Open Letter Regarding the Upcoming Presidential Lecture on October 19, 2021

Purdue University Center for the Environment (C4E) Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) Signature Research Area (SRA)

To Whom It May Concern,

As scientists, engineers, social scientists, humanity scholars, and other academics, alumni, students, and affiliates of Purdue, we wish to express our concern regarding the upcoming Presidential Lecture on campus. We warmly welcome and encourage a diversity of viewpoints, arguments, and approaches on our campus, and we are proud to be recognized as a beacon of free speech and free inquiry. We encourage critical analyses of received wisdom and many of us have devoted our professional lives to such work. We need to emphasize, however, that such arguments must be based in good reason and rationality, grounded in empirical evidence, and employing rigorous, reproducible, and transparent methods. Claims must always be open to scrutiny, tested against available evidence, and allowed to stand or fall as the facts allow.

In the current case, the speaker, described incorrectly as a climate scientist, has repeatedly demonstrated in his work that he does not meet these standards of scientific evidence and argument. However impeccable his credentials as a scientist in other domains may be, multiple scientists, analysts, and research groups have found this speaker’s claims about the climate crisis to be specious, based in self-contradiction, outdated science, cherry-picked facts, and straw man arguments that obscure rather than reveal truth.

Presuming that this speaker’s presentation parallels his past work and a previous talk at Purdue, most climate scientists will see through this speaker’s misleading arguments. However, many members of the public and our own students who attend this talk could be forgiven for thinking that this speaker rests his claims on firm ground. As a top research university, it is our civic and professional responsibility to impart knowledge that is accurate and reflects the current state of understanding in our fields; it is similarly our duty to correct erroneous information and distortion. Every member of the faculty, staff, student body, or community who leaves our campus with an inaccurate understanding of the science has been poorly served by our institution.

Climate change has become one of the defining global grand challenges of our time. The science on this is mature, the product of tens of thousands of individuals working in the academy, in industry, and in the public sector over several decades. Our understanding of the phenomenon and its drivers, grown over the past 150+ years and particularly in the last four decades, has withstood countless hours of careful review, contestation, and revision. While all science has areas of active debate, the basic understanding of climate science is firmly grounded and model projections for the consequences of delaying action have, if anything, understated the costs in human, economic, and environmental terms. Climate change threatens our way of life here in the State of Indiana and broadly in the U.S. and promises to be one of the greatest issues of justice and human rights for many hundreds of millions of people elsewhere. There are many real, difficult decisions to be made about how to proceed and many possibilities for credible thought leaders who could be invited to campus to discuss these questions in a sound way. Every hour that Purdue contributes to sowing doubt and delay is another hour we yield to others to define the cutting edge of inquiry, action, and leadership on climate science.

