For press information, contact Simone Notter Wilson (901) 678-4164

Linda Sherbet, features editor of Veranda magazine and John Francisco Andreu, principal of The Andreu Group, are the featured guest speakers at this year's William R. Eubanks Distinguished Lecture Series in Interior Design on April 8 at 7 p.m. at the Fogelman Executive Center, room 136. A reception will be held following the lecture. Both events are free and open to the public.

Linda Sherbert will speak about the “Behind the Scenes at Veranda Magazine.” At Veranda, Sherbert assigns design stories to writers around the world and edits articles about houses, designers, architecture, books, art exhibitions, cuisine, and other topics. She has interviewed designers Vicente Wolf, Charlotte Moss, actress and architecture activist Diane Keaton, and former Tiffany & Company’s John Loring, to name a few. She frequently writes the magazine’s “Last Word” feature, found on the back page of each issue. She travels outside the United States for stories such as the feature on Villa Taverna, the historic home of the U.S. Ambassador in Rome, Italy.
Sherbert is an award-winning writer and editor with a journalism degree from the University of Florida and a master of fine arts degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

John Francisco Andreu will speak about “Fine Art and Interiors.” As a decorative arts historian, author and lecturer, Andreu regularly contributes articles and essays on design and lifestyle to magazines such as Veranda and Chesapeake Home. He is CasaLife magazine’s fine arts editor and serves on various editorial boards. He curates exhibitions for the Chinese Porcelain Company in New York City and the American International Fine Art Fair, formerly Palm Beach: America’s International Fine Art and Antiques Fair. A frequent guest speaker, Andreu has lectured at leading cultural institutions, including The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach; Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York City; French Heritage Society in Los Angeles; Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, and the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C. In March 2009, Andreu and The Society of the Four Arts presented the four-part series, “Archetype of Luxury: Marie Antoinette—an Enduring Legacy.”
The Andreu Group is a business strategy and management consultancy specializing in the luxury industry and the arts, with presence in New York City, Palm Beach, and Miami.
Andreu received his B.A. from Drew University in New Jersey and continued his studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art in Great Britain, completing a tutorial graduate program. In addition, he has completed course work at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and at Georgetown University.

The William R. Eubanks Distinguished Lecture Series in Interior Design at the University of Memphis was established  in 2007 through an endowment by Mr. Eubanks. Lectures in the series are held annually with outstanding speakers in the field of interior design chosen by a committee of the faculty in association with Mr. Eubanks. Past speakers include Frank T. Koe, former dean of the New York School of Interior Design and Jennifer Garrigues, internationally known interior designer.