Empowering Environmental Conversations
Named in memory of the sustainable planning advocate, longtime Wrigley Institute board member, and former mayor of Whittier, CA, the Delta Murphy Lecture Series highlights socially connected topics such as environmental justice, interactions between humans and the natural world, and diversity in scientific fields.
2024 Delta Murphy Lecture
From Stories to Solutions: Inspiring Climate Action through Immersive Narratives
Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: USC Michelson Center (MCB)
Learn how the nation’s leading storytellers are using creativity and innovation to inspire action on climate change! Join us for an evening with keynote speaker and renowned designer Jake Barton, who has created award-winning experiences for museums, brands, and public spaces. The keynote will be followed by a panel featuring storytellers who are redefining what it means to inspire climate action.
Keynote Speaker:
Jake Barton
Jake Barton is Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Local Projects, an experience and exhibit design firm that has won numerous awards, including National Design Awards and Cannes Lions. Barton’s credits include landmark projects such as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, and he is currently focused on creating immersive experiences that spark action around climate change. His TED Talk on the design of the 9/11 Memorial has over one million views, and he is on Fast Company’s list of Top 50 designers.
Panelists:
Johanna Burton
Director, The Museum of Contemporary Art
Art Historian
Billy Zane
Film and TV Actor and Producer
Science Storytelling Consultant
Previous Delta Murphy Lectures
The 2021 Delta Murphy Lecture, held virtually, brought together a distinguished panel of women scientists to discuss their experiences as researchers and leaders.
Dr. Carly Kenkel, a USC Biological Sciences professor, moderated the discussion. Panelists included:
Dr. Rita Colwell, microbiologist and founder of CosmosID, a bioinformatics company
Dr. Hope Jahren, geochemist and geobiologist with the University of Oslo (Norway) and author of the bestselling memoir Lab Girl
Dr. Dawn Wright, geographer and oceanographer and chief scientist at Esri, the leading producer of GIS mapping software
