VANCOUVER, Wash. - Dave Montgomery, professor of earth and space sciences at the University of Washington, is the first 2009 speaker for the Washington State University Vancouver University Scholars Lecture Series. His presentation, "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization," will be held Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. in Undergraduate Classroom building, room 1.
"Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations" is based on Montgomery's book by the same name. Montgomery makes the case that humans' use of cultivated soils is causing them to erode faster than they are naturally replenished. Montgomery traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of societies, from Mesopotamia to European colonialism and the American push westward.
Montgomery received a MacArthur 'genius' award in 2008 and a Washington State Book award for "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations" in 2008.
This lecture is part of University Honors course 301 "WATER WORLDS: Decisions and the Flow of Knowledge." Two other speakers are scheduled to give lectures for the course later in the semester. The series will culminate in an international conference, "Reversing the Flow: Big Dams, Power and People in Global Perspective," Nov. 7 on the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø campus.
Admission to the University Scholars Lecture Series is free, and the event is open to the public. Parking is available at parking meters or in the Blue Daily Pay lot for $3.
91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø is celebrating 20 years of bringing quality education, research and service to the citizens of Southwest Washington. The campus is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø offers 16 bachelor's degrees, 10 master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Learn more at
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