Science policy expert, author to give KU Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium Lecture

LAWRENCE — Bina Venkataraman, a journalist, science policy expert, author and futurist who has served as a presidential adviser and taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will deliver the Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium Lecture at the University of Kansas. Venkataraman is a thought leader on the topics of social progress, emerging technology and environmental change.

Venkataraman will present “Climate Change and Thinking Ahead” at 3:30 p.m. April 8 in Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union. Her talk is free and open to the public.

A former senior adviser for climate change innovation in former president Barack Obama’s administration, Venkataraman helped communities and businesses prepare for climate change, discovering firsthand why people resist thinking ahead — and how to change it. “The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age” is Venkataraman’s exploration of how to invest in the future in our lives, communities and society. With examples from ancient Pompeii to modern-day Fukushima, she dispels the myth that human nature is inherently reckless, highlighting surprising practices people can adopt and guiding readers through the greatest decisions confronting society. The result is a book brimming with ideas and insights for forging a better future.

Currently, Venkataraman is the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe and a fellow at New America. She previously taught science, technology and society at MIT and served as the director of global policy initiatives at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University. For the Obama administration, Venkataraman forged partnerships among communities, companies and governments to help prepare for climate disasters. She also advised the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in responding to the Ebola epidemic, promoting patient access to cancer therapies and reforming public school science education. Venkataraman is an alumna of Brown University and Harvard’s Kennedy School. 

The Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium Lecture is sponsored by the Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship. The mission of the Self Graduate Fellowship is to identify, recruit and provide development opportunities for exceptional doctoral students in business, economics, engineering, mathematics, biological, biomedical, pharmaceutical and physical sciences who demonstrate the promise to make significant contributions to their fields of study and society as a whole. The Self Graduate Fellowship is a unique opportunity for doctoral students at KU to fund their education and acquire valuable leadership training for their future careers. Throughout their four years as a fellow, students receive funding that covers their tuition, fees and graduate research assistantship appointment, as well as funding to pursue independent professional development opportunities. To prepare students for their future leadership roles, fellows attend professional development workshops, communication coaching and guest lectures.

The late Madison “Al” and Lila Self launched and permanently endowed the Self Graduate Fellowship in 1989. The creation of the Self Graduate Fellowship was motivated by Madison and Lila’s belief in the vital importance of developing leadership for tomorrow.