Forest ecologist to speak at Reitz Wednesday

October 29, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Professor Nalini Nadkarni, a world-renowned forest ecologist and former Guggenheim fellow, will speak on the University of Florida campus Wednesday.

Nadkarni is a member of the faculty at the Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Wash., where she teaches environmental studies.

At 8 p.m. in the Reitz Student Union Grand Ballroom, Nadkarni will give a talk on “Tapestry thinking and tapestry actions: weaving threads of science, arts, and the humanities to create the good life” in connection with the humanities course “What is the Good Life?”.

Earlier on Wednesday, she will meet with graduate students, humanities professors, and people interested in sustainability issues to discuss the role of the humanities in conservation.

Nadkarni received the prestigious 2010 National Science Board Public Service Award as an individual who has made significant contributions in public understanding of science in the United States.

The events are sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Sustainability, ACCENT, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, the department of religion, the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions, and Innovation through Instructional Integration.