Please click here to sign the letter: https://forms.gle/FfxuFftXuabKF1xM7 

Signed^[1],

1. Andrew Flachs  Faculty        Associate professor  Anthropology
2. Jonathan Bauchet  Faculty        Associate Professor  Hospitality and Tourism Management / Ag. Economics
3. Anonymous    Faculty        Professor  EAPS
4. Carolyn Foley  Staff        Research Coordinator  FNR
5. Mark Christie  Faculty        Associate Professor  Biological Sciences and Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
6. Yash Sanghvi  Student      2023    
7. David Klenosky  Faculty        Associate Professor  Health & Kinesiology
8. Zoe Nyssa  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Department of Anthropology
9. Anonymous  Staff        Coordinator   FNR
10. Mitchell Zischke  Faculty        Clinical Assistant Professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences  Forestry and Natural Resources
11. Cindy Ding  Student      2022    
12. Danielle Williams  Staff        Field Coordinator  Forestry and Natural Resources
13. Nick Burgmeier  Staff        Research Biologist and Extension Wildlife Specialist  Forestry and Natural Resources
14. Ethan Chitty  Alumni      2013    
15. Ana Morales  Student      2022    
16. Daniela Mesa Sanchez  Student      2022    
17. Cade N Kane  Student      PhD 2023    
18. Anonymous    Faculty          
19. Anonymous    Faculty          Fbr
20. Susanna LaGory  Student      2021    
21. Scott McAdam  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Botany and Plant Pathology
22. Jody Banks  Faculty        Professor  Botany and Plant Pathology
23. Anonymous  Student      Graduate_2021    
24. Robert Flynn  Community member  Lafayette  Indiana      
25. Ximena E Bernal  Faculty        Associate Professor  Biological Sciences
26. Kirk Alter  Faculty        Professor Emeritus  PCCRC
27. Barny Dunning  Faculty        Professor  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
28. Stephanie Masta  Faculty        Associate Professor  Education
29. Wendy Beauvais  Faculty        Dr.  Department of Comparative Pathobiology
30. Christie Shee  Staff        Graduate Research Assistant  Entomology
31. Jane Frankenberger  Faculty        Professor  Agricultural & Biological Engineering
32. David Savage  Staff        Graduate Research Assistant  Forestry and Natural Resources
33. Dr. Anatole Plumpskin  Faculty        Doctor of Ursine Studies  University of Botswana
34. Zhao Ma  Faculty        Professor  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources & Center for the Environment
35. Bailey T  Student      2023    
36. Brian Leavell  Student      2022    
37. Morgan Chaney  Student      2023    
38. Camille Griffith   Student      PhD    
39. Daniel Kelly  Faculty        Professor  Philosophy
40. Emily Usher  Staff        Senior Research Associate  
41. Jianghanyang Li  Alumni      2021    
42. Laura Zanotti  Faculty        Professor  Center for the Environment
43. Matt Hamilton  Staff        Laboratory Manager   Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
44. Joy Kane  Staff        Administrative Assistant   English Department
45. Jordan Young  Student      2022    
46. Tim Cason  Faculty        Distinguished Professor of Economics  Economics (Krannert School of Management)
47. Chynna Fry  Alumni      2016    
48. Hugh JassAnonymous Student      2023    
49. Sylvie Brouder  Faculty        Professor and Wickersham Chair  Agronomy, C4E, PCCRC, PCGFS
50. Clint Chapple  Faculty        Distinguished Professor  Department of Biochemistry
51. Sheikh Yabuti  Alumni      1999    
52. David Johnson  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Industrial Engineering
53. Jacob Ricker-Gilbert  Faculty        Professor  Agricultural Economics
54. Chad Jafvert  Faculty        Professor  Environmental and Ecological Engineering
55. Brennan Radulski  Alumni      2020    
56. Yihang Li  Student      2024    
57. Russell Mayo  Faculty        Assistant Professor of English  Purdue University Northwest
