Professor Saleem H. Ali is Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware and a globally recognized scholar in environmental planning, sustainability, and conflict resolution. His work explores the connections between natural systems, resource governance, and human society, with a particular focus on how environmental cooperation can foster peace and sustainable development. Ali has authored numerous influential publications on environmental policy, mining, energy transitions, and planetary stewardship, including his recent book Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life. He has also advised governments, international organizations, and industry leaders on sustainability and environmental diplomacy.

Professor Saleem H. Ali will give the 8th Villars Institute Distinguished Lecture to explore how natural and social systems science can inform responses to planetary crises, and how understanding the underlying patterns of “earthly order” can help shape a more sustainable and socially functional future.