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600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900

For more information, contact:
Phone: 386-226-6157
Fax: 386-226-6158
Contact: Bob Ross
Phone: 386-226-6198

Speakers’ Topics at Embry-Riddle Range from Energy on Earth to Life in Outer Space

Daytona Beach, Fla., Sept. 11, 2009 -- This fall, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University invites an advocate of reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil, an entrepreneur who is converting carbon emissions into clean energy, a scientist searching for life in outer space, and a former NASA engineer with an inspiring life story to the lectern for its 2009-2010 Honors Program Distinguished Speaker Series, which runs from October through February.

All events in the speaker series are scheduled at 7 p.m. in the Gale Lemerand Auditorium, Willie Miller Instructional Center, at Embry-Riddle, located at 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach. The lectures are free and open to the public.

Jerome Ringo Monday, Oct. 12 – Jerome Ringo will speak on “The Green Economy: America’s New Frontier.” Ringo, an advocate for environmental justice and clean energy, is an associate research scholar and McCluskey Fellow for Conservation at Yale University and the immediate past chairman of the National Wildlife Federation. In 2005 he became the first African-American to chair a major conservation advocacy organization. He is also president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of organized labor, environmentalists, and business and civil rights leaders dedicated to freeing the United States from dependence on foreign oil. Ringo became an environmental activist when he saw the health impact of pollutants on family, friends, and communities during his 22-year career in the petrochemical industry. This event is co-sponsored by the Embry-Riddle Honors Program and the College of Business.

Bruce Jakosky Monday, Nov. 16 – Bruce Jakosky will speak on “Science, Society, and the Search for Life Elsewhere,” addressing the question of why we should care about the possibility of life in outer space. A professor and associate director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Jakosky is a member of the editorial board of the journal Astrobiology and is a frequent advisor to major museums on exhibits about extraterrestrial life. He also has advised NASA on Mars exploration and astrobiology and has published more than 100 professional papers.

Byron Elton Monday, Jan. 25 – Byron Elton will speak on “Carbon as an Answer, Not Just an Enemy.” In his talk, the president and CEO of Carbon Sciences will give an overview of the cutting-edge technology developed by his California-based company, which has developed an affordable technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions and convert them back to usable, clean energy. A February 2009 article in USA Today highlighted the company as the “furthest along in the CO2-to-fuels quest.”

Homer Hickam Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Homer Hickam will dare his listeners to dream in “An Evening with Homer Hickam.” A former NASA engineer, Hickam is the focal point of the semi-autobiographical hit film October Sky, based on his novel Rocket Boys, which is part of the bestselling Coalwood series of novels. He will review his upbringing in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia, where his imagination was sparked by the launch of Sputnik, and how he defied odds to realize his dream of becoming a rocket scientist at NASA, rather than remaining and working as a miner. Hickam’s presentation will also serve as the keynote address for Engineers Week at Embry-Riddle.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.