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.
When
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 3:30 pm - 5:00 pmWhere
Russell/Wanlass Performance HallEvent Type
Department
Honors
Target Audience
Students,Alumni,Faculty,Staff,General Public,Parents,Prospective Students
Website
Subscribe
Information/Cost
The lecture is free and open to the public and will be followed immediately by a reception in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall lobby.
Event Contact
Name: Jennifer Cortez
Phone: 435-797-2715
Email: jennifer.cortez@usu.edu
View By
Event Types
- All Types
- Arts/Entertainment (301)
- Academic Calendar (48)
- Sports (20)
- Exhibition (14)
- Panel Discussion/Presentation (13)
- Ceremony/Awards/Celebration (12)
- Workshop/Training (12)
- Cultural (8)
- Meeting (8)
- Lecture/Readings (7)
- Special Event (5)
- Fair/Festival (3)
- Fundraiser (3)
- Student Activities (3)
- Conference/Seminar (2)
- Information/Orientation (2)
- Date/Deadline (0)
- Breakfast/Luncheon/Dinner (0)
- Reception/Reunion (0)
- Recreation (0)
- Social/Networking (0)
- More Types
Target Audiences
- All Audiences
- Students (23)
- Faculty (23)
- Staff (20)
- General Public (10)
- Alumni (10)
- Parents (7)
- Prospective Students (7)
Departments
- All Departments
- Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (4)
- Water, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (0)
- Wildland Resources (0)
- Technology, Design & Technical Education (0)
- Environment and Society (0)
- Aviation Technology (0)
- Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences (0)
- Plants, Soils & Climate (0)
- Animal, Dairy & Veterinary Sciences (0)
- Applied Economics (0)
- Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (4)
- Applied Sciences, Technology & Education (0)
- More Departments
- College of Arts and Sciences (1)
- English (0)
- Heravi Peace Institute (0)
- Community and Natural Resources Institute (0)
- Interfaith Initiative (0)
- Intermountain Herbarium (0)
- History, Cultures, and Ideas (0)
- Intensive English Language Institute (0)
- Communication (0)
- Theatre Arts (0)
- Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research (0)
- Transforming Communities Institute (0)
- Center for Atmospheric and Space Studies (0)
- Biology (0)
- School of Social Sciences (0)
- Social Work (0)
- Utah Public Radio (KUSU) (0)
- World Languages and Cultures (0)
- American Festival Chorus and Orchestra (0)
- Military Science (Army ROTC) (0)
- Center for Anticipatory Intelligence (0)
- Arts & Sciences Research (0)
- Lyric Repertory Company (0)
- Chemistry and Biochemistry (0)
- Mountain West Center for Regional Studies (0)
- I-System Institute For Transdisciplinary Studies (0)
- Art and Design (0)
- Mathematics and Statistics (0)
- Caine School of the Arts (0)
- Museum of Anthropology (0)
- Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC) (0)
- Music (0)
- Physics (0)
- More Departments
- Government & External Affairs (1)
- Provost & Executive Vice President (1)
- Study Abroad (0)
- Tenure Academy (0)
- School of Graduate Studies (0)
- Registrar's Office (0)
- Faculty Senate (0)
- Admissions (0)
- Empowering Teaching Excellence (0)
- Office of Global Engagement (0)
- Financial Aid (0)
- Center for Innovative Design and Instruction (CIDI) (0)
- Honors (1)
- More Departments
- Advancement (0)
- Athletics (0)
- Football (0)
- Men’s Tennis (0)
- Softball (0)
- Men’s Basketball (0)
- Volleyball (0)
- Cross Country (0)
- Men’s Golf (0)
- Women’s Basketball (0)
- Track and Field (0)
- Women's Volleyball (0)
- Women’s Gymnastics (0)
- Women’s Soccer (0)
- Women’s Tennis (0)
- More Departments
- College of Engineering (0)
- Space Dynamics Laboratory (0)
- ASPIRE (0)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (0)
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (0)
- Biological and Chemical Engineering (0)
- Computer Science (0)
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (0)
- Engineering Education (0)
- More Departments
- College of Veterinary Medicine (0)
- Division of Student Success (0)
- Student Orientation and Transition Services (0)
- The HURD (0)
- Student Involvement & Leadership Center/USUSA (0)
- Utah Conservation Corps (0)
- Veterans Resource Office (0)
- Campus Recreation (0)
