The McGregor Connections Initiative lecture series at Denison University will present “Resiliency: The Rebirth of Eco-Democracy,” a lecture by Sim Van der Ryn, architect and leader in ecological design, at 4:30 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the Slayter Hall Auditorium (200 Ridge Road). The lecture, which will focus on environmental sustainability, is free and open to the public.

Fleeing the Netherlands in 1939 from the devastation of war in Europe, Sim Van der Ryn’s family arrived in New York City, where he first discovered his intense interest in the natural world. Acquiring an architectural degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Van der Ryn focused his career and research on the connection of physical and social ecology to architecture and environmental design. Van der Ryn currently teaches at University of California Berkley as a professor of ecological design. He has written seven leading books in ecological design, served as the first energy-conscious state architect of California, and won numerous awards for his prominent role in architecture and planning.

The lecture is sponsored by the McGregor Connections Initiative, the Ronneberg Series and the Department of Environmental Studies.

The 2008-09 McGregor Connections theme is “Urbanscapes,” during which the campus community will explore the relationship between people and the urban environment. Future speakers include Saskia Sassen (Apr. 11), AbdouMaliq Simone (Apr. 13), and Andrea Frohne (Apr. 14).

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CALENDER LISTING: Denison University, Granville — McGregor Connections Initiative speaker: Sim Van der Ryn, architect and leader in ecological design, at 4:30 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 12, at the Slayter Hall Auditorium (200 Ridge Road). Free and open to the public. Contact 740-587-6206.