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Keiser Distinguished Lectureship in Life Sciences topic: ‘Wilderness, Wildness and Biodiversity’

Ohio Northern University will host a lecture by Reed Noss, the provost’s distinguished research professor at the University of Central Florida, in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Noss’ presentation, titled “Wilderness, Wildness and Biodiversity: Realized Through Natural History,” is part of the Keiser Distinguished Lectureship in Life Sciences program, named in honor of ONU alumnus Terry D. Keiser, professor of biological sciences and director of University sustainability. The Keiser Distinguished Lectureship in Life Sciences brings nationally and internationally prominent life sciences scholars to ONU’s campus each year to lecture and interact with students. The Keiser Lectureship was the first program of its kind at Ohio Northern.

Noss has nearly 300 publications and is recognized as one of the 500 most highly cited authors in all fields. His research involves the application of science to species-level and ecosystem-level conservation planning, restoration and management. He is currently writing a book on southern grasslands, studying the effects of suburban and exurban development on bird communities, and conducting research on impacts of, and adaptation to, sea-level rise in Florida.

Noss is the president of the Florida Institute for Conservation Science. He has a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Dayton, a Masters of Science in ecology from the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida. He has served as editor-in-chief of Conservation Biology (1993-97), president of the Society for Conservation Biology (1999-2001), and president of the North American Section of the Society (2006-2008). He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has served on many boards and advisory panels, including the Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology, the Board of Trustees of the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council. He recently served as vice-chair of a Federal Advisory Committee for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.