The 2006-2007 season of the Noble Foundation's Profiles and Perspectives series kicks off with a fascinating talk by former F.B.I. agent Candice DeLong. Called a "real-life Clarice Starling" and a "female Donnie Brasco," DeLong was on the front lines of some of the F.B.I.'s most memorable cases, including the Unabomber manhunt and the Tylenol murder case investigation.

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Ardmore Convention Center, DeLong will present a program called "Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the F.B.I." The audience will get a "day-in-the-life" glimpse of her work as a field profiler as DeLong traces the unusual career path that led her to crime fighting and recounts the obstacles she faced as a woman and a young agent.

Profiles favorites Burns Hargis and Mike Turpen return to the Charles B. Goddard Center on October 10 at 7 p.m. for a discussion entitled "The November Elections: Big Changes or More of the Same?" These political pundits will engage in an informative and humorous discussion of the upcoming elections.

January may be the heart of winter, but garden designer Jon Carloftis' program "Putting Style in Your Garden" will surely turn everyone's thoughts to spring. Carloftis has designed gardens for celebrities such as Julianne Moore and Edward Norton and is author of a recent book "First a Garden." Set for 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the Goddard Center, his presentation will include visual illustrations and plenty of how-to tips for gardeners at all levels of expertise.

The season comes to a rousing close on May 3 when National Geographic Explorer TV host Boyd Matson shares his inside knowledge of "How to Stand Still When the Hippos are Charging." In an engaging presentation, Matson shares the lessons he has learned through calculated and seat-of-the-pants risk taking over his career reporting for National Geographic in a variety of challenging and charged environments. The program will be at 7 p.m. at the Goddard Center.

"This season of Profiles and Perspectives is one not to be missed. We are pleased to bring this diverse, high-quality group of speakers to southern Oklahoma," said Mary Kate Wilson, Noble Foundation granting program officer and chair of the Profiles and Perspectives Committee.

All Profiles and Perspectives programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Noble Foundation at (580) 223-5810 or visit www.noble.org/profiles.

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News Release Issued: August 9, 2006

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.