Ruth DeFries, a leading ecologist and MacArthur “genius,” will discuss the sweeping environmental impacts of global cities at the University of Vermont on Thursday, April 14.

DeFries uses satellite images, remote sensing and field surveys to examine how urban demands for food and other resources is changing tropical landscapes. 

Her guest lecture, “Food, Forests and The Urbanizing World” is free and open to the public. The event, part of UVM’s Burack Lecture Series, will occur at Waterman's Memorial Lounge from 4-5 p.m., followed by a reception.

DeFries, a Columbia University environmental geographer, studies how land use changes affect people, climate, biodiversity and other ecosystem services. She is author of more than 100 scientific papers, as well as the recent book, “The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis.”

Her efforts to link science with policy include involvement with Environmental Defense Fund, the High Carbon Stock study on sustainable palm oil, Science for Nature and People, and reconciling conservation and development in central India.

DeFries is the Denning Professor of Sustainable Development, and Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology. She is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of the country’s highest scientific honors, and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient.

Event hosts include UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, Community Development and Applied Economics, Geography, Plant and Soil Science, and the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.

Learn more on UVM’s events calendar and the Burack Distinguished Lecture Series website.