Gulf Oil Spill = Canceled Lecture in Portland by NOAA Chief Administrator

Jane Lubchenco, chief administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has cancelled her lecture that had been scheduled for tonight at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The reason? Lubchenco — also a professor at Oregon State University — was called back to Washington D.C. today to help deal with the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.

Standing in for Lubchenco will be Mark Hixon, a professor of marine biology at OSU and an expert on the link between ocean acidification and climate change.

This lecture is part of the World Affairs Council of Oregon's International Speaker Series. The event starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are available through the Portland Center Stage box office and Ticketmaster. The World Affairs Council hopes to re-schedule Lubchenco for a later date.