Posted 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2023
Climate expert to speak at UWL Prairie Springs Lecture Series
A world-renowned climate scientist, sustainability expert and educator will speak at UW-La Crosse.
Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, will speak as part of the UWL Prairie Springs Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, in Hesprich Auditorium, Graff Main Hall, 1725 State St. Admission is free.
Foley received his doctorate from the UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences. From 1993-2008 he worked at UW–Madison where he launched the Climate, People and Environment Program, founded the Center for Sustainability and Global Environment, and served as the first Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies.
From 2008-14 Foley served as the founding director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, while also serving as the McKnight Presidential Chair of Global Environment and Sustainability. Then between 2014-18, he worked as executive director of the California Academy of Sciences. Since 2018 he has served as the executive director of Project Drawdown, “The World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions.”
UWL Sustainability Program Manager Andrew Ericson, describes Foley as a "Sustainability Superstar." Ericson says his lecture, titled “Achieving Drawdown — A Hopeful, Science-based Plan to Address Climate Change,” will cover topics including climate change, sustainability, climate solutions, ecosystems, natural resources and more.
“Hopefully, when you leave the lecture, you will feel cautiously optimistic about the world’s ability to respond to climate change,” says Ericson.
Foley’s presentation is part of the fourth annual Prairie Springs Lecture Series, funded by The Paul Fleckenstein Trust, which brings speakers to campus to discuss environmental issues. This year's lecture is also sponsored by the UWL College of Science and Health, UWL Green Fund, UWL Department of Geography & Earth Science, and Western Technical College Sustainability.