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CORVALLIS - F. Sherwood Rowland, a Nobel laureate and one of the world's leading experts on ozone in the atmosphere, will highlight a lecture series featuring several prominent environmental scientists which begins Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Oregon State University.

Titled "The Science of Environmental Controversies," the series is sponsored by OSU's Department of Zoology, the Valley Chairs in Marine Biology, and the Aldo Leopold Leadership program. Each speaker is participating in an OSU graduate seminar course and will present a free public lecture in the evening.

Rowland, the Donald Bren Research Professor at the University of California-Irvine, will speak Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center on the topic "Two Global Atmospheric Problems: Ozone Depletion in the Stratosphere and Ozone Formation at Earth's Surface."

Both situations with atmospheric ozone are significant concerns, experts say. Stratospheric ozone protects all biological species at the surface, but excess ozone at ground level is harmful. Human activities have caused both a depletion of stratospheric ozone and a buildup of ozone at the surface.

Other speakers during the lecture series include:

• Feb. 10: J. Peterson Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation and co-author of "Our Stolen Future," will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium on "Disrupting the Messages of Life: Chemicals That Make You Sick, Sterile and Stupid."

   

• Feb. 24: Calestous Juma, a fellow of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium on "Scientific Knowledge and National Sovereignty: Who Owns Biodiversity?"

   

• March 3: Sheila Jasanoff, Professor of Science and Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and author of "Science at the Bar," will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium on "Our Uncertain Future: The Science and Politics of Saving the Planet."

   

• March 10: Rosamond Naylor, a fellow and senior research scholar at the Institute for International Studies of Stanford University, will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium on "Aligning Food Security and Environmental Objectives in the 21st Century."