Scott A. Margolin '99 Lecture in Environmental Affairs

The 2021 Scott A. Margolin ‘99 Lecture in Environmental Affairs presents:

“Forests, bats, guerrillas: A systems approach for thought and action in the Anthropocene” by Liliana Davalos, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University.

Vast and fast, the scope and pace of Anthropocene change challenge the best efforts to model the world. Yet, environmental change is also deeply intimate, making collective and individual imaginations crucial to shaping the future. I will draw from experiences in the field, the lab, and in between to reveal formerly hidden connections across seemingly disparate systems, from armed conflict to deforestation, from the origin of flight to viral defenses in bats, offering perspectives on our post-pandemic future.

Inspired by the richness of life and cultures in the tropical forests of my native South America, I have pioneered new ways of understanding how species and trait biodiversity emerge, and how to prevent habitat loss in biodiversity hotspots. Using integrative quantitative approaches, I have made significant contributions, upending understanding of fundamental questions in superficially disparate, but intimately connected, areas of biology: comparative evolution of dietary adaptations, quantitative paleobiology, and conservation policy.

Click here for the Zoom link. PW 405417