CANCELED: Environmental Leader Gina McCarthy on Campus March 24

As part of the college's ongoing response to COVID-19, this event has been canceled. Information about a new date will be posted if and when the event is rescheduled.  

Gina McCarthy—president of the Natural Resources Defense Council and one of the nation’s most respected voices on the environment and public health—will deliver a Presidential Colloquium on “The Future of the Planet: Climate Change and Environmental Protection” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, in the Campus Center Carroll Room at Smith College. The event is open to the public at no charge, and no tickets are required.

McCarthy’s talk will focus on the current uncertainty about environmental progress in the U.S. and around the world. As administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama, McCarthy brings invaluable perspective gained during more than 30 years at the intersection of politics, science, government and private industry. In this wide-ranging talk, she will provide an overview of the current landscape and critical future.

This event is held in conjunction with Smith’s Year on Climate Change. 

About Gina McCarthy

One of the nation’s most respected voices on the environment and public health, Gina McCarthy is president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit environmental advocacy group. In this role, she provides leadership for the organization’s staff of more than 700 attorneys, scientists, advocates and policy experts.

From 2013 to 2017, McCarthy served as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama. During her tenure, McCarthy finalized the Clean Power Plan, which set the first national standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for fossil-fuel fired power plants. Under her leadership, the EPA also finalized the Clean Water Rule to protect rivers and streams that provide drinking water for 117 million Americans.

During 35 years of public service in both Republican and Democratic administrations, McCarthy dedicated herself to environmental protection and public health. Her leadership and perseverance led to federal, state and local actions on critical environmental issues. McCarthy’s significant accomplishments include action to advance environmental, clean energy, public transportation and public health goals consistent with a growing economy in New England and across the United States.

About Smith’s Presidential Colloquium Series

The Presidential Colloquium regularly features influential thought leaders in a wide range of fields—from poets and writers to economists and policy experts—to share their expertise, offer insights and inspire discourse on key social, political and global topics that call for our attention. Lectures are free and open to the public.

The final 2019-20 Presidential Colloquium speaker is Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson will speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in John M. Greene Hall. Free tickets are required for this event.