Dr. Yolonda Youngs will present a talk about her book Framing Nature: The Creation of an American Icon at the Grand Canyon as part of the State of Arizona Research Library’s 2024 Arizona Author Series. The talk is at 12 p.m. MST, Thursday, May 16th, and will be held virtually on Zoom. Attendees are encouraged to register to receive the link to the presentation. After the talk, there will be time for questions from the audience.

This presentation will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel. Registered attendees will receive a link to the recording once it is available. 

About Framing Nature: Since the mid-19^th century, the Grand Canyon has evolved into an exceptionally popular culture icon. By interpreting and analyzing over 1,400 visual artifacts of the Grand Canyon, Dr. Youngs shows readers how these visuals have impacted the way humans understand and interact with nature, as well as how our national parks and the American West became and continue to be symbols of American culture.

You can read and listen to books about the history and culture of Arizona for free on Reading Arizona.

Dr. Yolonda Youngs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her expertise is in national parks and protected areas, environmental justice, conservation of natural resources, environmental policy and management, tourism, outdoor recreation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Her regional specialties are the United States and Europe. She has taught geography and environmental studies courses at CSUSB, Oklahoma State University, and Idaho State University. Dr. Youngs has written or co-authored 28 academic journal articles, books, book chapters, book reviews, scientific reports, and essays featuring her research in sites across the U.S. National Park Service system. Her books include The American Environment Revisited (2018) and the forthcoming Framing Nature: The Creation of an American Icon at the Grand Canyon (In print June 2024 with the University of Nebraska Press). Her work is funded by the National Science Foundation, U.S. National Park Service, and the Cooperative Ecosystem Services Network. She has received an Apple Distinguished Educator award, Outstanding University Researcher Award (Idaho State University), and a Scholar-In-Residence award at University of New Mexico, among others. Dr. Youngs is currently serving as the Vice-Chair of the Protected Areas Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers and remains an active member in national park and UNESCO World Heritage Sites research with membership in the United States Committee on the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the International Geographical Union, and the Royal Geographic Society.

This event is part of the 2024 Arizona Author Series. This program is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Arizona Center for the Book, a Library of Congress Center for the Book Affiliate.