58. Lindsay Weinberg  Faculty        Clinical Assistant Professor  Honors College
59. Anonymous  Student      2023    
60. Reuben Goforth  Faculty        Associate Professor of Aquatic Ecology   Dept of Forestry & Natural Resources
61. Thomas Hertel  Faculty        Distinguished Professor  Agricultural Economics
62. Emma Engel   Student      2024    
63. Erica Wallskog   Alumni      2003    
64. Sybill Trelawney  Staff        Professor and Wicker Chair  
65. Ryan Leahy  Alumni      2021    
66. Robin Adams  Faculty        Professor  School of Engineering Education
67. Evan White  Alumni      2020    
68. Madaline Ritter  Staff        Graduate Research Assistant  Forestry and Natural Resources
69. Madi Whitman  Alumni      2020    
70. Michelle Sanders  Alumni      2011    
71. Meghan Adams  Alumni      EEE 2018    
72. Michael Morrisson  Alumni      2019    
73. John Kane  Alumni      1987    
74. Sharon Kessler  Faculty        Associate Professor  Botany and Plant Pathology
75. Sujith Puthiyaveetil  Faculty        Assistant Professor   Biochemistry
76. Robert Marzec  Faculty        Professor  English, Co-coordinator, Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS) Certificate
77. Linda J Pfeiffer  Faculty        Associate Professor  Agricultural Sciences Education & Communication
78. Anonymous    Alumni      2012    
79. Jeffrey Lucas  Faculty        Professor  Department of Biological Sciences
80. Lindsey Payne  Faculty        Assistant Professor of Practice  Environmental and Ecological Engineering
81. Austin Britton  Student      2022    
82. Amy Santos  Alumni      2021    
83. Peter Waser  Faculty        Professor (emeritus)  Biological Sciences
84. Anonymous  Student      Class_2023    
85. Jennifer Wisecaver  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Biochemistry
86. Sarah Jones  Student      Graduate 1st year    
87. Adrienne Farr  Student      2021    
88. David Whittinghill  Faculty        Associate Professor  Computer Graphics Technology
89. Amanda White  Alumni      EEE 2017    
90. Nafissa  Alumni      2021    
91. Danielle Angert  Alumni      2021    
92. Balki Bartokomous  Faculty        Visiting Professor  Dept. of Sociology, University of Mypos
93. Leonor Boavida  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Botany and Plant Pathology
94. Catherine Searle  Faculty        Associate Professor  Department of Biological Sciences
95. Anonymous   Faculty        Professor Emeritus of Physics  Department of Physics and Astronomy
96. Jesse Cohn  Faculty        Associate Professor  English and World Languages
97. Haley Hartenstine  Student      2022    
98. Edith Puthy  Community member  West Lafayette  IN      
99. Heidi Etter  Alumni      EEE 2016    
100. Anonymous   Faculty        Professor, Media Studies  Purdue University Northwest
101. Tomas Hook  Faculty        Professor  Dept. of Forestry and Natural Resources
102. Heather Wicks  Faculty        Lecturer   English
103. Dianne Kaminsky  Alumni      EEE 2013    
104. William R. Arthur  Community member  West Lafayette  Indiana      
105. Anonymous    Faculty        Professor of Sociology  Department of Behavioral Sciences, Purdue University Northwest, instructor "Environment & Social Justice" since 2006
106. Steve Hallett  Faculty        Professor  Horticulture & Landscape Architecture
107. Sam Hensley  Alumni      2020    
108. Katelin Burow  Student      2025    
109. Matt Morgenstern  Student      PhD    
110. Meg Zuercher  Alumni      2017    
111. Denise Zielinski  Faculty        Senior Lecturer  Biological Sciences
112. Andre Moraes  Staff        Dr.  ABE
113. Caleb Torgerson  Alumni      2019    
114. Nick Smith  Faculty        Adjunct Assistant Professor  Forestry and Natural Resources
115. Anonymous    Faculty        Professor of Engineering Technology  School of Engineering Technology
116. Anonymous    Alumni      2019    
117. Shannon McMullen  Faculty        Associate Professor   Art & Design | American Studies
118. Alice Pawley  Faculty        Professor  School of Engineering Education
