University Park, Pa. -- David R. Riley, associate professor of architectural engineering will speak on the citizen's role in the 21st century at the 9th Annual Schreyer Honors College Luchinsky Memorial Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. This presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Boardroom II of the Nittany Lion Inn and followed by a reception in the Mount Nittany Room.
Riley will share his perspective on "the duty of citizens to learn from life experiences, to act as stewards of the environment, and seek ways to apply their special skills to give back to their communities." His presentation will also be centered on his experiences with the American Indian Housing Initiative (AIHI).
AIHI is a multi-university effort between Penn State, the University of Washington and Chief Dull Knife College of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. The program focuses on the housing crisis common to American Indian reservations and promotes economically and environmentally sustainable design strategies.
The Luchinsky Memorial Lecture has been delivered in the past by Harris Wofford, chief executive officer, Corporation for National Service and former US Senator (1996); Kurt Angle, 1996 Olympic gold medalist in wrestling (1997); John Lowe, professor of chemistry (1998); James Pawelczyk, assistant professor of physiology and kinesiology and payload specialist for NASA's 1998 Neurolab mission (1999); Joe Paterno, Penn State's legendary football coach (2000); Alan Block, an international crime researcher (2001); Wendy Kopp, founder and president of Teach for America (2002); and Douglas Evans, chief operating officer, Kensey Nash Corporation, and vice president, Scholar Alumni Society Board of Directors (2003).
The Luchinsky Memorial Lecture Series was endowed by family and friends to honor the memory of Mark Luchinsky, a University Scholar and biochemistry major who died on January 18, 1995 at age 20. Luchinsky graduated first in his class in 1992 from Thomas Jefferson High School in Pittsburgh. In addition to being a University Scholar, he was a member of the Penn State Golden Key Honor Society and the Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society.
Although he was a science student, Luchinsky was passionate about the study of all subjects. He loved the classics, sports, poetry, history and geography. Even at his young age, he was known for intellectual honesty and personal integrity. Through this lecture series, the community gathers to honor his memory through support of a speaker who exemplifies intellectual honesty, personal integrity, and joy in learning.