For immediate release
BETHLEHEM, PA., April 19, 2018: Today, Moravian College and the Nurture Nature Center (NNC) of Easton, Pa. announced they will dedicate a reproduction of “Living Local”, a mural created by artist Thomas Maxfield, in honor of Frank Kuserk, a professor of biology and founding director of the environmental studies and sciences program at Moravian on Monday, April 23 at 4:00 p.m. Frank Kuserk was a professor of biological sciences, ecology, and environmental science at Moravian College for 40 years and was designated the Louise E. Julley Professor of Biological Sciences. Professor Kuserk died in October 2017 after spending the day in the field with his beloved environmental studies students.
“Even after 40 years as a professor, Frank remained extremely passionate about teaching and mentoring students,” commented Diane White Husic, dean, school of natural and health sciences at Moravian College. “Whenever possible, he would get students into the field, and especially into the local waterways, for hands-on-learning and research. Having had the good fortune to join him for some of these excursions, I witnessed first-hand the joy these moments brought him.”
Professor Kuserk was a longtime friend of the Nurture Nature Center, and dedicated his life to teaching others the beauty of the natural world, even when what he found was beautiful was turtles, mice, and fish. The Living Local Mural is an exhibit that showcases a range of local environments from an urban downtown to a rural stream. The mural, created by artist Tom Maxfield, took over two years to create and features over 80 environmental talking points and was a favorite of Professor Kuserk.
“The Living Local mural is a centerpiece for dialogue and reflection about our local environment. The mural shows the connections between our built and natural environments, and the impacts humans can have – positive and negative – through their actions,” said Rachel Hogan Carr, executive director of the Nurture Nature Center. “Living Local helps us connect our local audiences to the global issues we discuss at NNC. We are excited it can do the same for Moravian students.”
Event information:
What: Dedication of a reproduction of “Living Local” to Frank Kuserk, professor of biological sciences, ecology, and environmental science at Moravian College. The dedication ceremony will include comments from Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian College, NNC Board President, Jane Kheel Stanley, artist Thomas Maxfield, and Chris Jones, professor of biological sciences at Moravian College.
When: Monday, April 23 at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Moravian College, Collier Hall of Science, 1205 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pa.
Media contact: Michael Corr, director of marketing and communications, corrm@moravian.edu, 610.861.
About Nurture Nature Center
Nurture Nature Center is a science-based community center that uses science, art and dialogue programming to engage the community in learning about local environmental issues. Founded in 2007 in the wake of repetitive flooding in the Delaware River Basin, NNC began as a center for flood education and outreach, achieving a national reputation for its work in the area. While flood risk education remains a core focus of NNC, the Center has grown substantially since its opening and now also provides a range of ongoing programs for the surrounding community, including science and art presentations and workshops, documentary film series, garden programming, community dialogue forums and youth activities and field trips. Visit nurturenaturecenter.org to learn more.
About Moravian College
Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. For more than 275 years, the Moravian College degree has been based on a liberal arts curriculum where literature, history, science, cultural values, global issues, ethics, artistic expression, and the social sciences are infused with multidisciplinary perspectives. Visit Moravian.edu to learn more about how the Moravian College liberal arts curriculum prepares its students for life-long success.
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