119. Caleb Redick  Staff        Research Associate  FNR
120. Danielle Klawitter  Alumni      2019    
121. Mita Choudhury  Faculty        Professor of English  Department of English and World Languages, Purdue U Northwest
122. Megan Geraghty  Alumni      2020    
123. Tony Silva  Faculty        Professor of English/Second Language Studies  Department of English
124. Donald Platt  Faculty        Professor   English Creative Writing / MFA Program in Poetry
125. Avril Harder  Alumni      2020    
126. Morgan Hynes  Faculty        Associate Professor   Engineering Education
127. Brent K. Jesiek  Faculty        Professor  School of Engineering Education
128. Anonymous  Faculty        Professor  HPPE, PNW
129. Margaux Zook  Alumni      2020    
130. Shweta singh  Student      2021    
131. Spencer Siddons  Student      2022    
132. Olivia Riedling  Undergraduate 2022 Department of Biochemistry
133. Marika Santagata  Faculty        Associate Professor  Lyles School of Civil Engineering
134. Ovidiu Toca  Staff        Postdoctoral research assistant  FNR
135. Anonymous  Faculty        Assistant Professor  
136. Theo Sorg  Student      BS AAE '19, PhD ENE (current)    
137. Ben Rivera  Staff        Graduate student  FNR
138. Amanda HugginkissAnonymous  Student      2023    
139. Elise Zaniker  Alumni      2021    
140. David Detmer  Faculty        Professor of Philosophy  Purdue University Northwest
141. Sunnie Watson  Faculty        Associate Professor  Curriculum and Instruction
142. William Watson  Faculty        Associate Professor   Curriculum and Instruction
143. Thomas Edward Daniel  Staff        Graduate Instructor, Department of English  
144. Monica Moran  Alumni      2019    
145. Anna Erwin  Staff        Postdoctoral Research Associate  Forestry and Natural Resources
146. Zane P. Kane  Alumni      2017    
147. Nancy Pelaez  Faculty        Professor Emerita   Biological Sciences
148. Donna Riley  Faculty        Professor  School of Engineering Education
149. Lindsay Darling  Student      2023    
150. Caroline Camfield  Student      1st year PhD student    
151. Steph Schiavo   Alumni      2021    
152. John Couture  Faculty        Associate Professor   Departments of Entomology and Forestry and Natural Resources
153. Mary Strickland  Staff        Graduate Research Assistant  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
154. Grace Estep  Staff        Undergraduate 2024  Department of Biochemistry
155. Ankita Raturi  Faculty        Asst. professor   ABE
156. Carol A. Brock  Staff        ENE Retiree  
157. Paul White  Faculty        Professor  English
158. Elizabeth Flaherty  Faculty        Associate Professor  Forestry and Natural Resources
159. Katherine Maul  Student      2016, 2026    
160. Philippe L Bourdeau  Faculty        Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering  Lyles School of Civil Engineering
161. Larry Nies  Faculty        Professor  Civil Engineering / Environmental & Ecological Engineering
162. Carol A. Handwerker  Faculty        Reinhardt Schuhmann, Jr. Professor of Materials Engineering   Environmental & Ecological Engineering
163. Trevor Anderson  Faculty        Professor Emeritus  Chemistry
164. Anne Wrobetz  Student      2026    
165. Samantha Thomas  Alumni      2011    
166. Lisa Welp  Faculty        Associate Professor  EAPS
167. Elena E Benedicto  Faculty        Professor of Linguistics  Dept of Linguistics and Dept of English
168. Antonio Bobet  Faculty        Professor  Civil Engineering
169. Michael Runholt  Student      2023    
170. Alex Kampf  Alumni      2014    
171. David Holt  Student      2022    
172. Elin Jacobs  Faculty          Forestry and Natural Resources
173. Erik Gates  Alumni      2015    
174. Anonymous    Faculty        Associate Professor  Biological Sciences
175. Stephanie Gardner  Faculty        Associate Professor  Biological Sciences
176. Bradley Dilger  Faculty        Associate Professor  English
177. Ty Climer  Faculty        Lecturer   Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange (PLaCE)
