Distinguished Speaker Series to welcome environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to New Paltz on March 13

NEW PALTZ – The SUNY New Paltz Distinguished Speaker for the spring 2017 semester is environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the late U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy was an apprentice and close friend to New Paltz Emeritus Professor of biology Heinz Meng, whose innovative methods breeding peregrine falcons in captivity are widely credited with helping save that species from extinction. Kennedy, an avid falconer, spoke on campus at a memorial to Meng on Sept. 25, 2016, following Meng’s passing on Aug. 13.

Kennedy will present an address titled “Our Environmental Destiny,” an important reminder of the role natural resources play in our work, our health and our national identity. The lecture will take place on Monday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Lecture Center room 100.

Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. Tickets are $10 for faculty, staff and community members; as always, the Distinguished Speaker Series is free to students.

For further information and to reserve tickets, please visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/speakerseries/ or call (845) 257-3880.

Tickets may also be purchased at the Parker Theatre Box Office. The Box Office is open Monday – Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., from Feb. 20 – March 12. Tickets will also be available in the Lecture Center lobby the evening of the event.

About Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy has worked for years as an advocate for environmental causes, and much of that work has been based in and around the Hudson Valley.

As chief prosecuting attorney for Riverkeeper, he has been tireless in his efforts to clean and restore the Hudson River, and was named a “Hero of the Planet” by Time Magazine in recognition of his successes. The Riverkeeper model has been adopted and expanded by the more than 300 organizations that make up the Waterkeeper Alliance, which Kennedy serves as president of the Board of Directors.

About the Distinguished Speaker Series
Launched in 2008, the Distinguished Speaker Series hosts speakers twice annually in order to connect SUNY New Paltz alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members with highly accomplished alumni, authors, policy makers, leaders, scientists, media experts, business people and other luminaries.

The spring 2017 Distinguished Speaker event is supported by the generosity of the following presenting sponsors: Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Campus Auxiliary Services, the Capital Group, the Dorsky Family & the Dorsky Foundation, Liberty Mutual Insurance, M&T Bank, Sodexo, the SUNY New Paltz Foundation and Viking Industries.