Jardetzky Lecture

The Engel-Morgan-Jardetzky Distinguished Lecture on Science, Culture and Ethics

Established to commemorate the spirit of the fund raising initiative by Austin George (Jim) and Mary Roessel Engel, Robert A. Morgan and their fellow Macalester students that in 1949 created Macalester’s Displaced Person Scholarship and brought Oleg Jardetzky to Macalester and the United States.

 2025 Jardetzky Lecture 

Ed Yong, 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Explanatory Reporting, this year’s Jardetzky speaker, sponsored by the Biology Department.

“Becoming a Birder”

After years of intense pandemic reporting left him burnt out, Ed Yong found solace in birdwatching, a hobby that rekindled his passion for nature writing, fostered joy and wonder, and deepened his connection to the environment. In this talk, Yong speaks about how he became a birder, and the restorative power of engaging with the natural world emphasizing how it can be both healing and enlightening.