Dr. Richard Alley, the world-renowned climate scientist, will speak at SUNY Potsdam on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.
SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Geology will welcome a distinguished guest speaker for an upcoming public talk. Internationally recognized climate change expert Dr. Richard Alley will speak about “Finding the Good News on Energy and Environment” on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., in Kellas Hall Room 105.
Dr. Alley, who is the Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, will discuss his outlook on energy, climate change and their impact on society in his remarks. Among his many accomplishments, Alley is well known as the host of the PBS documentary series, “Earth: The Operators’ Manual.”
This event is free, and the public is invited to attend.
There will be a reception preceding Alley’s talk from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Timerman Hall Commons on Oct. 18, with appetizers and a cash bar. Guests can admire the recently renovated building and its new museum displays that faculty, alumni and students are currently working to fill with the geology department’s collection of rare minerals, rocks and fossils.
About the speaker:
Dr. Richard Alley is the Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, where he is also an associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. He studies the great ice sheets, to help predict future changes in climate and sea level, and has conducted three field seasons in Antarctica, eight in Greenland, and three in Alaska. Dr. Alley teaches, and conducts research on the climatic records, flow behavior, and sedimentary deposits of large ice sheets, to aid in prediction of future changes in climate and sea level.
Alley has been honored for his research, teaching and service, including through election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and as a Foreign Member of The Royal Society. He participated in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which was the co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize), and has advised numerous governmental officials in multiple administrations on the topic, including a U.S. Vice President, Presidential science advisors, and committees and individual members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Alley has authored or coauthored more than 290 referred scientific papers, and chaired the National Research Council’s panel on abrupt climate change. He was the presenter for the PBS TV miniseries on climate and energy, “Earth: The Operators’ Manual,” and is author of the companion book. His popular account of climate change and ice cores, “The Two-Mile Time Machine,” was chosen science book of the year by Phi Beta Kappa in 2001.
SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Geology prepares students for in-demand careers in the sciences, or for further study on the graduate or professional level. The department offers majors in geology and geographic information science (GIS), with a strong focus on both lab and field experience. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Geology.
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.