UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A forum focused on the University’s Strategic Plan and one of its thematic priorities, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources, will be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, in Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center. The purpose of the forum is to provide updates on Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources as well as seek input on the direction and focus of the priority.
Faculty and staff from all disciplines who have an interest are encouraged to attend. Registration is requested. The forum will also be live streamed.
Leading the forum will be:
- Andy Cole, co-chair, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources steering committee
- Lara Fowler, co-chair, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources steering committee
- Lee Kump, co-chair, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources executive committee
- Tom Richard, member, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources executive committee
- Richard Roush, co-chair, Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources executive committee
Fowler, the Institutes of Energy and the Environment’s assistant director for outreach and engagement, said the forum will provide information about what people at Penn State have been working on and provide an opportunity to hear from individuals interested in sharing thoughts on where Penn State might go to address critical questions of food, energy and water.
“Penn State has the opportunity and capacity to provide leadership in addressing the most pressing problems facing society today: energy and food needs, threats to environment and their interrelations,” said Kump, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. “Collaboration is key to addressing these challenges.”
Cole, associate professor of landscape architecture, seconded Kump’s point.
“Collaboration is absolutely essential to both understanding and solving the complex problems that we are faced with when stewarding natural resources,” Cole said. “No one discipline, point of view or paradigm will lead the way. We simply must collaborate.”
Separately, on Jan. 23, Penn State Provost Nick Jones will host a Town Hall meeting for the University community to discuss the University’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.