Vadnais Lecture Series
This annual lecture series is named for Professor Lawrence H. Vadnais and is sponsored by the Vadnais Endowment.
MCLA Alumnus to Deliver Vadnais Lecture on Offshore Wind
Date: Thursday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
Location: Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, first-floor atrium
Max Roman Dilthey ’13 of the University of Massachusetts Amherst will present the Fall 2026 Elizabeth
and Lawrence Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture, "Solving Impossible Problems in
Offshore Wind," at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the first-floor atrium of MCLA's
Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation. A reception celebrating the gift of
a painting from local artist Sarah Sutro to the Environmental Studies Department will be held at 6 p.m. in the building's second-floor atrium.
Dilthey is program manager and curriculum lead for the UMass Offshore Wind Professional
Certificate, where he leads instruction for all three of the program's courses. He
has 12 years of experience developing the curriculum on renewable energy, sustainability
and the environment, and 10 years of experience working in the renewable energy sector.
"Offshore wind megaprojects are poised to power millions of U.S. homes, right where
electricity demand is highest," Dilthey wrote in his description of the lecture. "But
building these wind farms requires years of coordination between hundreds of entities:
private developers, governments, local communities and more. Tackling these impossibly
complex projects requires the highest levels of strategic problem solving. Could offshore
wind provide a template for tackling the world's most difficult climate and policy
challenges?"
These events are free and open to the public. For more information, call MCLA's Office of Institutional Advancement at 413-662-5224 or email advancement@mcla.edu.
About the Series
The Vadnais Lecture Series is named for the visionary leader of The Center for Resourceful Living, Dr. Larry Vadnais. Learn more about the center through this short video and explore its history at Historic North Adams.