Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, expert on climate change and biodiversity, to speak at UAA Oct. 12

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Wendy Williamson Auditorium

Talk titled "A Wild Solution to Climate Change"

Climate change, biodiversity, environmental conservation, the beauty of the natural world -- all of these are topics that Thomas E. Lovejoy, Ph.D. knows very well. On Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in UAA's Wendy Williamson Auditorium, the Anchorage community will have the opportunity to hear Lovejoy give a free talk entitled, "A Wild Solution to Climate Change." This talk is one of several events happening on campus during UAA's 2010 Homecoming week.

Lovejoy will also take part in a roundtable discussion on Conservation Priorities: Global perspectives vs. Alaska perspectives. Participants include: Thomas Lovejoy; John Schoen (Alaska Audubon Society); Wendy Loya (The Wilderness Society); The Nature Conservancy; Jeff Welker (UAA Environmental and Natural Resources Institute); and Douglas Causey (Moderator). This will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 12 in UAA's Commons, room 107 at 10 a.m.

Lovejoy became the first recipient of the newly created Heinz Center Biodiversity Chair in August 2008. Prior to that, he served as president of the Heinz Center; as the World Bank's Chief Biodiversity Advisor and Lead Specialist for Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Senior Advisor to the President of the United Nations Foundation. In addition, Lovejoy has been Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary at the Smithsonian Institution, Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, and Executive Vice President of the World Wildlife Fund-U.S. He conceived the idea for the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems project, originated the concept of debt-for-nature swaps, and is the founder of the public television series Nature. In 2001 he was awarded the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. Lovejoy served on science and environmental councils or committees under the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University.

Read more about Thomas Lovejoy's work here:

http://www.heinzctr.org/About/lovejoy/index.shtml

Find out more about UAA's Oct. 8-15 Homecoming celebrations here.

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/homecoming