"What are the chances a collapse of civilization can be avoided?” That's the weighty question renowned biologist and author Paul Ehrlich will tackle in his Burack President's Distinguished Lecture, Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. in the Davis Center's Grand Maple Ballroom.

Dr. Ehrlich is Bing Professor of Population Studies and president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. He is known for his tireless work in population biology, which covers ecology, evolutionary biology, behavior, human ecology and cultural evolution. During his illustrious and occasionally contentious career, he has authored and coauthored more than 1,000 scientific papers and articles in the popular press and more than 40 books. Some of his many honors include the First AAAS/Scientific American Prize for Science in the Service of Humanity; a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship; and the Crafoord Prize (equivalent to the Nobel Prize for areas where the Nobel is not given), awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The talk, hosted by the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, is free and open to the public. A reception will immediately follow.