Pepperdine University to Host Sixth Annual Climate Calling Conference

In partnership with the Malibu Public Library Speaker Series, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Initiatives and the Center for Sustainability at Pepperdine University will cohost the sixth annual Climate Calling conference at the Malibu campus on Wednesday, April 10. 

Led by a group of Pepperdine faculty members from diverse disciplines, Climate Calling explores climate change, its consequences, and the moral calling to respond to growing concerns about the future of the planet. 

This year’s conference will feature:

• Arbor Day Celebration

9–9:30 AM

Teri Frahm Rokus Field

• Sustainability Fair

11 AM–2 PM

Joslyn Plaza

• Student Research Presentations

2–4 PM

Upper Mullin Town Square

Stephen Davis, distinguished professor of biology at Seaver College, will present the keynote address, “Environmental Stewardship Begins in our Backyard,” at Elkins Auditorium at 7 PM. 

At Pepperdine Davis has served as coordinator of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program in biology, has been a member of the board of directors for the Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR), and was the lead organizer for the 18^th annual meeting of SCCUR in 2010. He has co-authored journal articles with over 50 undergraduate students, has directed over 30 undergraduate students in their honors theses in biology, and has been the principal investigator on over 15 government grants, primarily from the National Science Foundation. Davis is currently a principal investigator at Pepperdine on an NSF IUSE award that engages first-year students in authentic research during their first semester on campus. His personal research focuses on plant physiological ecology, including adaptations of chaparral vegetation to wildfire, drought, and freezing. 

The annual Climate Calling conference draws students, faculty, and community members together in a mutual effort to address the subject of climate change and to foster a more sustainable future. Attendees learn about topics such as species extinction, drought, flooding, marine impacts, sustainable food practices, and environmental justice and activism through lectures, documentaries, and student presentations.

For additional information about this year’s conference, visit the Climate Calling website.