The 2024 John R. Mather Visiting Scholars Lecture will be presented from 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14, at Mitchell Hall.

In a talk entitled "Realities of Climate Resilience of Traditional Cereal: A View From the Ground," Ruth DeFries will discuss the revitalization of the cereal crop millet and the scientific and cultural inputs that allowed the crop to succeed.

Historically a mainstay of the human diet, millet has been a neglected crop in modern agriculture. DeFries will explain how the crop has made a comeback and discuss the importance of climate-resilient food systems.

DeFries is a professor of ecology and sustainable development at Columbia University, co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School, a MacArthur Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She studies the environment by focusing on the social aspects of science and examining policies related to sustainable development.

The John R. Mather Visiting Scholars Lecture honors the memory of John (Russ) Mather, who served as a professor of geography at UD from 1963 through 2003 and as chair of the Department of Geography from 1966 through 1989. Sandra F. Mather established the lectureship to honor her late husband by enabling the department to host well-known scholars for the active exchange of ideas related to Dr. Mather's broad interests in climatology and geography.

The lecture is hosted by the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences in UD’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. Registration is requested and may be completed online.