Amherst geosciences professor to speak at Vassar College, November 12

Rutherford H. Platt, professor of geography and law will speak about "The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century City" at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, in Sanders Auditorium at Vassar College.

Platt's lecture, which is free and open to the public, is the keynote address for Geography Awareness Week. His talk is sponsored by the Department of Geology and Geography, the Environmental Studies Program, the Urban Studies Program, and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.

Platt is professor of geography and planning law in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Amherst, where he specializes in federal, state, and regional policies concerning land and water resource management, natural disasters, land use law, and urban ecology. He was educated at Yale University and the University of Chicago.

Currently, Platt is developing and directing the Ecological Cities Project to share experience and research on the protection, restoration, and management of urban greenspaces. The project has received funding from the U. S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and other sources.

Platt chairs the National Research Council Roundtable on Natural Disasters and is a member of both the NRC Water Science and Technology Board and the Association of American Geographers. He has previously served on eight panels of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council, twice as the chair. In recognition of his services, he was appointed a Lifetime National Associate of the National Academies in December, 2001.

The publications Platt has authored and edited include "Land Use and Society: Geography, Law, and Public Policy" (Island Press, 1997), "The Ecological City: Preserving and Restoring Urban Biodiversity" (Univ. of Mass. Press, 1994), and "Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events" (Island Press, 1999). Platt has served as a consultant to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the World Book, and the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment.

For more information, call the Office of Campus Activities at (845) 437-5370. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Cathy Jennings, Office of Campus Activities, (845) 437-5370, as far in advance as possible to request reasonable and appropriate accommodations for the event.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Tuesday, November 12th, 2002.