Distinguished Lecture Series

The James and Marilyn Lovell Center's (JMLC) annual Distinguished Lecture series is designed to bring to campus award-winning, nationally recognized, speakers. The goal is to provide the campus community and members of the public the opportunity to hear commentary on issues of mutual interest, not only in the fields of environmental geography and hazards research, but across disciplinary boundaries.

The First Distinguished Lecture - Captain James Lovell

The first Distinguished Lecture was delivered by Captain James Lovell during the ceremony dedicating the Center in February of 1999. Captain Lovell logged more than seven million miles in space, and is probably best known as the Commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. Lovell spoke of this mission in his lecture, "A Successful Failure - The Flight of Apollo 13." The audience thoroughly enjoyed hearing Lovell's perspective on the beauty and fragility of The Blue Marble in Space--Earth as viewed from orbit around the moon. During their visit, Captain and Mrs. Lovell toured the Center, graciously signed personal autographs, and attended a dedication dinner in their honor.

The Second Distinguished Lecture - Dr. Sally Ride

During the 1999-2000 academic year, the second Distinguished Lecture featured Dr. Sally Ride, America's first woman in space. Prior to her lecture, Dr. Ride toured the JMLC and was interviewed by local media. A physics Professor at the University of California - San Diego, Ride spoke on the topic, "The View from Space." Using photographs from her two Space Shuttle missions, Dr. Ride showed how environmental issues can be seen from Earth orbit, such as deforestation in the Amazon basin, air pollution, and meteorological hazards. Many audience members were schoolchildren from San Marcos and surrounding-area schools, as well a from as far away as Austin. Following her talk, Dr. Ride graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures with many of the audience members.

The Third Distinguished Lecture - Jack Dangermond

The third Distinguished Lecture was delivered in December 2000 by Mr. Jack Dangermond, Founder and CEO of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the world's leader in the development and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Mr. Dangermond spoke on "Environmental Aspects of GIS," stressing the importance of geography and GIS in our increasingly interconnected world. Mr. Dangermond introduced new ideas being examined by his company and inspired the audience with his passion for the subject and his visionary plans. Prior to the public lecture, Mr. Dangermond toured the Department of Geography and the JMLC, and attended a dinner in his honor hosted by Dr. Robert Gratz (Vice President for Academic Affairs) and Mr. Gerald Hill (Vice President for University Advancement). Captain James Lovell was also in attendance, after being unable to attend the second lecture (Dr. Sally Ride's) because he was in the Antarctic in search of Martian meteorites!

The Fourth Distinguished Lecture - Charles M. Duke

The fourth Distinguished Lecture was held February 12, 2002 in the Alkek Teaching Theater with Brigadier General (retired) and Apollo astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr. as the speaker. General Duke was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 16, and spent over 70 hours on the Moon's surface where his activities included installing and activating scientific equipment and experiments, collecting over 200 pounds of rock and soil samples, and evaluating the lunar rover over some of the roughest and blockiest surfaces on the moon. General Duke's lecture topic was, "The Space Age, a Technological Milestone."

The Fifth Distinguished Lecture - Ms. Sarah Andrews

The fifth Distinguished Lecture was delivered by Ms. Sarah Andrews on February 13, 2003 in the Alkek Teaching Theater. A forensic geologist, Ms. Andrews presented, "Putting a Price on the Blue Marble: A Valuation of Our Planet." Holding an MS in Geology from Colorado State University, Ms. Andrews has worked for a variety of entities, including oil companies, the USGS, and as an environmental geologist. An internationally known author, her books (e.g., Tensleep, A Fall in Denver, Mother Nature, Only Flesh and Bones, Bone Hunter, and An Eye for Gold) delve into the worlds of oil drilling, mining, paleontology, and earthquakes.

The Sixth Distinguished Lecture - Mr. Mark Schultz

The sixth Distinguished Lecture, for the 2003-2004 academic year, was delivered by Mr. Mark Schultz, Director, Office of Corporate Relations, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency). Mr. Schultz, whose duties include congressional liaison, public affairs, and agency and customer communication, spoke on "The Power of Geospatial-Intelligence." He emphasized the importance of geography and GIS in our increasingly interconnected world to help decrypt, assess, and rapidly and appropriately respond to critical issues associated with the occurrence of natural hazards and with national security around the world. Prior to the public lecture, Mr. Schultz toured the Department of Geography and the JMLC, and conducted a lively question and answer session with Geography Department students interested in current and future career opportunities in geospatial intelligence.

The Seventh Distinguished Lecture - Dr. Mae Jemison

The seventh Distinguished Lecture, titled, "Endeavours," was delivered April 26, 2005 in the Alkek Teaching Theatre by Dr. Mae Jemison. On September 12, 1992, as an astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Dr. Jemison was the first woman of color to go into space. She initially joined NASA in 1987, conducting experiments in life sciences, material sciences, and co-investigating the Bone Cell Research experiment. After resigning from NASA in 1993, Dr. Jemison started the Jemison Group, Inc., a technology design and consulting company whose projects have included solar thermal electricity generation systems for developing countries and remote areas and the use of satellite-based telecommunications to facilitate health care delivery in West Africa. Dr. Jemison has also served as a Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College (1995-2002), where she directed the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries.

The Eighth Distinguished Lecture - Dr. Stephen J. Pyne

Dr. Stephen J. Pyne's presentation entitled "American History with Fire in Its Eye: How We Got to a World with Too Much of the Wrong Fire and Too Little of the Right," was delivered as the eighth Distinguished Lecture February 1, 2006 in Flowers Hall. Author of numerous books documenting human-environment interaction within the cycle of fire, Dr. Pyne has compiled an outstanding record in teaching, scholarship, and service. As a Professor in the Biology and Society Program of the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU), Dr. Pyne was selected as the AAG's 2005 Honorary Geographer for his exhaustive and geographically informed scholarship of the cultural ecology of fire and fire management.

Ninth Distinguished Lecture - Mr. Marshall Frech

The JMLC's ninth Distinguished Lecture was delivered February 27, 2007, by Mr. Marshall Frech, award-winning writer and producer of educational public service film projects. Presenting his documentary, "Water's Edge: Profits and Policy Behind the Rising Catastrophe of Floods," Mr. Frech described the experiences of central Texas residents during the 1998 and 2002 major floods, offering a well-researched critique of the systemic failures behind the nation's deadliest and most costly type of natural disaster--flooding. In addition to Water's Edge, Mr. Frech has also produced the documentaries Flash Flood Alley and Barton Springs Eternal, created award-winning interactive CD-ROM's (Barton Springs Interactive, Green By Design, Flood Safety), is currently the director of the national Flood Safety Program, and is President of Vantage Point Media in Boulder, Colorado.

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