Chatham University’s Office of Career Development and the Rachel Carson Institute are sponsoring a series of sustainability leadership lectures to illustrate the pathways environmental leaders have followed to success.

The lectures, held from 5 to 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month from October to April in the Welker Room of the Laughlin Music Hall on the Shadyside Campus (unless otherwise noted), will discuss career opportunities in environmental fields.

The schedule of lectures and speakers follows below.

-- October 16: Andrew Butcher, Founding Partner, GTech Strategies;

-- November 13: Lalit Chordia, President, Thar Industries;

-- December 11: Christine Mondor, principal, evolve EA;>

-- January 8: Bridget McCourt, community relations manager, LANXESS (speaker subject to change);

-- February 12: Tom Peters, executive vice president, Scalo Solar Solutions, LLC; and

-- TBA: Georgia Berner, CEO, Berner International Corp and Berner Energy Recovery, Inc.

Butcher co-founded GTECH Strategies in 2007. He is an accomplished social entrepreneur with expertise in the fields of community development, renewable energy, social innovation, and environmental justice. Butcher holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from American University.

Chordia has personally financed the 11-year presence of Thar Technologies with the help of one additional investor. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1980 and his doctorate in chemical engineering from CMU in 1985.

Mondor has taught architecture, landscape design, and sustainability concepts at CMU SlipperyRock University, and Chatham. She supports organizations that promote design and the environment and currently serves as vice president for the Green Building Alliance Board of Directors and is former board chair at the Design Center of Pittsburgh.

McCourt is the LANXESS community relations manager and previously served as the company’s communications and public affairs manager. She graduated from St. Mary’s of Notre Dame in 1993 with bachelor’s degree in history.

Peters coordinates the academic advisory team for the Sunscape Energy Demonstration Project, guestlectures at Penn State’s Solar Financing course for graduate architects and engineers, and will do the same this year for Duquesne University’s Sustainability MBA candidates. He is also a member of Chatham’s Rachel Carson Institute Committee, sponsoring the first ever roundtable forum on removing institutional barriers to renewable energy systems in Pittsburgh this year.

Berner is owner and CEO of Berner International Corporation and Berner Energy Recovery, Inc. She also serves on the Executive Advisory Board of Women Impacting Public Policy. Berner graduated from Hollins University with bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degrees in English literature and social psychology.

Ava DeMarco, president of Little Earth Productions, LLC, kicked off the series on September 18. The Pittsburgh company transforms recycled tires and license plates into fashion creations that have been featured by media outlets like CNN, Inc. magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

Lectures are open to the public; admission is $25. Chatham students and faculty can attend for free, though RSVP is requested. For more information contact Monica Ritter in the Office of Career Development at 412-365-1280.

10/8/2012