178. Karen Marais  Faculty        Professor  School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
179. Marty Frisbee  Faculty        Associate Professor  EAPS
180. Dan Shepardson  Faculty        Professor  EAPS and EDCI
181. Sara K Winnike-McMillan  Faculty        Associate Professor  ABE, EEE, C4E, PCCRC
182. Dan Szymanski  Faculty        Professor  Center for Plant Biology
183. Monica Wolfe  Student      3rd Year PhD Student    
184. Hua Cai  Faculty        Associate Professor  Industrial Engineering / Environmental & Ecological Engineering
185. Roberta Weiner  Staff        Graduate Research Assistant  ASEC
186. Jacqueline Linnes  Faculty        Marta E. Gross Associate Professor  Biomedical Engineering
187. Laura Ingwell  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Entomology
188. Fabian Winkler  Faculty        Professor  School of Design, Art and Performance
189. Brian Joseph Leung  Faculty        Professor  Department of English
190. Bob Loblaw  Staff        Professor of Law  Lawland
191. Marian Wahl  Student          
192. Michele Buzon  Faculty        Professor  Anthropology
193. Tal Theodorakos  Student      Class of 2025    
194. Rochel Bergman  Student      PhD    
195. Nathan Watervoort  Alumni      2021    
196. Miguel "Mickey" Hernandez  Community member  Memphis  Tennessee      
197. Sarah Cuprewich  Alumni      2021    
198. Jason Hawes  Alumni      EEE BS 2017, FNR MS 2019    
199. Tyler Morgan  Student      2025    
200. Sharleen Flowers  Student      Ph.D. Graduate Student    
201. Emily Pearson  Student      PhD Student    
202. Jon Rienstra-Kiracofe  Faculty        Professor of Practice  Chemistry
203. Bart McCarthart  Student      25    
204. Precious ChinAnonymous  Staff        Administrative Assistant  Department of Asian Studies
205. Ron BurgundyAnonymous  Faculty        Professor  Climate and Sustainability Studies
206. Robert Auber  Student      2021    
207. Robert AubergineAnonymous  Student      2022    
208. Panagiota Karava  Faculty        Professor  Civil Engineering
209. Panegyric KaramazovAnonymous  Community member  Lafayette  IN      
210. Steven Coonen  Staff        Professor  Center for Urban Science and Progress
211. Anonymous  Student      2021    
212. Tian Li  Faculty        Assistant Professor  School of Mechanical Engineering
213. Patrick Tiffany  Staff          College of Engineering
214. Mike Saunders  Faculty        Associate Professor  Forestry and Natural Resources
215. Steve Yaninek  Faculty        Professor  Department of Entomology
216. Jennifer Freeman  Faculty        Professor, School of Health Sciences, and Interim Director, Center for the Environment  
217. Tara Grillos  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Political Science
218. Patrick Kerstein  Faculty        Assistant Professor  School of Health Sciences, Center for the Environment
219. Humberto Monsivais  Student      2023    
220. Wei Zheng  Faculty        Professor of Health Sciences and Toxicology  School of Health Sciences
221. Kristina Fay  Staff        Administrative Assistant  School of Health Sciences
222. Melissa Junk, MPH  Staff        Academic Advisor  Health Sciences (Public Health Alumni)
223. Ellen M. Wells  Faculty        Associate Professor  School of Health Sciences and Department of Public Health
224. Jeff Volenec  Faculty        Professor  Dept. of Agronomy; President, Amer. Soc. of Agron.; Member: PCCRC, C4E
225. Ulrike Dydak  Faculty        Professor  School of Health Sciences
226. Benjamin Goller  Staff        Postdoc  Biological Sciences
227. Victoria Braegger  Student      PhD Student    
228. Zachary Feiner  Alumni      2015    
229. Patrice Baumhardt  Staff        Research Associate  Department of Biological Sciences
230. Katie Colgan  Student      2025    
231. Isha Gupta  Student      Junior    
232. Eric P Kvam  Faculty        Prof  MSE
233. Victoria Sinfield  Student      2023    
234. Taylor Stinchcomb  Student      2022    
235. Ingrid Lund-Mikkelsen  Student      PharmD Student 2025    
