice from Harvard University. She went on to earn her doctorate in organization and leadership from the University of San Francisco.