Postponed – Dr. Jane Goodall to deliver Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership at UCLA on April 1

Editor’s note: This news release was updated at 3:16 p.m. on March 12, to indicate that the event has been postponed.

In compliance with UCLA campus policy requiring that all in-person campus gatherings of more than 100 people be suspended or postponed, the Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership featuring Dr. Jane Goodall scheduled for April 1 has been postponed.

All ticket holders with online purchases will automatically be refunded by point of purchase for the cost of the ticket and all fees associated. If you purchased your tickets from the UCLA Central Ticket Office in person with cash or check, please contact 310-825-2101 or cto@tickets.ucla.edu for assistance (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Please note this refund effort will take time as CTO is managing thousands of ticket purchases. Your patience is appreciated.

“We look forward to rescheduling the event and will communicate a new date and time at our earliest opportunity,” said Patricia Turner, senior dean of the UCLA College, in a message to ticket holders. “We will provide the on-sale date and time to all current ticket holders before the general public announcement is made, with a reasonable interval for purchase. Details around this are still being worked out.”

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, will deliver the Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership at UCLA’s Royce Hall on April 1, 2020, as part of the celebration of UCLA’s Centennial year. The renowned animal behavior expert and conservationist is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a U.N. Messenger of Peace.

During the lecture, which marks the 60th anniversary of the start of her pioneering research, Goodall will discuss her journey from groundbreaking researcher of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, to internationally renowned activist. She will also share her reasons for hope for the future, talk about the work of the Jane Goodall Institute and the organization’s Roots & Shoots youth program, and encourage audience members to make a difference every single day.

Following her remarks, Goodall will be joined by a moderator for a discussion drawing from questions submitted by UCLA students and alumni.

The UCLA College lecture is a ticketed event, open to UCLA students as well as the campus community, alumni and the general public. (The lecture sold out on Feb. 5; tickets for students were made available at no charge.) Event details are available on the Luskin Lecture website.

“Dr. Jane Goodall is a true pioneer who exemplifies how one person can make a huge difference in the world,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said. “We are delighted to welcome her to campus for the Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership, to share her inspiring vision with UCLA.”

Goodall began her pioneering research on wild chimpanzees in 1960 in what is today known as Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. Goodall was the first person to formally observe and better understand wild chimpanzees, our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom; her research revealed remarkable insights about chimpanzee behavior and humankind.

Since then, Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute have maintained what is now the world’s longest running study of wild chimpanzees. Through her critical work, Goodall has not only championed the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction, but she also has pioneered community-centered conservation through JGI, putting local people at the center of conservation decisions and action, across the chimpanzee range in Africa. Through JGI’s Roots & Shoots program, she empowers young people to improve their communities through service projects, ensuring that they become better stewards of the environment than previous generations.

As a global activist traveling nearly 300 days a year, she has devoted her life to inspiring all people to take action to improve the well-being of people, other animals and the natural world we share.

“Dr. Goodall’s focus on giving people, particularly young people, the knowledge and confidence to make an impact by being part of something bigger than themselves makes her an example to emulate,” said Patricia Turner, senior dean of the UCLA College. “She has moved beyond her role as a scientist to encourage all of us to become active partners in the future of our world.”

Goodall’s talk will be the fifth Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership. The series was established in the UCLA College by Meyer and Renee Luskin in 2011 as part of a transformative gift to UCLA. Their vision in establishing the endowed lecture series gives the UCLA College an unprecedented opportunity to share knowledge and expand the dialogue among scholars, leaders in government and business, and the greater Los Angeles community. Previous speakers have included former President Bill Clinton, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.