John Jensen Distinguished Lecture

The Jensen Distinguished Lecture Series is a momentous event sponsored by RSSG during AAG Annual Meeting. Established in 2016, the Lecture Series aims to invite the preeminent scholars to share their unique perspective and expertise with the broader RSSG community, including identification of larger trends, challenges, and opportunities within their area of expertise.

RSSG proudly announces its 2022 Jensen Distinguished Lecture Series during AAG 2022 Annual meeting:

Date & Start Time: Feb 28, 2022, 8:00am (US EST)

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Dr. Ruth DeFries (Flyer) at Columbia University in New York. Dr. DeFries is a professor of ecology and sustainable development at Columbia University in New York and co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School. She was elected as a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of the country’s highest scientific honors, received a MacArthur “genius” award, and is the recipient of many other honors for her scientific research. Dr. DeFries uses images from satellites and field surveys to examine how the world’s demands for food and other resources are changing land use throughout the tropics. Her research quantifies how these land use changes affect climate, biodiversity and other ecosystem services, as well as human development. She has also developed innovate education programs in sustainable development. In addition to over 100 scientific papers, she is committed to communicating the nuances and complexities of sustainable development to popular audiences through her books “The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis” and “What Would Nature Do?: A Guide for Our Uncertain Times”. DeFries is committed to linking science with policy, for example through her involvement with the Environmental Defense Fund, Science for Nature and People, World Wildlife Fund, and reconciling conservation and development in central India.

Click here to access the 2022 Jensen Distinguished Lecture Series in the AAG 2022 Annual Meeting preliminary program.

Our past speakers are:

2021 – Dr. Qihao Weng, Indiana State University
2019 – Dr. Marguerite Madden, University of Georgia
2018 – Dr. Douglas A. Stow, University of California, San Diego
2017 – Dr. John Jensen, University of South Carolina