The Hagey Lectures

The University of Waterloo Hagey Lectures Committee is thrilled to announce that this year’s Hagey Lecture will be delivered by Nalini Nadkarni, Professor of Biology at the University of Utah, on October 5, 2023, at 8pm in the Theatre of the Arts.

Jointly sponsored by the Faculty Association and the University, the Hagey Lectures are a free, annual series of lectures intended to challenge, stimulate, and enrich not only the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Waterloo, but also all members of the community.

Nalini Nadkarni interweaves her ecological research with public engagement through interdisciplinary lenses. She is a Professor of Biology at the University of Utah, and carries out research on the critical roles that biota living in rainforest canopies play in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. Nadkarni feels the urgent need to inspire protection of forests and other elements of nature, and has forged innovative collaborations with people in sectors far outside academia, including faith-based groups, artists, corporations, and people who are incarcerated in state prisons, county jails, and juvenile detention centers. She has published in journals ranging from Science to Playboy Magazine, and has been featured on Science Friday, RadioLab, and Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Mattel has honored her as a “TreeTop Barbie” doll. Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, The Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice, and the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation.