Cronin’s lecture is titled, “Change the World-Start In Your Own Backyard.” Author, fishermen, teacher, filmmaker, and advocate, John Cronin offers a unique perspective that explores the human, political, and moral dimensions of today's environmental headlines. An accomplished storyteller who personifies the philosophy "think globally, act locally," he uses humor, hands-on experience, and political savvy to deliver the inspirational message of how you too can change the world from your own backyard.

A Time magazine Hero for the Planet, a college professor without a college degree, a former commercial fishermen and frequent contributor to the New York Times - John Cronin's message is that making a difference is only about wanting to. He has dedicated his career to the American environment, earning him widespread praise ranging from the The Wall Street Journal to the Miami Herald who called him a "hero in one of the great success stories of the modern environmental movement."

But his is not strictly an environmental message. His inspiring combination of personal achievement, humor, optimism, and expert storytelling has motivated diverse audiences all over the country to believe that as individuals, they too can shape their future starting in their own backyards.

A native of the Hudson River Valley, his work there was featured on Bill Moyers Presents: America's First River. A writer, he authored, with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., The Riverkeepers, published by Scribner, and has been a frequent contributor on environmental policy on the Op Ed page of the The New York Times. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, he produced and wrote The Last Rivermen, which the Motion Picture Academy Foundation named one of the outstanding documentary films of 1991. An activist, he has been involved in the investigation and prosecution of high profile pollution cases taken from today's headlines.

Most recently, as director of the Pace Academy for the Environment at Pace University, John has turned his attention to working regularly with citizens, teachers, scientists, policy makers, and business leaders on the ethical dimensions of the human relationship to nature.