Saint Mary’s to host panel discussion on population

National Geographic editor to serve as guest panelist

How can we sustain a planet that has 7 billion people and is expected to have 9 billion inhabitants by 2050? The public is invited to discuss “Population in Perspective: How Will 7 Billion People Change Your Life?” Wednesday, March 14, at Saint Mary’s University.

The event’s special guest Dennis Dimick, executive editor on the environment for National Geographic, was architect of a year-long 2011 National Geographic series called “7 Billion” on global population and its impact.

Dimick will join panelists Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the “Under-Told Stories Project” and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; Josephine Marcotty, environmental reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune; and Dr. David Lynch, chair of the SMU Department of Social Science.

This critical discussion — featuring a digest of the latest reporting on issues associated with population growth — is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Page Theatre, located in the SMU Performance Center. SMU will host two of these critical discussions. The first will be on the Twin Cities campus, Tuesday, March 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Saint Mary’s Event Center. The second is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in Page Theatre.

This event is sponsored by Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, the Under-Told Stories Project, and the Minnesota International Center, as part of a collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, PBS NewsHour and National Geographic.

The “Under-Told Stories Project,” produced by and in partnership with Saint Mary’s University, shares stories from some of the world’s most remote locations through PBS NewsHour and other media organizations. The partnership brings de Sam Lazaro to the university’s Minneapolis campus, provides new learning opportunities to Saint Mary’s students, and is intended to raise awareness for the local ramifications of global issues.

For more information, contact Sabrina Kelly at skelly@smumn.edu or (612) 238-4507.