236. Erin Burke  Student      First Year Pharmacy Student    
237. Margot Cruz-Portillo  Student      2023    
238. Natasha Das  Student      2023    
239. Joe Pahoresky  Student      2025    
240. Zahra Tehrani  Faculty        Clinical Assistant Professor  Honors College
241. Dominic Gery  Student      2024    
242. Ella Johnson  Student      2023    
243. Paradyse  Blackwood  Student      2024 PhD    
244. Alexander Kling  Student      2025    
245. Phoebe Kinzelman  Alumni      2020    
246. James Haber  Student      2023    
247. Dr. Melissa Lane  Community member  Lititz  PA      
248. Stephanie Menten  Student      2nd Year PhD Student    
249. Anonymous   Student      PHD 2025    
250. Christopher Calvelage  Alumni      2021    
251. Evelyn Blackwood  Faculty        Professor Emerita  Department of Anthropology
252. Elizabeth Kriebel  Alumni      2020    
253. Casey Wright  Student      MS_2019    
254. Alex Anderson  Student      2026    
255. anonymous  Alumni      may_2020    
256. Carly Evich  Student      PhD_2022    
257. Ernest R. Blatchley III  Faculty        Lee A. Rieth Professor in Environmental Engineering  Lyles School of Civil Engineering and Division of Environmental & Ecological Engineering
258. Clifford Sadof  Faculty        Professor  Entomology
259. Abdel Halloway  Staff        Visiting Scholar  Plant Biology
260. Aashna Aggarwal  Student      2023    
261. James Garrison  Faculty        Professor  School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
262. Kevin Altman  Student      2021    
263. Lynne Dahmen        Staff        Center for the Environment
264. Adam M Easterday  Alumni      2021    
265. Aaron Smith  Faculty        Assistant Professor   Entomology
266. Doug Richmond  Faculty        Professor  Entomology
267. Maureen Naughton Berry alumna and community member  Community member  West Lafayette  IN      
268. Nathan Shoaf  Staff        Urban Agriculture Coordinator  Extension
269. Michael Jenkins  Faculty        Professor  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
270. Mark Tilton  Faculty        Associate Professor  Department of Political Science
271. Juliana  Student      2021    
272. Dalton Mullins  Student      Senior    
273. Hannah Britton  Student      Graduate student    
274. Gwen Pearson   Staff        Outreach Coordinator   ENTM
275. Anonymous   Student      2021    
276. Bryce Colón  Student      2022    
277. Anonymous  Staff        Graduate Secretary  
278. Chelsea Silva  Staff        Human Dimensions Research Coordinator  Dept. of Forestry and Natural Resources
279. Taylor Davis  Faculty        Associate Professor  Philosophy
280. Anonymous  Faculty        Assistant Professor  College of Liberal Arts
281. Laura Bowling  Faculty        Professor  Agronomy and NRES
282. Anonymous  Staff          
283. TJ Boisseau  Faculty        Associate Professor  School of Interdisciplinary Studies
284. Risa Cromer  Faculty        Assistant Professor  Anthropology
285. Sandra Sydnor  Faculty        Associate Professor  Hospitality and Tourism Management
286. Rosalee Clawson  Faculty        Professor  Department of Political Science
287. Ronnie Wilbur   Faculty        Professor  HHS/SLHS and CLA/SIS/Linguistics
288. Michael Johnston  Faculty        Associate Professor  English
289. Beth  Jones  Faculty        Limited Term Lecturer  English
290. Samantha L. Seybold  Student      2023    
291. Jonathan Moss  Alumni      2019    
292. Patrick Andrew Zollner  Faculty        Professor of Quantitative Ecology  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
293. Lauren Gustafson  Student      2023    
294. Michael McNamara  Faculty        Associate Professor  DAP/Theatre
295. Becca Nixon  Staff          FNR
296. Anonymous  Alumni      2018    
297. Melinda Miller  Alumni      2016    
298. Anonymous  Alumni      2014    
299. Anonymous  Alumni        
300. American Association of University Professors Executive Committee  
301. Anonymous  Student      2023
302. Anonymous Faculty - Political Science Department