The Biology Department is planning a special event honoring our home planet on April 22
The Ecology Program at San Diego State University is celebrating Earth Day with Earth-friendly, zero-waste giveaways and activities that educate on key environmental issues studied at SDSU and beyond.
The event will start with a lecture titled “Global Change Science in a Rapidly Changing World” by UCLA Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Elsa Ordway.
Dr. Ordway, who also serves as Co-Director of both the Center for Tropical Research and the Congo Basin Institute, is this year’s recipient of the SDSU Biology Department’s Award for Excellence in Conservation Science. Ordway’s research group examines social-ecological systems in forested regions in the context of two globally pressing challenges: Climate change and increasing demands for land to accommodate food, fuel and fiber production for a growing global population. How humans choose to address these challenges will have far-reaching impacts on ecological processes, biodiversity and society. Ordway’s research program integrates theory and methods from ecology, earth science, economics and land system science to gain new insight into pattern and process across scales in forests.
After the lecture, graduate students from SDSU’s Ecology program will host a digital poster session showcasing impactful conservation research at SDSU. During the poster session, attendees will get to taste and vote on their favorite Earth-inspired confections made by members of the Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) and other members of the Department of Biology.
In addition to free food, BGSA will also give away succulent plants, allowing attendees to take home a living organism that actively helps make Earth healthier by pulling excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Find out the full schedule of events below and contact Professor of Biology Rulon Clark with any questions regarding SDSU’s Earth Day celebration: rclark@sdsu.edu
Earth Day Lecture
Dr. Elsa Ordway, UCLA Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Co-Director of the Center for Tropical Research and the Congo Basin Institute, will deliver a lecture titled “Global Change Science in a Rapidly Changing World.”
When: 4-5 p.m.
Where: Shiley BioScience Center’s Gold Auditorium
SDSU Ecology Poster Session
Learn more about SDSU’s critical conservation research! To save paper, posters will not be printed and will instead be displayed on computer monitors.
When: 5-6 p.m.
Where: Shiley BioScience Center’s Gold Auditorium
Earthy Snacks Competition and Succulent Plant Giveaway
Enjoy food and socializing with other science-interested students, faculty and staff! All food will be finger-food so please bring your own beverage container, and a washable plate or bowl if you wish to use one.
When: 5-6 p.m.
Where: Shiley BioScience Center’s Gold Auditorium