Marine biologist Jane Lubchenco and atmospheric chemist Mario Molina to discuss science and the environment at Assembly Series

Marine biologist Jane Lubchenco and atmospheric chemist and Nobel laureate Mario Molina will deliver the second Sesquicentennial Environmental Initiative lecture at 3 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. The lecture, which focuses on science and the impact of human society on ecological systems, is free and open to the public and will be held in Graham Chapel, located just north of Mallinckrodt Center (6445 Forsyth Blvd.) on the Washington University campus.

During its Sesquicentennial year, Washington University is launching an initiative to help better understand the role that research universities can play in addressing issues related to the environment. This project represents the beginning of an environmental initiative that will shape the educational programs, research, and operations of the University related to the environment, and will become one of the defining interdisciplinary programs at the University.

Lubchenco is an environmental scientist with broad interests in understanding the natural dynamics of Earth’s ecosystems. She holds joint appointments in marine biology and zoology at Oregon State University. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant and the 2002 Heinz Prize in the Environment.

Molina has helped develop our understanding of the chemistry of the ozone layer and its susceptibility to human-made disruptions. He works on the problem of rapidly growing cities with severe air pollution. Molina came to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1989 with joint appointments in the department of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences, and in chemistry. He has received several awards for his scientific accomplishments including the Heinz Prize in the Environment and the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which he shared with professors F.S. Rowland and P. Crutzen for their work on polar ozone depletion.

For more information on the Assembly Series lecture, call (314) 935-4620 or visit the Assembly Series web page (wupa.wustl.edu/assembly).