September 16, 2019 | 2–4 p.m.
S. R. Crown Hall, Center Core
On September 16, as part of Illinois Institute of Technology’s upcoming Shapeshift design festival, Adjunct Professor Tom Jacobs will present “Creative Activism Now,” a lecture that serves as a call to action for students, faculty, and young professionals in creative fields to find solutions to the world’s climate crisis.
Like humanity’s “moonshot” fifty years ago, Jacobs believes that climate change is an “Earthshot moment,” an opportunity for social and technological innovation to join forces and transform our relationship with the planet. More so, he argues that creative professionals—architects, designers, among others—are uniquely positioned to drive change with the speed and scale that the climate crisis demands.
“Reversing the climate crisis depends on our common ability to imagine and innovate,” says Jacobs. “Who better than architects and designers to lead the way?”
Jacobs, in addition to his role at the College of Architecture, is a practicing architect and principal at Krueck + Sexton. Beyond his design work at the firm, he spearheaded Architects Advocate, a nonpartisan action platform to enact meaningful policy and legislation to reverse climate change. According to Architects Advocate’s website, more than 900 architecture and design firms have signed on to the grassroots network.