Giuliana Rancic to speak at Oklahoma lectureship event

Rancic will be the featured speaker at the University of Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center in Norman on Friday. The appearance is hosted by the Alpha Iota chapter of Delta Gamma as part of the OU sorority's biennial Lectureship in Values and Ethics. The sorority hosts the event in association with the OU Panhellenic Association and Campus Activities Council Speaker's Bureau.

Rancic is author of two books: “Think Like a Guy: How to Get a Guy by Thinking Like One” and “I Do, Now What?,” which she wrote with husband Bill Rancic.

Since the lectureship is in October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, Rancic was chosen to speak not only because she went public with her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment, but also because she has since been an outspoken advocate for the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection.

“Giuliana Rancic has done a phenomenal job of reaching out to women and men to increase breast health awareness around the nation,” said Meredith Ellinger, an OU public relations senior who has assumed the role of director of this year's lectureship.

Rancic's battle with breast cancer began during her third attempt at in vitro fertilization.

A fertility doctor had ordered a mammogram. Rancic admits having to be dragged to her appointment “kicking and screaming” the whole way.

“Thank God I did it,” she later told the “Today” show. Rancic's cancer was detected early enough that she was given excellent odds at recovery.

Rancic had a double lumpectomy last October shortly after learning of her cancer. The surgery didn't remove all the cancer, prompting Rancic to undergo a double mastectomy two months later.