Sociology Professor Emeritus launches new distinguished lecture series with environmental justice trailblazer
September 13, 2024 - Karessa Weir
The Stan and Toba Kaplowitz Distinguished Lecture Series kicks off next month with a presentation from Dr. Robert D. Bullard.
Dr. Bullard will speak on “Environmental Justice: From Footnote to Headline” at 3 p.m. Wednesday October 9 at the Kellogg Center Auditorium.
Often described as the father of environmental justice, Dr. Bullard is the former Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University 2011-2016. Professor Bullard currently is Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. Prior to coming to TSU he was founding Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University. He is an award-winning author of eighteen books that address sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility siting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, climate justice, disasters, emergency response, and community resilience, smart growth, and regional equity. He is co-founder of the HBCU Climate Change Consortium. Dr. Bullard is a proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
“Robert Bullard is dealing with both climate change and with the special problems it poses to vulnerable populations,” Dr. Stan Kaplowitz said.
The event is free but registration is required. To register, please go to https://secure.myalumni.msu.edu/s/1393/10-clubs/index.aspx?sid=1393&gid=3&pgid=11400&cid=28158
Dr. Stan Kaplowitz and his wife, Toba, were inspired to endow the lecture series following his retirement as a way to give back to the Department and to the College of Social Science “which has been my academic home for so many years.”
His brother and sister both had endowed lecture series and Dr. Kaplowitz wanted to do something similar that would focus on climate change denial, inequality in many forms, including poverty and unequal access to health care and health environments and the threats to the democratic system.
“I have long believed that social science, at its best, not only identifies problems but also solutions,” Dr. Kaplowitz said. “And further that is most useful if it recognizes political, economic and cultural obstacles to these solutions and tries to identify ways of getting around them.”
The Kaplowitzes also want to thank former Sociology Chair Dr. Aaron McCright for facilitating the endowment with the College.
Dr. Kaplowitz joined the faculty of MSU Sociology in 1971 and retired in 2012. He is an award-winning author of social psychology and specialized in attitudes and communication. His research touched on socio-demographic data and finding ways of increasing energy conserving behavior and increasing public support for energy conservation policy.