From Eritrea to Wenham: Internationally Known Scientist to Speak at Annual Community Read Lecture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2012

CONTACT
Jo Kadlecek
Senior Writer
978.867.4752(office)
[email protected]

WENHAM, MA—Wenham resident and humanitarian scientist Dr. Gordon Sato has long been recognized for his contributions in biology and global issues. He has received numerous awards for his work in Eritrea helping build a sustainable community in the poorest area of the world.

Sato’s work is also the subject of a non-fiction children’s picture book entitled, The Mangrove Tree, and as part of their sixth annual Community Read partnership, Gordon College and the Hamilton-Wenham Library will host Dr. Sato on campus Thursday, March 29. Authors Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore will sign copies of The Mangrove Tree at a reception from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the Ken Olsen Science Center, followed by Sato’s lecture on his humanitarian efforts at 7:30 p.m. in the A.J. Gordon Memorial Chapel on campus. The event is free and open to the public.

With alternating verse and prose passages, The Mangrove Tree invites readers to discover how Dr. Sato's mangrove tree-planting project transformed an impoverished village into a self-sufficient community. It is an exploration of environmental innovation while celebrating the creativity, hard work, and ability of one person making a difference in the lives of many.

“Dr. Sato’s inspiring commitment to ending poverty through sustainable efforts are values we appreciate and share,” said Mark Sargent, Gordon College provost. “His work and story are worth celebrating and we’re honored to have him on campus.”

The Hamilton-Wenham Library along with Gordon College sponsors the Community Read program, which encourages all community members to read the same book and then gather together to meet the author(s). Through the help of a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library reinforces its mission of “meeting the cultural, educational, informational and recreational interests of the community.”

“We are delighted to host an award-winning scientist this year along with two gifted children’s authors,” said Jan Dempsey, director of the Hamilton-Wenham Library. “And it’s also exciting that Dr. Sato is from our hometown.”

For more information on the Community Read, contact Jan Dempsey 978.468.5577.

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Gordon College is a multidenominational Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences on Boston’s North Shore, offering majors in 38 fields with graduate programs in education and music education. Gordon is nationally recognized for excellence in academics and in character building, and ranks as one of the nation’s top Christian colleges. www.gordon.edu

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