Renowned climatologist Philip Mote will be the keynote speaker at a conference on “Making Choices: Sustainability in a World of Conflicting Values” July 21-25, 2010, at Portland State University in Portland, Ore. The conference will include the keynote, discussion groups, presentation of research papers and interactive activities exploring the theme. The event is the 86th annual meeting of the Society for Values in Higher Education, an international organization of scholars, teachers, professionals and others interested in values in higher education.

Mote will speak at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, on “Can We Solve the Climate Problem? Should We Even Try?,” exploring how scientific knowledge can be used to tackle some of the world’s most complex environmental and societal issues. Mote is director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University and a leading scientist on the impacts of climate change. The keynote address is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Smith Memorial Student Union Building ballroom (Room 355) at Portland State University.

Afternoon workshop sessions will feature authors from around the country presenting papers for discussion on sustainability from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Morning groups will discuss topics including “Environmental Values in Higher Education,” “Planning Sustainability in the Current Political Climate” and “Theorizing Culture: Research and Sustainability.” Attendees can also participate in “Acid Rain and the European Environment, 1979-89,” an academic role-playing game based on the Reacting to the Past teaching method.

“Higher education has a unique role in our society in preparing the next generation of society's leaders,” said Marvin A. Kaiser, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University and executive director of the Society for Values in Higher Education. “This leadership carries the responsibility to expand our common commitment to a world that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”

Both Portland and Portland State University have long-standing commitments to creating a sustainable environment, he added, and the Society for Values in Higher Education is well placed to explore such issues. “Sustainable development is grounded by the values we hold individually and as a society,” Kaiser said. “The Society for Values in Higher Education is uniquely positioned to address the value questions of sustainability because of its long commitment to informed study, dialogue and action.”

The Society for Values in Higher Education has more than 500 members around the world and is based at Portland State University. This year’s meeting features several events sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Portland State University.

Registration for the conference is $240 for non-members ($50 for Portland residents) with additional costs for room and board. To learn more about the conference, the Society for Values in Higher Education or to download a registration form, see www.svhe.org, call (503) 725-2575 or e-mail society@pdx.edu.