The Glaser Seminar was established in 1989 by an endowment from Dr. Stanley Glaser to Florida International University. The seminar is designed to enrich South Florida’s academic and intellectual community. Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos is this year's distinguished speaker.

Vast and fast, the scope and pace of Anthropocene changes challenge the best efforts to understand the world. Yet, environmental change is also deeply intimate, making collective and individual imaginations crucial to shaping a future in which human actions are the dominant influence on Earth systems. Drawing from experiences in the field, the lab, and in between, this talk will delve into connections across seemingly disparate systems, from armed conflict to deforestation, from the origin of flight to viral defenses in bats, offering systems-based perspectives on our collective future.

Inspired by the richness of life and cultures in the tropical forests of her native South America, Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos has built a career pioneering new ways of understanding how species and trait biodiversity emerge, and how to slow and reverse deforestation in biodiversity hotspots. Dr. Dávalos is a Professor of Conservation Biology at Stony Brook University (New York). Dávalos’ focus is on biodiversity and conserving the world’s life support systems into the future. 

In this seminar, Dr. Dávalos will identify key societal drivers of deforestation in the Amazon, survey the potential for wildlife genomics to promote conservation, and evaluate the prospects for new mechanisms for immediate action to curb biodiversity loss. How we confront coupled environmental and policy crises will define the future of biodiversity for millions of years. Although genomic discoveries today seldom benefit the stewards of biodiversity on the ground, this must change. We have a unique opportunity to shape a better future for all life on Earth!

The event is free and open to the public. Must be 21 or older.