Author and architect Sarah Susanka, who developed her philosophy of " Not So Big" into a series of best-selling books, will be the keynote speaker for Catawba College's seventh annual Lilly Colloquium on Tuesday, March 16. Susanka's visit to campus is sponsored by Catawba's Lilly Center for Vocation and Values and the Center for the Environment.
During her March 16th visit to Catawba, Susanka will make two on-campus presentations, both of which are free and open to the public. She will speak at 11 a.m. in Omwake-Dearborn Chapel and again at 7:30 p.m. in Keppel Auditorium of the Robertson College-Community Center during Catawba's Community Forum for February. Her remarks will focus on the philosophy for living that she expounded in her book, " Not So Big."
Called a cultural visionary, Susanka leads a "Not So Big" movement to redefine the American home and lifestyle. She contends that such a philosophy is the first step in sustainability and can positively affect both personal well-being and the health of the planet as a whole. She began to expound her philosophy in her first book, "The Not So Big House," published in 1998. In it, she advocated that residential architecture should be built better, not bigger.
Several books later, Susanka took her philosophical blueprints for home design and adapted them to life in her "The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters," published in 2007. In it, she shared a process for changing the way individuals live through fully inhabiting each moment of their lives and being totally present for whatever they are doing.
Her popular philosophy, as expounded in her books and during her appearances on television and radio programs, including Oprah, Diane Rehm, and Charlie Rose, has won her accolades. In 1998, US News and World Report named her an "innovator in American culture" and Newsweek selected her in 2000 as a "top newsmaker." In 2007, she received the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award from the Lindbergh Foundation for "outstanding individual achievement demonstrating a spirit of initiative and exemplifying great dedication toward making positive contributions to our world." In 2009, Builder Magazine honored her as one of their Top 30 Innovators for her impact on the home building industry.
A native of Kent, England, Susanka now makes her home in North Carolina. She is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council.
Catawba's Lilly Center for Vocation and Values is directed by Dr. Kenneth W. Clapp, senior vice president and chaplain. The Center was established in 2003 and funded with a $2 million grant the College received from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Previous notable speakers who have participated in annual Lilly Colloquia include Leonard Pitts, Martin Marty, David Bornstein, Sharon Parks, Mackey Austin and Joe Ehrmann.
The Lilly Center seeks to help students and members of the larger community determine values for their lives and allow those values to guide decisions relative to the vocations they choose and the priorities they set. Critical to this process is the recognition that as the children of God all are called to use the talents and gifts that have been provided not only for the realization of their own capabilities, but in service to others and in making the world a better place.
The Center for the Environment was founded in 1996 with the mission to educate the public and the college community about regional environmental challenges and to foster community-based, sustainable solutions to those challenges. Dr. John Wear is the Center's founding executive director.
For more details on Sarah Susanka's appearance at Catawba, contact Dr. Clapp or his assistant, Lucretia Hughes, at (704) 637-4446.
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PHOTOS: Author Sarah Susanka Speaks at Catawba
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