Author-in-Residence Event

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7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16

Concordia College Author-in-Residence Event

Readings and Conversation

7:30 p.m. CST | Thursday, March 16, 2023
Centrum, Knutson Campus Center

The Readings and Conversations event is free and open to the public. A reception and book signing will take place in the atrium, Knutson Campus Center, following the event.

The college is pleased to announce Ed Yong and Suzanne Simard as our guest authors for the 2023 Author-in-Residence event March 16. Join John Ydstie ’74 as he engages with authors in thought-provoking conversation about books and writing.

Ed Yong is a science staff writer with The Atlantic. He was awarded journalism’s top honor, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, for his crucial coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Dr. Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia and the leader of The Mother Tree Project, which researches forest renewal practices that will protect biodiversity against climate change. 

Meet the Authors

Ed Yong

Named “the most important and impactful journalist" of 2020 by Poynter, Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Yong is a science staff writer with The Atlantic. He was awarded journalism’s top honor, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, for his crucial coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. He anticipated the course of the virus, the complex challenges the U.S. faced, and the government’s failure in its response. An accomplished speaker, Yong brings his vast scientific knowledge and engages his audiences through his insightful conversations about the pandemic, the animal kingdom, the challenges of science journalism, and more.

Suzanne Simard

Dr. Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia and the leader of The Mother Tree Project, which researches forest renewal practices that will protect biodiversity against climate change. She has a global reputation as a research pioneer on tree connectivity and communication. Simard delivers powerful lectures about the fascinating interconnectedness of trees and her revolutionary work on The Mother Tree Project. She also emboldens women of all ages to pursue STEM careers, highlights the crucial role forests play in combatting climate change, and emphasizes the importance of appreciating our natural world.

Event Host

John Ydstie

John Ydstie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in 1974 with a major in English literature and a minor in speech communications. He covered the economy, Wall Street, and the federal budget for NPR for two decades and was a regular guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Talk of the Nation. Ydstie retired in November 2019.

The Author-in-Residence program at Concordia is underwritten by the Mellon Foundation in honor of Earl Lewis ’78.

Earl Lewis

Dr. Earl Lewis, a 1978 graduate of Concordia College, is the founding director of the University of Michigan Center for Social Solutions, which was established to address three core areas of social concern: diversity and race, water, and the future of work.