- Student Club/Organization (0)
- Center for Academic Belonging & Learning Excellence (0)
- Survivor Support, Advocacy, and Violence Intervention (SSAVI) (0)
- Student Achievement Collaborative (0)
- Counseling and Prevention Services (0)
- Strategic Enrollment Managemen (0)
- Christensen Office of Service and Sustainability (0)
- University Advising (0)
- Center for Community (0)
- Aggie First Scholars (0)
- Center for Community Engagement (0)
- Aggie Blue Bikes (0)
- Career Design Center (0)
- More Departments
- Emma Eccles Jones College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (0)
- Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence (0)
- Special Education and Rehabilitation (0)
- School of Teacher Education and Leadership (0)
- Nursing and Health Professions (0)
- Emma Eccles Jones Early Childhood Center (0)
- Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences (0)
- Psychology (0)
- Human Development and Family Studies (0)
- Kinesiology and Health Science (0)
- Edith Bowen Laboratory School (0)
- Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (0)
- Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (0)
- More Departments
- Extension (0)
- Logan Campus Extension (0)
- Juab County (0)
- Kane County (0)
- Ogden Botanical Center (0)
- Piute County (0)
- Millard County (0)
- Morgan County (0)
- Iron County (0)
- Grand County (0)
- Utah County (0)
- Wasatch County (0)
- Tooele County (0)
- Sevier County (0)
- Davis County (0)
- Uintah County (0)
- Summit County (0)
- Carbon County (0)
- USU Botanical Center (0)
- Swaner Preserve EcoCenter (0)
- Box Elder County (0)
- Thanksgiving Point (0)
- Weber County (0)
- Salt Lake County (0)
- Beaver County (0)
- Emery County (0)
- Wasatch Front (0)
- San Juan County (0)
- Cache County (0)
- Sanpete County (0)
- Garfield County (0)
- Washington County (0)
- Rich County (0)
- Wayne County (0)
- Utah Women & Leadership Project (0)
- Duchesne County (0)
- 4-H (0)
- More Departments
- Finance and Administrative Services (0)
- Facilities (0)
- Dining Services (0)
- Publication Design and Production (0)
- Housing (0)
- Parking and Transportation Services (0)
- Controller's Office (0)
- Business Services (0)
- Campus Store (0)
- Conference Center (0)
- Staff Employee Association (0)
- Taggart Student Center (0)
- University Inn (0)
- Purchasing and Contract Services (0)
- More Departments
- Jon M. Huntsman School of Business (0)
- Healthcare Administration Club (HAC) (0)
- Global Learning Experience (0)
- Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) (0)
- Huntsman Marketing Association (0)
- Huntsman Scholars (0)
- Financial Planning Association (FPA) (0)
- FJ Management Center for Student Success (0)
- Finance and Economics Club (0)
- Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) (0)
- Pro-Sales (0)
- Marketing and Strategy Department (0)
- Covey Leadership Center (0)
- Real Estate Association (0)
- Master in Human Resources (MHR) (0)
- Master of Science in Economics (MSE) (0)
- Master of Accounting (MAcc) (0)
- Business Council (0)
- Master of Financial Economics (MFE) (0)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) (0)
- Master of Management Information Systems (MMIS) (0)
- Huntsman Hive (0)
- Shingo Institute Student Chapter (0)
- Management Department (0)
- Entrepreneurship Center (0)
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (0)
- Sales Club (0)
- Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) (0)
- DECA Club (0)
- Data Analytics & Information Systems Department (0)
- School of Accountancy (0)
- USU Pre-Law Society (0)
- Entrepreneurship Club (0)
- Investment Banking Club (0)
- Data Analytics and Information Systems Student Association (DAISSA) (0)
- Women in Business Association (0)
- Economics and Finance Department (0)
- International Business Association (0)
- BI Group (0)
- Analytics Solutions Center (0)
- More Departments
- Merrill-Cazier Library (0)
- Multiple Sponsors (0)
- Office of Research (0)
- Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Center (0)
- USU Research Foundation (USTAR) (0)
- More Departments
- Operational Strategy (0)
- President's Office (0)
- Statewide Campuses (0)
- University Marketing and Communications (0)
- Utah State University (0)
- USU Eastern (0)
- Other (0)
- More Departments