A renowned geologist will speak this month on campus about energy and economics.
Dr. Scott Tinker, state geologist of Texas and director of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, will visit campus Monday to deliver a lecture.
The lecture will be from 1:30-3 p.m. in Kerr-McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business. The event is free and open to everyone, but RSVPs are encouraged. To register, go to okcu.edu/tinker.
“I’m going to talk a little bit about energy and its impact on the world; economic impact, how it impacts positively our efforts to lift people from poverty, and some of the environmental impacts, and some of the things that are being done and can be done better,” Tinker said.
Megan Hornbeek Allen, director of alumni engagement, said the lecture is a great opportunity for people to hear Tinker speak about sustainable energy transitions. Tinker previously worked with Steve Agee, dean of the Meinders School of Business, Allen said.
Tinker said he worked in the oil and gas industry for 17 years and has worked at the University of Texas for 20 years. He has traveled extensively and explored the topics of energy, economy and environment in various locations, he said.
Tinker also founded Switch Energy Alliance, a nonprofit that works toward an energy-educated future that is objective, nonpartisan and sensible, according to the organization’s website.
The organization is born out of the award-winning documentary Tinker created with documentary filmmaker Harry Lynch, entitled Switch, about how energy transitions will likely occur in years to come. The movie is available online, and Tinker is creating a sequel titled Switch On to be released in September, he said.
Tinker said his talks have a global focus, and he emphasizes the connection between energy, the economy and the environment. He said he concentrates on the environment and economy equally, focusing on data instead of a particular framework.
“They’re all important, you know, very important to have a healthy environment. The environment is broad, it’s not just the atmosphere. That’s part of it, but local air emissions, and land use, and water, those are all things we all depend on. We all benefit in this country from a really healthy economy, but that’s not the case in many parts of the world,” Tinker said.
Tinker said his goal is to encourage people to examine available information more deeply before forming opinions, no matter their political perspective.
“It’s really important to look at the data and the information that’s available and not come to conclusions without seeking and looking and investigating a little bit into multiple sources of information,” he said.
Sarah Kelly, coordinator for special events and alumni management, said she wants a wide array of people to attend, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other members of the Oklahoma City community.
Kelly said the talk will include a Q&A portion, which presents an opportunity for community members across the generational gap to be involved in the conversation.
Allen said the information in Tinker’s lecture will be important for everyone to hear.
“This is a topic that kind of transcends interests, and I think that the knowledge that he has to share is really pertinent for our future community, again, locally and globally,” Allen said.
Sammi Bronow, economics senior, said she was unfamiliar with the upcoming talk but would attend a lecture on the topics.
“I think it would be very interesting, and obviously, living in the state of Oklahoma, it’s something that affects everybody’s lives, whether they realize it or not,” she said. “We are one of the biggest producers of oil and natural gas in the United States, just given the natural resources that the state has to offer, so, naturally, it’s a big part of the economy.”
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