Iowa State’s landscape system’s project will host a series of speakers to inform the university community about community development.

The first speaker in the series will be Paul Portney, president of Resources for the Future (RFF). He will speak on Thursday at 2:10 p.m. in 13 Curtiss.

Portney is a world expert on agriculture and natural resources economics, said Jeff Kopaska, a graduate research student in animal science and a member of the landscape committee.

Portney served for two years as the chief economist at the Council on Environmental Quality in the Executive Office of the President. The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development is sponsoring Portney.

The landscape systems project is an approach to planning, designing and applying the processes involved with natural and cultural resources that are integrated with watershed and ecosystem applications, said Jeff Logsdon, assistant professor of landscape architecture and a member of the committee.

Representatives from the economics, animal ecology, landscape architecture, engineering, botany and hotel and restaurant management compose the steering committee.

The committee will develop a report to define terms and ideas for Iowa’s landscape, applied to the university for education, multidisciplinary research and outreach components of ISU, Logsdon said. They will work with Iowans inside and outside of the university.

The seminars will be led by leaders of agencies, practitioners and regional planning. Topics will include watershed and flood plan management, ecosystem protection, biodiversity, geographic information systems and landscape management.

The purpose of the seminars is to inform the university community about the multidisciplinary programs, Logsdon said. It is also to help inform the committee about refining its ideas and developing its process. The seminars will be held from January through March.

“ISU is receiving expertise on organizational planning and promotion of programs,” Logsdon said. “They will provide an informed view of planning and design.”