Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Series presents Richard Alley
Note: Registration for Richard Alley’s public lecture (Wednesday, April 7 at 4:00 pm) is available here. Registration for the roundtable discussion (Thursday, April 8 at 3:00 pm) is available here.
The Delta Maine Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society at the University of Maine will welcome renowned geoscientist Richard Alley (Penn State University) on April 7 and 8 as its 2021 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar.
Since 1956, the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program has been offering undergraduates the opportunity to spend time with some of America’s most distinguished scholars. The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students.
Richard Alley studies the great ice sheets to help predict future changes in climate and sea level, including multiple trips to Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, and elsewhere. He has been honored for research (including election to the US National Academy of Sciences and Foreign Membership in the Royal Society), teaching, and service. Dr. Alley participated in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize), and has provided advice to numerous government officials in multiple administrations.
As part of the series, Alley will deliver a public lecture, participate in a public roundtable discussion with UMaine faculty members, and join a variety of classes across campus for virtual visits, including informal talks with representatives of Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center).
On Wednesday, April 7 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Alley will deliver a Zoom talk titled “Finding the good news on energy and environment,” where he will attempt to find good news in light of stories of climate catastrophe. Alley will argue for evidence that shows if we use knowledge wisely, we can build a larger economy in a cleaner environment with more jobs, improved health, and greater national security more consistent with the Golden Rule. Today’s students belong to the first generation in human history with confidence that they can build a sustainable energy system, providing the power we enjoy to everyone everywhere. Registration for Alley’s public lecture is available here.
On Thursday, April 8 at 3:00 pm, Alley will be joined by faculty from across campus for a roundtable discussion titled “Have We Reached a Tipping Point? The possibilities and Implications of Abrupt Climate Change.” Joining Professor Alley will be Don Beith (Philosophy); Sam Hanes (Anthropology; Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions), Cindy Isenhour (Anthropology; Climate Change Institute); Karl Kreutz, (Earth and Climate Sciences; Climate Change Institute), and Laura Rickard (Communication and Journalism; Climate Change Institute). Registration for Thursday’s roundtable is available here.
Chapter president, Timothy Cole, associate dean of the UMaine College of Liberal Arts, expressed appreciation to the Phi Beta Kappa Society and to Professor Alley for working with the chapter to reschedule the Visiting Scholar program after the pandemic forced cancellation of the event in spring 2020.
“Someone of Professor Alley’s stature, speaking on the urgent issue of climate change, will be of great interest to the campus community, and we’re excited to be able to bring him to campus, even virtually,” Cole said.
PBK Visiting Scholar events are open to the public, but registration is required and space is limited.
The Delta of Maine chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a national scholastic honor society, received its charter at the University of Maine in Orono in 1922. The purpose of the honorary society is to recognize and encourage scholarship, friendship, and cultural interests.