Paul Smith’s College VIC announces fall lecture series

This fall, the Paul Smith’s College VIC will host a series of lectures on topics ranging from Adirondack issues to broader science and conservation.

Beginning Sept. 25, the presentations will take place Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through the end of October. Bill Weber and Amy Vedder, who helped found the Mountain Gorilla Project in Rwanda, will be the first featured with their ”In the Kingdom of Gorillas,” exploring both Adirondack and international land management.

The following Thursday, the VIC will host Chad Dawson, an author, educator and recent appointee to the Adirondack Wild board of directors, with “The Forest Preserve and Climate Change.”

The lecture series, which totals 11 presentations, is sponsored by the Adirondack Council.

“The Adirondack Council is happy to sponsor this great lineup of speakers at the Paul Smith’s College VIC,” said William Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack. “From local to international issues, the speakers during the lecture series will provide diverse views on a broad range of topics. We’re excited that students from Paul Smith’s and NCCC can attend for free, and proud to support the great programs that the VIC offers.”

Also included in the lineup is Juan Perez-Mercader, a Harvard University senior research fellow and contributor to NASA’s Mars Program.

For a complete schedule, see below. Admission is free for Paul Smith’s College and North Country Community College students, and $5 for the general public. For more information, visit paulsmiths.edu/vic.

Sept. 25 – Bill Weber and Amy Vedder, “In the Kingdom of Gorillas”
Sept. 30 – Chad Dawson, “The Forest Preserve and Climate Change”
Oct. 2 – Brad Edmondson, “A Wild Idea: The Birth of the Adirondack Park Agency and What it Means for Today”
Oct. 7 – Juan Perez-Mercader, “Searching for Life in the Universe and Making it in the Laboratory”
Oct. 9 – Retired rangers, “Old Rangers Tell Old Adirondack Rescue Stories”
Oct. 14 – Aileen O’Donoghue, “Galaxies and the Large Scale Structure of the Universe”
Oct. 16 – Jerry Jenkins, “The Northern Forest Atlas: New Tools for Field Biology”
Oct. 21 – Charlie Canham, “Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Adirondack Forests”
Oct. 23 – Brian Mann, “Reporter’s Notebook: A Conversation with NPR Correspondent Brian Mann”
Oct. 28 – Julia Goren, “Alpine Summits and Visitors”
Oct. 30 – Aaron Mair, “Forever Adirondack Campaign: Wilderness and Climate Resistance”

The Paul Smith’s College VIC is a non-profit educational organization committed to providing access to this 2,800-acre campus for Adirondack year-round residents, seasonal visitors, K-12 students, and the Paul Smith’s College community.

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. We are able to draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive and adventurous individuals collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu »