Sustainability: From Legacy to Leadership, a Bracken Environmental Speaker Series, connects Ball State University’s history of environmental leadership with practical approaches to building a more sustainable future. Co-hosted by the Miller College of Business and the Council on the Environment, the series features David W. Orr and Tensie Whelan, bringing complementary perspectives on environmental education and sustainable business practices. Through public lectures and focused conversations, the series invites students, faculty, staff, and community partners to explore how sustainability can inform their careers, strengthen organizations, and shape decisions across campus and in their communities.
About David W. Orr
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics emeritus at Oberlin College. His work explores the connections among environmental sustainability, democracy, education, and design. He also served as counselor to Oberlin’s president and as a professor of practice at Arizona State University.
Orr’s books include Earth in Mind, Down to the Wire, and Dangerous Years. He co-edited Democracy Unchained and Democracy in a Hotter Time and has published more than 250 articles, reviews, book chapters, and other professional works.
Beyond his scholarship, Orr has helped put sustainable design into practice. He led efforts to design, fund, and build Oberlin’s Adam Joseph Lewis Center and the Hotel at Oberlin, and he co-founded the Oberlin Project.
Orr has lectured at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States, Europe, and Asia. His contributions to environmental education and leadership have earned him nine honorary degrees and numerous awards, including lifetime achievement recognition from the North American Association for Environmental Education.
A reception immediately follows the lecture.
RSVP online by November 23.
Co-hosted by: Ball State University Miller College of Business and the Ball State Council on the Environment