Award-Winning Conservationist and Leading Cheetah Expert Dr. Laurie Marker to Speak at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo on Oct. 7
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Sept. 28, 2015) – California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, will host a free public lecture by Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund, Wednesday, Oct. 7 on the school’s campus beginning at 8 p.m. Encapsulating a 40-year career in cheetah research, education and conservation, Dr. Marker will present “The Life of the Cheetah,” a comprehensive look at this iconic feline species, covering the cheetah’s unique biology, incredible agility and speed, and the threats that make this animal the most endangered of all the African big cats.
“Can you imagine a world without cheetahs? I cannot, and this is what drives me in my conservation work,” said Dr. Marker. “I want as many people as possible to see the cheetah as I do, to appreciate them for being the mystical creatures they are, and to come together in the fight to save them.”
The talk takes place in Room 286 of the Fisher Science Building (33-286) on Cal Poly’s campus in San Luis Obispo. Students and members of the school’s biology department will be on hand, and the public is encouraged to attend.
Dr. Marker is a pioneer in cheetah research and conservation, known for her holistic conservation strategies designed to balance the needs of people and animals sharing common land. Among numerous awards, Dr. Marker was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes for the Planet in 2000 and received the Zoological Society of San Diego’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. More recently, she was awarded the 2010 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and was a finalist for the BBC World Challenge. On Oct. 2, Dr. Marker will accept the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award from Montana State University and the American Computer Museum, and on Oct. 18, Dr. Marker will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award from the Eleanor Roosevelt Center in Hyde Park, New York.
“Can you imagine a world without cheetahs? I cannot, and this is what drives me in my conservation work,” said Dr. Marker. “I want as many people as possible to see the cheetah as I do, to appreciate them for being the mystical creatures they are, and to come together in the fight to save them.”
The talk takes place in Room 286 of the Fisher Science Building (33-286) on Cal Poly’s campus in San Luis Obispo. Students and members of the school’s biology department will be on hand, and the public is encouraged to attend.
Dr. Marker is a pioneer in cheetah research and conservation, known for her holistic conservation strategies designed to balance the needs of people and animals sharing common land. Among numerous awards, Dr. Marker was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes for the Planet in 2000 and received the Zoological Society of San Diego’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. More recently, she was awarded the 2010 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and was a finalist for the BBC World Challenge. On Oct. 2, Dr. Marker will accept the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award from Montana State University and the American Computer Museum, and on Oct. 18, Dr. Marker will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award from the Eleanor Roosevelt Center in Hyde Park, New York.