Rita Colwell, immediate past director of the National Science Foundation, will present the keynote address “Global Environmental Change and Human Health” at a three-day conference on the challenges of globalization. One of the most influential scientific personalities of this generation, Colwell will discuss how global climate change patterns can influence the frequency and severity of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly in underdeveloped countries. A reception follows the lecture. The event is free and open to the public.

Rita Colwell, director of the NSF from 1998 to 2004, is known as someone who can inspire people and generate excitement about science. Under her leadership, the NSF’s budget increased 68 percent, and the average annual grant size grew from $90,000 to $142,000. A microbiologist and internationally recognized expert on cholera and other infectious diseases, she is currently on the faculty of The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she is involved in developing a new international center for the study of infectious diseases, water and health, in conjunction with scientific colleagues from Sweden, Norway, Japan and Bangladesh.

The three-day conference Oct. 28-30, titled “Challenges of a Transboundary World,” will feature panel discussions and case-study presentations focusing on the challenges of globalization, including issues surrounding free trade, environmental change, transnational social movements and the international governance of resources, particularly water.