The head of a tropical research organization visits Elon University next week as the first featured guest of the school year in the “Voices of Discovery” lecture series. The event is free and open to the public.
Elizabeth Losos, an adjunct professor at Duke University, will talk with students and the public at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitley auditorium. Her presentation is titled, “Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Understanding Global Change through the Costa Rican Experience.”
Losos is president and CEO of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), a group of more than 60 universities and research institutes devoted to research, education and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics. OTS operates three scientific field stations in Costa Rica. It also offers field-based courses in Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Mexico and South Africa for undergraduates, graduates and professionals.
Losos joined OTS in 2005 after working for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s Center for Tropical Forest Science. She earned for doctoral degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University in 1993. Prior to that, Losos attended Princeton University for two master’s degrees, and Harvard University for her bachelor’s degree in history and science.
The Voices of Discovery science speaker series is sponsored by Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. The series invites noted scholars in science and mathematics to Elon to share their knowledge and experience with students.