Four distinguished alumni of the UO Graduate School are returning to Eugene to talk about their work and lives since graduating.

The series of talks — planned in concert with the departments from which the alums graduated — will be open to the campus community and beyond. The talks in this inaugural year of the Distinguished Alumni Speaker Program will focus on Graduate School alumni with notable careers outside academia.

The series starts early this term with William Hawley, who serves as chief of the entomology branch in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hawley, whose career is especially relevant given the current news about the Zika virus, received a doctorate in biology at the UO.

He will speak about his work Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 4-5 p.m. in Room 101 of the Jaqua Center. A second talk, more specifically targeted for biologists but still open to all, will be held Thursday from noon-1 p.m. in the Lawrence Lounge (Room 115, Lawrence Hall).

Three other speakers will follow, with history alumnus John Shurts speaking in March and chemistry graduate Fei Mao and biology alum Dennis Liu speaking during spring term.

The series supports the Graduate School’s goal of promoting interest in graduate education by showcasing the successes of UO alumni, who make significant contributions to the economic, technological and intellectual growth of the local and global communities.