Lectures and Forums

National Academy of Sciences Gilbert F. White Lecture in the Geographical Sciences

The essential point, I believe, is that people around the world in the 1990s are perceiving the earth as more than a globe to be surveyed, or developed for the public good in the short term, or to be protected from threats to its well-being, both human and natural. . . The roots are in a growing solemn sense of the individual as part of one human family for whom earth is its one spiritual home. —GFW

In 2006 the Geographical Sciences Committee of the National Academy of Sciences established the Gilbert F. White lecture series. The aim is to examine connections between the geographical sciences and society. Developed with his blessing, it both honors Gilbert and uses his example to encourage and inspire geographers to share their work regarding the connections between science and society.

The inaugural lecture was delivered on January 24th, 2007 by Gilbert's former student, Robert Kates, at the National Academies Keck Center in Washington, D.C. The lecture surveyed Gilbert's career as well as the methods, results, and long-term consequences of his work. Past and future lecture listings, along with PDFs of the lectures, are provided on the Geographical Sciences Committee website.

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Association of State Floodplain Managers Foundation Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum

The Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum was initiated by the ASFPM Foundation in order to periodically convene experts in floodplain management to explore pressing issues in the field and set out ideas for resolving them. The purpose of these forums is to improve management of floodplains across the United States. Forum lectures and final reports can be found on the ASFPM webiste.