Published on January 11, 2024 by Diamond Nunnally  
Photograph Courtesy: Katharine Hayhoe
Photograph Courtesy: Katharine Hayhoe

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe will deliver Samford University’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences annual J. Roderick Davis Lecture in partnership with Cumberland School of Law and The Office of the Provost. The discussion is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Leslie S. Wright Center.  

 Hayhoe said, "My faith is an enormous motivator for me to engage because climate change is not just an issue that affects the entire planet, it is one that disproportionately affects those who do not have the resources to cope with this change - those whom we are explicitly told as Christians to care for."

Despite some scientific studies painting a grim picture of the future due to climate change, Hayhoe remains hopeful, emphasizing the potential for positive change. She will address its impacts and propose ideas on how and why people should respond.  

"We are called to love others as Christ loved us," Hayhoe said. "Today, our neighbors—here at home and on the other side of the world—are already being harmed by climate-related impacts. The poor, the sick and the disadvantaged are the most vulnerable, with the least resources to adapt. How can we respond in love to this growing global problem?" 

Hayhoe is best known for bridging the gap between scientists and Christians. She has been named Christianity Today's 50 Women to Watch and the United Nations Champion of the Earth. She serves as the World Evangelical Alliance's Climate Ambassador and the science advisor to organizations from Young Evangelicals for Climate Action to the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. She is the author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World and a weekly newsletter, Talking Climate, and hosted the PBS digital series Global Weirding: Climate, Politics and Religion. She is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a Distinguished Professor and Chair at Texas Tech University.   

Howard College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean and Davis Lecture organizer Emily Hynds is proud to welcome Hayhoe to Samford’s campus.  She said, “Dr. Hayhoe is invited all over the globe to share her work because she is a well-respected climate scientist, a gifted communicator and a person of deep faith who approaches the challenges of her life and work with great hope.” 

Samford President Beck A. Taylor added, “I’ve been following Dr. Hayhoe’s speaking and writing about climate change for many years. Although the topic can be contentious, Dr. Hayhoe provides a compelling perspective for Christ's followers and all who believe creation care is important.” 

The Davis Lecture was named after 1958 Howard College of Arts and Sciences alum and former dean J. Roderick Davis. When he retired in 2001, his colleagues honored him with a lecture series to bring scholars and intellectuals to Samford's campus. 

This lecture is free but you must register for tickets in advance. Students will also receive convocation credit for attending.  

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.