Next month’s 40th anniversary York Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation will mark a pair of firsts for the UF/IFAS program: co-lecturers and a student art competition, featuring prize money.
The hour-long lecture is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Harn Museum of Art. Admission is free and open to the public.
Titled “Revival Field: A Case Study for Poetic Pragmatism,” the event is a celebration of the collaborative power of art and science. Speakers Mel Chin, a New York-based, world-renowned artist, and Rufus Chaney, a USDA researcher emeritus, will present a compelling example of what is possible when the two disciplines work together.
Following the presentation by Chin and Chaney, event organizers will announce details of an art competition for student teams from the UF College of the Arts (COTA) and the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). Participants are eligible to win thousands of dollars in prize money funded through the York endowment.
The art contest is a way to establish a greater partnership between UF/IFAS and COTA, said Scott Angle, UF provost and senior vice president-designate for agriculture and natural resources. Angle will return to his position as leader of UF/IFAS on Sept. 6.
“We at UF/IFAS see great potential in this marriage of art and science as a way to bring new people into the conversation about agricultural and natural resource science, as well as experiment with different ways to communicate the vital role science plays in our lives,” Angle said.
After the lecture, UF/IFAS, COTA and the Harn will host a public reception with refreshments in the museum’s galleria. Organizers encourage students to attend and connect with each other through ice-breaker activities planned to foster possible contest collaborations.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with UF/IFAS,” said Jennifer Setlow, interim dean of COTA. “Bringing students in the College of the Arts together with students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will not only showcase the incredible outputs that can happen when you prioritize interdisciplinarity, it will give each group of students a unique opportunity to learn from their peers how they approach problem-solving, their disciplines and the world.”
Launched in 1984, the York Distinguished Lecturer Series is supported by an endowment from UF/IFAS founder E.T. York and his wife Vermelle “Vam” York. The series brings individuals of outstanding international distinction in agriculture or related disciplines to UF’s campus.
Information on the lecture series is available at ifas.ufl.edu/york. For more information about the contest, contact Dina Liebowitz at dinalieb@ufl.edu.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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