JMHC’S Aronson Family Lecture Series to explore human aspirations and planetary futures
Purdue staff, students, and instructors are invited to attend the Aronson Family Lecture Series, featuring two free events designed to examine how human aspirations can be harnessed to create a future where people and nature thrive together.
The series, hosted by the John Martinson Honors College, features two events held in Honors Hall, HCRN 1066: the "How We Think" panel discussion on Feb. 5, and the keynote lecture on Feb. 6, “Can Nature Thrive in the Age of Humans?”
Faculty, staff, and students interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP for the events using the provided links:
“How We Think" Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Time, Technology, and Climate Change”
The series will open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, with the "How We Think" panel, which brings together Purdue faculty to discuss disciplinary perspectives on time, technology and climate change. Panelists will explore how these subjects influence their thinking and why.
Panelists include:
- Dan Kelly, philosophy
- Katie Jarriel, John Martinson Honors College
- Kristen Bellisario, John Martinson Honors College
- Upinder Kaur, agricultural and biological engineering
- Andy Paul will moderate the discussion
Keynote Lecture: Can Nature Thrive in the Age of Humans?
The keynote lecture, scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, will address the role of human societies as a force of planetary disruption—propagating pollutants, shifting climates, and erasing biodiversity—and explore ways to redirect this transformative force to shape a better planetary future.
Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), will deliver the keynote. Ellis is a globally recognized researcher in the global ecology of human landscapes during the Anthropocene. His work includes contributions to the U.S. National Nature Assessment, the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, and numerous publications, including Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction.
A reception will follow both events in the Honors Hall Innovation Forum. All attendees are invited to join.
About the Keynote Speaker
Erle Ellis is a senior fellow of the Breakthrough Institute, a fellow of the Global Land Programme, and a former member of the Anthropocene Working Group. He has taught environmental science and landscape ecology at UMBC and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and is a visiting fellow at Oxford’s Martin School.
Andrea Mattingly
Director of Communication for Teaching and Learning, John Martinson Honors College andrea@purdue.edu