Dr. Riki Ott, a marine toxicologist, will offer a free, public lecture on "The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Human and Wildlife Effects" on Monday, Jan. 24, at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall at 6:30 p.m.

Her lecture is part of a book tour for her work, "Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill." Leaders such as Jane Goodall, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and David Rockefeller Jr. have praised Ott's work.

"As an Exxon shareholder, I sincerely hope this book hits home," Rockefeller writes.

Ott will be available for media interviews on Jan. 24. Contact Jennifer Ekman to schedule an interview.

Her book offers a new understanding of oil toxicity to humans and wildlife from the stories of key witnesses and participants.

"Dr. Ott is not only a survivor of the Exxon Valdez disaster, but she is also a scholar who has carefully researched the serious health problems experienced by the people who worked on the cleanup and the destructive long-term impacts on wildlife," said Dr. J. Steven Picou, chairman of the department of sociology, anthropology and social work. "She has a very interesting and shocking story to tell."

Ott has a master's degree and doctorate in marine toxicology from the University of South Carolina and the University of Washington, respectively. In 1985, she moved to Alaska for the summer and eventually bought into the Prince William Sound salmon driftnet fishery. For the next 10 years, she worked in the commercial fishery industry, leaving in 1994 after the spill-related collapse of the salmon and herring stock. Since then, she has founded three nonprofit organizations to deal with the lingering social, economic and environmental harm caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Her lecture, part of the annual Mardi Gras Lecture Series, is being sponsored by the department of sociology, anthropology and social work at USA and the Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society.

University of South Alabama College of Arts & Sciences

As the largest college in the University, the College of Arts and Sciences includes 19 departments and several interdisciplinary programs offering 25 majors, 33 minors and one certificate program.

The college also provides the core liberal arts education for all University students, introducing them to a broad spectrum of knowledge in each of four main areas: the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and fine and performing arts.

The faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences are actively engaged in research, which enables them to integrate recent advances in knowledge into the classroom. They contribute to the growth of knowledge through their research, publications and creative achievements, both in their professions and in the community.

The College of Arts and Sciences currently enrolls 3,562 students. USA has more than 54,000 alumni.