An Iowa State alumna and present member of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s administration will speak tonight in recognition of Earth Week.

During her presentation, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Patricia Beneke will discuss the restoration of American landscape and some of the projects the Clinton-Gore administration has planned.

Beneke, an Ames native, will speak at 7 p.m. in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union.

“I am really excited to be able to kick off Earth Week,” she said. “I remember when I was still in high school, I begged my principal to allow me to miss class to come and listen to the first-ever Earth Day speech at Iowa State.”

Beneke said growing up in Iowa helped her develop an appreciation for landscape and the environment.

“Right now, we are working on restoring the Everglades, San Francisco Bay Delta and the Platte River Basin,” she said.

She added that during her speech, she will focus upon a current restoration project in the Florida Everglades.

“Gore has played a key role in working to reclaim to the ‘river of grass,’ a vital resource in terms of the birds and wildlife living there,” Beneke said.

She said the Everglades has been experiencing problems since the flow of water and its natural system have been altered by a project built by Army core engineers to drain the Everglades.

The project initially was developed to drain the area, enabling animals to inhabit the swamps. Plans include altering the structure to restore the habitat.

“It is a huge undertaking done in cooperation by many organizations,” Beneke said.

Aside from these projects, Beneke also is in charge of the overall management for the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey, which until recently was headed by former ISU President Gordon Eaton.

“It is amazing how many ISU graduates I come across here involved in public service careers,” she said.

Beneke, who received her bachelor’s degree in political science from ISU in 1976, said her education and experiences at ISU prepared her for a career in public service.

“Iowa State offered many great opportunities for me to get involved in local politics. That really helped me out in the long run, and I met my husband while working on one of the campaigns,” she said.

“I just want everyone to know that public service is an extremely rewarding career. Working at the Department of the Interior as part of the Clinton-Gore administration has been a real privilege,” Beneke said.