Dr. Benjamin Burger 51st Annual Honors Last Lecture

Dr. Benjamin Burger, 2026 Honors Outstanding Professor from the Department of Water, Earth, and Environmental Sciences in the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, will deliver the 51st Annual Honors Last Lecture, “Beyond Extinction: The Prehistoric Past and Surviving the Future.” The lecture itself will explore stories about how we can use the fossil and rock record to understand both the fragility of life during times of dramatic change and the remarkable resilience of ecosystems through Earth’s history and talk about what it means for our shared future. Initiated in 1976, the Honors Last Lecture has become an important tradition for the Utah State University community. Each year, a committee of Honors students selects one Honors Outstanding Professor, whom they invite to deliver an imagined "Last Lecture," a talk that shares wisdom and insight with students and community members as if it were the professor's final chance to lecture at USU. A reception will follow in the lobby of the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall. The livestream for a statewide audience and the recording of the event after its completion can be accessed from the Honors Program website.