Ball State University will welcome environmental author and scholar David W. Orr on Wednesday, Dec. 2, for a free public lecture exploring how education, career choices, and individual action can help address the challenges of a changing world.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required by Monday, Nov. 23. Registration information can be found on the Ball State website.
Mr. Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics emeritus at Oberlin College, will present “Post-Election Politics in a Hotter Time: Building 'Democracy 4.0' and What It Could Mean for Your Life and Career" at 3 p.m. in the Recital Hall of Ball State's Fine Arts Building. A reception will immediately follow the presentation.
The event is part of Sustainability: From Legacy to Leadership—A Bracken Environmental Fund Speaker Series, presented by Ball State's Miller College of Business and Council on the Environment. The series connects the University's history of environmental leadership with practical approaches to building a more sustainable future.
“Preparing students to lead means helping them understand how the decisions they make—in their careers, organizations, and communities—connect to the larger challenges shaping our world,” said Dr. Cathy DuBois, Bryan Dean of Ball State University’s Miller College of Business. “David Orr’s visit offers students and community members an opportunity to consider the relationship among democracy, sustainability, leadership, and civic responsibility, and to think about the role they can play in building stronger communities and institutions.”
The speaker series features sustainability experts Dr. Orr and Tensie Whelan, bringing complementary perspectives on environmental education and sustainable business practices. Through public lectures and discussions, the series invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to consider how sustainability can inform their careers, strengthen organizations, and shape decisions.
Mr. Orr's work explores the connections among environmental sustainability, democracy, education, and design. He is the author of nine books, including Earth in Mind, Down to the Wire, and Dangerous Years, and has published more than 250 articles, reviews, book chapters, and other professional works.
Beyond his scholarship, Mr. Orr has helped put sustainability principles into practice. He led efforts to design, fund, and build Oberlin's Adam Joseph Lewis Center and the Hotel at Oberlin, and co-founded the Oberlin Project, an initiative connecting the college and surrounding community through sustainability efforts.
Mr. Orr previously served as counselor to the president of Oberlin College and as a professor of practice at Arizona State University. He has lectured at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has received nine honorary degrees and numerous awards recognizing his contributions to environmental education and leadership.