‘The Intersectionist’ to lead discussion on creating opportunities

Joe Zammit-Lucia, dubbed “The Intersectionist,” will present “Sustainability, Trans-Disciplinarity, and the Arts” Tuesday, Aug. 21, in the Graham Center (GC) 140 at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC).

Scheduled for 7 p.m., it is free and open to the public.

The discussion will explore how words and concepts, including “sustainability,” acquire meaning; how different meanings arise as different disciplines operate within their own distinct rationalities; and how the arts contribute to a conceptual understanding.

“Zammit-Lucia’s work reflects our school’s mission focusing on the intersection of disciplines to find answers to today’s challenges,” said Elaine Pritzker, coordinator for the School of Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS). “We look forward to beginning the academic year with a speaker who so adeptly unites the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to begin conversations about society’s relationship to the environment.”

Previously a physician, entrepreneur and business consultant, Zammit-Lucia is now an artist, author, scholar and commentator. A self-described “Intersectionist,” he works at the intersection of various disciplines as he explores the questions and issues around growth, sustainability and society.

“Nothing can be solved by one single discipline or approach,” Zammit-Lucia said. “The world has become so complex, that we know more and more about less and less. The issues we need to address and the opportunities we create can’t be addressed by one discipline. We can’t get sucked in to one particular way of thinking, we need to maintain a broader perspective.”

The Aug. 21 lecture is sponsored by SEAS. For a complete list of SEAS-sponsored events for the 2012-2013 academic year, including the Environmental Film Series, Ocean Life Series, Writers on the Bay, and Eat, Think and Be Merry café talks, click here.