From Connecting With Trees to Coding With AI
Dickinson announces November Clarke Forum events
The Clarke Forum’s November lectures present very different points of view. Harvard's Ned Friedman will speak about how, in an increasingly technologized society, trees can help deepen our bond with nature and make us better stewards of the earth. Posit PBC's chief scientist, Hadley Wickham, will follow up with a discussion about data science and coding with AI.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Tree Obsessions: Celebrating the Ephemeral in Long-Lived Plants
William "Ned" Friedman, Harvard University
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium
In an era when humanity is increasingly disconnected from nature, Ned Friedman, a Harvard University professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, argues that trees can help humans forge personal and empathic connections with the natural world. He also explores the idea that deepening our love of individual trees can make us better stewards of the Earth.
Friedman is the eighth director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. His scholarly research has deepened our understanding of the evolution of flowering plants. This program is a part of the Trout Gallery exhibition Branch: Trees in American Art and of the Clarke Forum’s Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty Series.
Learn more about Friedman and this event.
From left: Hadley Wickham and William "Ned" Friedman.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
Joseph Priestley Award Celebration Lecture: y code when ai?
Hadley Wickham, Posit, University of Auckland
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium
It’s easier than ever to bring imagination to life with coding assistance from artificial intelligence (AI). Hadley Wickham of the University of Auckland will share what he’s learned while using AI tools in his software engineering practice. This includes lessons learned about the importance of the “double-entry accounting” in programming and of creating an adversarial environment for code generation. He’ll also speculate on how AI will affect data science in coming years.
Wickham is the chief scientist at Posit PBC, the recipient of the 2019 COPSS Award and a member of the R Foundation. He builds tools to make data science easier, faster and more fun. He is also a writer, educator and speaker promoting the use of R for data science. Wickham gives this lecture as the 2026 recipient of Dickinson’s Joseph Priestley Award.
Learn more about Wickham and this event.
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Published October 22, 2026