Educator
and adventurer T.A. Loeffler will discuss her recent climb up Mount Everest and
her work in experiential education at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 21 in Wieden
Auditorium as part of the University
of Maine at Presque Isle's
Distinguished Lecturer Series.
The
event originally was to be held on March 5, but had to be rescheduled due to a
snowstorm.
Loeffler,
a professor of outdoor recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland who is
currently attempting to complete "The Seven Summits" - climbing the highest
peak on all seven continents, will speak on "More than a Mountain: One Woman's
Everest" during her two-day visit to northern Maine.
Between
April 21 and 22, she will deliver her presentation to the community, speak to a
university class, and lead a "fun walk" with the campus and community. The trek
begins at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22, leaving from Gentile Hall, and outdoor
enthusiasts are encouraged to participate.
Loeffler
has received national and international recognition for her innovative teaching
and motivational speaking. She brings 20 years of expertise leading people
through significant life-changing experiences to every facet of her work. Her
work and adventures have taken her to 35 different countries. In 2006, The
Globe and Mail named her "A Class Act" and she received the Association of
Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teaching Award. The Canadian Association
for the Advancement of Women in Sport named her to their 2006 Top Twenty Most
Influential Women in Canadian Sport and Physical Activity List. She also
received the Memorial University Presidents Award for Distinguished Teaching in
2005. The Association for Experiential Education named her the Outstanding
Experiential Teacher of the Year in 1999. In the year leading up to her climb
up Mount Everest, she spread her message "Big Dreams, Big Goals" to more than
10,000 youth in the provinces of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
"She
is a strong voice for women in experiential education, especially adventure
recreation, and is an avid advocate and researcher in social justice issues,"
Dr. Anja Whittington, professor of recreation, said. "She's just fun and she's
a huge source of inspiration."
The
University's Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 1999. Each year,
the UDLS Committee sponsors five to six speakers who come from Maine and other parts of
the world representing a range of disciplines and viewpoints. While the
emphasis tends to be on featuring visiting academics it is not exclusively so.
The speakers typically spend two days at the University meeting with classes
and presenting a community lecture.